Secondary schools
See how we may be able to help your secondary school with our programs and initiatives below.
Our Health Promotion team is passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community.
See below for the programs and initiatives we provide that can support your secondary school.
Please note: All of our programs are free and there is no cost to your setting.
Health & Wellbeing education / stalls
We can provide other tailored, evidence-based education sessions on a range of health topics. If you have a request that doesn’t fit into any of the headings above, please get in touch.
We can also attend your event to provide information and resources to your staff, children and families.
Simply fill in the form below.
Free condoms
We provide free condom and lube packs for all secondary schools within the Greater Bendigo region.
Sexual health sessions
We offer fun and engaging sexual and reproductive health education for young people navigating their teenage years. The program utilises a positive and strengths-based approach covering such as sex, gender & diversity, safe sex, pregnancy, consent & the law, sexting and pornography.
5 Ways to Wellbeing
Focused on improving the mental health and wellbeing of both your staff and students, this campaign consists of five simple and effective actions individuals can practice every day. We can provide resources on this message, all the way through to delivering an education session for your students or staff.
The five key action areas are:
- Connect: Develop relationships with those around you.
- Be active: Find an activity you enjoy and make it a part of your life.
- Keep learning: Trying new things will improve your confidence.
- Take notice: Find time in your day to notice your surroundings and yourself.
- Give: Even the smallest act of kindness helps!
FRIENDS Resilience Program
This evidence-based program is endorsed by the World Health Organisation and aims to improve mental wellbeing and coping skills.
The program can be delivered across different age levels:
- My Friends Youth (12-15 years)
- Adult Resilience (16 years and over).
This program is delivered by our trained staff at no cost and can be tailored to suit the needs of your group. The program can be delivered in the following formats:
- 1 hour session x 10 weeks
- 2-hour session x 5 weeks
- Half day workshops (2 x sessions).
Love Bites Respectful Relationship Program
This is a respectful relationships programs for young people aged 11-17 years.
- Love Bites Junior is for young people aged 11-14, and has a focus on respectful relationships development.
- Love Bites Senior is for young people aged 15-17. The program is built on a trauma-responsive framework. Using a strengths-based approach, it’s designed to create a safe space for young people that empowers them to participate, build skills and make informed choices.
The program is based on best practice standards for education programs as recommended by the Federal Government funded Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House and other leading academics in the area of preventing violence against women.
The program highlights the importance of a whole-of-school commitment to respectful relationship education. Over 100,000 high school students across Australia have participated in this innovative program.
Healthy Places, Healthy Futures
An initiative of Cancer Council Victoria and supported by the Victorian Government, the Achievement Program is a free health and wellbeing program aimed to help early childhood services create healthier environments for learning.
The health promotion team can support your setting to make small changes and implement strategies in these health promotion areas:
- Healthy eating & oral health
- Physical activity
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Smoking & Vaping
- Sun protection
- Safe environments
- Climate and health.
Our health promoters can offer advice and guidance to help you build on the work you’re already doing to support health and wellbeing and get recognition from the Victorian Government as a healthy place.
Vic Kids Eat Well
A free initiative of the Cancer Council and Nutrition Australia, the program supports schools, after school care and sports clubs to make simple changes to offer healthier food and drink options. We also provide an incentive for each small and big bite achieved!
We can support your setting to work towards these key action areas:
Schools / OHSC Bites:
- Refresh the fridge: Give sugary drinks the boot and let water take the spotlight.
- Switch up the snacks: Ditch the sweets and offer delicious healthy snacks that give kids the fuel they need
Ditch sweet snacks and offer healthier ones for kids. - Change up the menu: Give fruit and veggies a chance to shine.
- Put the ‘fun’ into fundraising and marketing: Add health appeal to meal deals or healthy fundraising like walkathons or readathons.
School Breakfast Club Bites:
- Boost breakfast: Fuel up with wholegrains, low sugar cereals and boost dairy for strong bones.
- Eat for a brighter start: Provide healthier drinks and keep occasional food occasional.
- Colour breakfast with fruit and vegetables: Offer fresh, tinned, or frozen fruits and vegetables when possible.
Active Schools
Following a needs assessment open to all education settings in Greater Bendigo, we are developing targeted approaches to work directly with schools to help create environments that support active travel and movement.
For example, partnering with the City of Greater Bendigo to develop active travel maps for schools promoting safe travel routes for students and their families.
Linked below are assets available for some Greater Bendigo schools. Get in touch to express your interest in developing an active map for your school.