The Buildcorp Foundation was proud to co-fund a $2.45 million investment with the NSW Department of Education to deliver mindfulness training to 445 primary schools through the Smiling Mind Schools Program.
Rolled out from 2019 to 2021, the Smiling Mind Program is a key initiative implemented by the Foundation alongside Former Secretary Mark Scott and the NSW Department of Education. In schools, the program delivered lessons based on mindfulness practices to help students build resilience and deal with challenges such as anxiety, stress and bullying. The ‘curriculum ready’ program also provided training for teachers, as well as teaching resources and lesson plans.
With a dollar-matched donation by the NSW Government, the Foundation invested $1.25 million to deliver the program, initially targeted to reach 100,000 school-aged children. With the rollout undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, and limited face-to-face interaction available, an alternative online solution was developed. This achieved a 50% increase in the program’s reach, with the program delivered to more than 140,000 primary school students and 10,000 teachers, spanning 445 primary schools across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
We are pleased to share highlights from PWCs independent evaluation of the program in NSW below, which completed at the end of Term 1 2021.
$2.45m co-funded by Buildcorp Foundation and NSW Government
