Investing in student wellbeing through Champion Life

Champion Life is designed to support teachers to easily and effectively implement innovative wellbeing and physical activity into their classrooms on a regular basis. The resources supplement and enhance the pre-existing school curriculum and programs already being delivered in the school. The web-based application supports schools to increase physical activity minutes and meet physical activity and wellbeing policies and allows regular content updates, delivering a current, evidenced informed program. In doing so, this serves to increase health and wellbeing knowledge of both students and staff through supporting the development of physical literacy and personal and social development.
 
Physical activity is associated with many physical and mental health benefits when children and adolescents participate in the recommended 60 min per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity. Despite these benefits, population based-studies have reported that over 70% of children in Australia and internationally are not meeting recommendations.
 

What is the benefit to your school?

Research shows that it’s vital for children to be active every day not just for their physical health, but for their mental and emotional wellbeing, too. The successful implementation of the Champion Life Program in your school can yield a range of important benefits for your students, staff, school leadership and school ethos. A school that places importance on student and staff wellbeing creates a culture of caring and the implications of this are wide-reaching. Research shows that school-aged children who meet the guidelines for physical activity experience greater physical, emotional and mental health as well as social connection and a greater sense of self-efficacy. This leads to students developing positive health and wellbeing habits across the school community such as improved interpersonal relationships, communication and teamwork.
 
Emerging research has also highlighted the relationship between physical activity and executive brain function which increases learning functions such as decision making, problem-solving, on-task behaviour and concentration and perform better on standardised tests when physical activity is performed regularly for more than one year. Students who are physically active also experience increased positive mood, decreased risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety and improved sleep cycles. In addition, when students take part in the Champion Life program, they build and refine life skills such as persistence, resilience and interpersonal skills which are transferred to other areas of school life, leading to students experiencing success and engaging proactively in their schooling.
 
The Champion Life program providers school leadership with actionable data that can be analysed and used to guide school improvement and interventions that support student’s wellbeing. By joining in with their students, staff can also experience wellbeing benefits. In addition, staff will save time on searching for and planning wellbeing programs by having access to ready-made, evidenced-based wellbeing resources. There is also an opportunity for enhanced student-teacher relationships.