Growing Minds

What is Growing Minds?

Growing Minds is programme that launched in September 2019, designed to develop healthy thinking habits in young people at state primary and secondary schools. Its emphasis is on healthy coping skills and building resilience and emotional intelligence.

A recent paper in the journal Lancet Psychiatry reports that educational best practice such as tackling bullying, emphasizing nutrition and exercise and teaching children to be aware of how they think can have a significant impact on the mental health of young people. We want to deliver this into state schools because there’s no funding to do it, because our young people are our future leaders and because it’s the right thing to do.

Whilst we find ourselves in challenging times amidst the Corona Virus outbreak, there is an even greater need to support the mental health of young people.

This programme is free to schools and wholly funded by Liz Margree & Associates Limited’s corporate social responsibility strand.

Since 2019….

We had great success in working with groups of young people in local primary and secondary schools during the academic year of 2019-2020. Feedback from schools was overwhelmingly positive. One school stated that all aspects of the programme were outstanding and that the therapist, working in their school, was an exceptional addition to the support they provided. Feedback on the impact on the children was evident; schools stated that the pupils were far more positive and settled as a result of their sessions.

We worked with groups virtually whilst the nation was in our first lockdown and provided regular support to young people during a challenging time when there was uncertainty over exams and attendance in school.

Our therapist worked in person and remotely during the last academic year (2020-2021) and focused on the key theme of developing self-awareness but, given the Covid situation, she also focused on skills relating to resilience and positive psychology.

This year we continue to work in a secondary school, supporting the thinking habits of a group of pupils. We are excited to be delivering a coaching initiative to a secondary school Leadership Team to improve areas of their practice and facilitate positive change.

Our Continued Vision

Our vision is a regional and ultimately national programme, where corporate organisations sponsor the Growing Minds Programme in state secondary schools local to them so that we can deliver:

• Weekly group sessions to develop healthy thinking habits in young people – where up to 12 young people regularly attend a weekly group for a term.

• One off lesson-long master-classes in goal setting, anxiety management and thinking flexibly.

• A pool of ‘speakers corner’ volunteers from the corporate organisations who can come in and give talks to the students about work-life, career opportunities and how they keep mentally healthy.

• Pathways into work experience weeks with the corporate sponsor.

• Podcast and you tube content, hosted by ‘mental health champions’ – young people who are up for sharing how they manage their mindset.

If you would like to know more about Growing Minds and how you can be part of our new programme or, if you would like to become a Client Partner and sponsor the Growing Minds programme, then please contact Liz Margree, Director, liz@lizmargree.com