Following the successful delivery of a program called Bounce in Torry Academy, we were delighted to be approached by St Machar Academy to provide a similar program for a small mixed group of S2s. These workshops focus on building resilience, coping with negative emotions and thinking positively about the future, which are essential life skills, especially for young people with behavioural or academic difficulties.
This gave the Relationship Revolution team a unique opportunity to work alongside the therapeutic listening team. Together we decided to deliver several creative therapy sessions, using art and design to develop topics such as anger and relationships with others, followed by a program of Bounce, which was tailored specifically to focus on managing anger and coping positively with failure.
Working with this group was one of the most challenging and also the rewarding experiences I have had whilst working for Choices. We learnt the importance of getting to know each group member individually, and of tailoring the material to their particular academic and emotional needs. Having begun by being highly disruptive and disrespectful to one another, by the end of our time with them the group were able to work together and think more positively about their abilities, allowing them to grow in self-confidence and mutual respect. The creative sessions using clay and painting were particularly successful, as they allowed the each young person to think about the different relationships in their lives and how they fit in with the group. My highlight was the final session, when we plotted plans and hopes for the future, and each member was able to form aspirations and hopes for themselves. Feedback from the school staff noted ‘a marked improvement’ in the whole group, and recognised the success of ‘empowering pupils to see how people can deal with negative situations in a successful way.’
It was a privilege to take a program that had been such a success in one of our partner schools and see it also working well in a different environment, and our hope is that we will continue to deliver similar programs within St Machar.
