INSIDE OUT 4 KIDS online training released

Due to high demand for the program, a suite of high-quality training modules has been created online to upskill professionals in supporting children’s emotional literacy.

City Mission’s early intervention, emotional well-being initiative INSIDE OUT 4 KIDS, builds the emotional literacy and wellbeing of primary school children. Inside Out 4 Kids programs have been offered free of charge in schools across Northern Tasmania for over seven years with the aim of assisting children to develop healthy coping strategies for change, grief, and worry.

Now, due to high demand for the program, a suite of high-quality training modules has been created online to upskill professionals in supporting children’s emotional literacy.

“We facilitate Inside Out 4 Kids programs in schools across North and Northwest Tasmania. The engagement with the service was in such demand that we decided to increase our support of children, schools, and communities by making our programs available online. A waiting list for children with emotional needs is something that weighed heavily on us as an organisation”, said City Missions Operations Manager, Children, Youth and Futures, Fiona Auton.

Young Australians are increasingly facing mental health challenges, with the rate of psychological distress rising from 18.6% in 2012 to 26.6% in 2020 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2021; Brennan et al., 2021).

Aligned to the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework, The Australian Curriculum and AITSL standards, the online platform is designed for educators and other professionals who work with primary aged children in schools and trains staff to facilitate in their own schools The online portal offers four self-paced courses including Primary Emotional Literacy Development, Early Childhood Emotional Literacy Development, Change, Grief and Loss and Understanding Worry.

“This learning platform is for professionals such as teachers, teachers’ aides, nurses, social workers, and chaplains. We have always offered face-to-face training for schools and their staff, but we know some people need the flexibility of online learning. This will ensure that no matter how remotely you are working, you can access excellent professional development. Our training allows people working in schools to have a better understanding of general emotional literacy skill development and provides games, activities, and worksheets to use with children,” said Mrs Auton.

During the past year almost 3,000 Tasmanian children have been helped by the program and now, the online facilitator training will make our programs so much more accessible. “Our team will continue to support as many children as we can, however investing in online training will pay long term dividends, for the children, schools and communities we can’t reach,” said Mrs Auton.