Tools to Thrive: Homepage - Outside the Box Learning Resources

Tools to Thrive is a new two-level positive mental well-being programme for Senior Cycle, secondary school students in Fifth and Sixth year (ages 15 to 17+). The programme is drawn from the fields of Positive Psychology, the science of well-being, and Neuroscience to develop positive well-being habits for life. It is designed to be implemented as part of the SPHE curriculum.

Each level has 8 lessons which are designed to be taught consecutively where possible. Each lesson may be taught over a one-hour class period, or maybe be split over 2 lesson periods if desired also.

Research shows that having a high level of well-being is the greatest predictor of happiness and success in life for both adults and young people. (Layard et al., 2014). However, young people face ever-increasing challenges and demands as they grow into adulthood. There is a vital need to equip them with the skills and strategies that will help them to flourish and thrive despite these challenges.

The Tools to Thrive programme aims to introduce adolescents to these evidence-based skills (tools), drawn from the field of Positive Psychology, to develop positive well-being habits for life. Each lesson also indicates the neuroscience behind each tool to give students an understanding of what is happening in the brain as each tool is utilised.

The programme is designed in alignment with the 4 key features of effective teaching and learning in SPHE (NCCA, 2023)

1. Awareness
2. Dialogue
3. Reflection
4. Action

The programme aims to support learning in all of the Learning Outcomes of 2 of the 3 strands of the Revised Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum (2024), namely Health and Well-Being and Into Adulthood. The majority of these Learning Outcomes (11 of the 16), are covered within Levels A & B of the programme. The remaining 5 are covered in Tools to Thrive: Level B Follow-On, which comprises of 3 further online lessons.

There is a huge need for mental health resources for schools as so many young people are struggling with their mental health. It is expected that this new programme will play a part in making a significant difference.

Each of the two levels comes in the form of:

• Teacher Resource Book, including access to comprehensive online resources on the Teacher’s Digital Companion Page (password-protected)
• Pupil Reflective Journal, including access to comprehensive online resources on the Pupil’s Digital Companion Page (no password required)

Free Samples of the two Student Reflective Journals are available HERE and you can trial one of the eight Lessons for Free from each of the two levels HERE.

Each level covers 8 well-being skills, each containing the following elements:

• Lesson plan – containing relevant SPHE modules and DES well-being indicators (resilient, connected, respected, active, aware, responsible), lesson outcomes, resources, body and mind check-in, warm -up activity, subsequent development,  supplementary photocopiable  resources.
• PowerPoint slides – containing all relevant material for the presentation of the skill, including a multi-media element and links to online research articles for further information if required. All of these are contained on a comprehensive Digital Companion Page – one per level.
• Pupil Book/Reflective Journal – containing 2 Pupil Activities per skill, key message, self-assessment of learning outcomes and homework activity.
• Parent/Guardian/Carer Guide – (in the centre of each Pupil Book) to encourage parents to support their child in using the skills.
• APP – Book A has an optional, accompanying APP – APPs for Book B & Book C are under construction

You can try out one FREE SKILL LESSON from each of the three levels by clicking on Lesson Plans icon the bottom of this page.

You can LOOK INSIDE any of the teacher books and/or pupil books by clicking on the Shop icon at the bottom of this page, selecting one of the levels and choosing the book that you would like to see inside.

You can request FREE SAMPLES of the pupil books by clicking the Samples icon at the bottom of this page.

To download this Scope and Sequence chart (for post-primary schools) as a pdf please click HERE or for the Scope and Sequence chart of all four well-being programmes for primary and secondary (all ages), please click HERE.

Click on the catalogue cover above to browse the Well-Being School Programmes’ Catalogue or click HERE if you would like to download a pdf of the catalogue.

Fiona Forman is an author, speaker, facilitator and trainer in the area of well-being and Positive Psychology. Click HERE to find out more about Fiona.