Introduction to the Wired for Well-Being Programme

Wired for Well-Being is a new 3-level well-being programme for Junior Cycle, secondary school students in  First Year, Second Year and Third Year (ages 12 to 15+).  The programme is drawn from the fields of Positive Psychology, which is 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.

It aims to teach students to understand and enhance their own well-being through a range of evidence-based strategies and skills. It was created in line with the revised SPHE curriculum Learning Outcomes (2023) and the Well-Being indicators outlined in the Well-Being Guidelines for Junior Cycle (2021). The programme is incremental in nature – concepts and skills are reinforced and revised throughout the 3 levels. Concepts from the extensively used primary school programme Weaving Well-Being are also reinforced and further embedded. However, each level can be delivered as a stand-alone course also.

Each of the three levels of Wired for Well-being comes with a Teacher Resource Book (with a comprehensive online Digital Companion Page – DCP) and a Pupil Book (Reflective Journal). The DCP contains PowerPoint presentations for each lesson, supplementary worksheets, classroom posters and much more. The pupil book has two activities per lesson as well as an activity for home. A pull-out Parent Information Guide is included in each student’s Pupil Book to support parental involvement.

The programme has been written by Fiona Forman, co-author of the extensively used middle to upper primary school programme Weaving Well-Being. Fiona is also the sole author of the recently published secondary school Senior Cycle programme Tools to Thrive as well as the junior primary programme Welcome to Well-Being.

What is Well-Being?

‘Well-Being is present when a person realises their potential, is resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their life, takes care of their physical well-being and has a sense of purpose and belonging to a wider community. It is a fluid way of being and needs nurturing throughout life’
-World Health Organisation, 2001.

This is one of the most well-known definitions of well-being and it is referenced in the Well-Being Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (Department of Education & Skills, Ireland, 2019). It encompasses the different dimensions of well-being including physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual. The Wired for Well-Being programme has adapted this definition as a basis for introducing the concept of well-being to students using the following terms shown in this pink oval shape here.

Outline of Lessons

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.

What Skills are covered in each Level?

Aims of the Programme

Wired for Well-Being aims to introduce young people to skills and strategies from the fields of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience to empower them to become active participants in understanding, creating and maintaining their well-being and resilience. In doing so, it aims to help young people to reach their potential, to flourish and to become thriving citizens.

The concept of Well-Being can be quite an abstract concept for young people, so the first skill in each level aims to give a concrete understanding of its components and the reasons why it is so important. High levels of well-being are associated with a wide range of other successful outcomes including greater levels of happiness, health, success, confidence and contribution to the wider community (Lyubormirsky, King & Deiner, 2005).

Programme Background

Positive Psychology is the science of well-being and was initiated by Professor Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. Seligman observed that psychology up to that point was deficit-based. He called for more research to be conducted into the components of well-being and flourishing. Positive Psychology is therefore the study of well-being, resilience and optimal human functioning. It is founded on the concept of identifying and developing personal strengths and competencies, as opposed to correcting weaknesses. Positive Psychology uses evidence-based interventions that help individuals not only to cope, but to thrive and engage with life on an optimal level, whenever possible.

Scope and Sequence

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.

Well-Being Brochure (all 4 levels)

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.

About the Author

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.

Meditation

Click HERE or on the image above to access the FREE Meditation (Body and Mind Check-In)

Digital Content

Click HERE or on the image above to access the Digital Companion Pages

Selection of some resources from the programme!

What Teachers & Students are saying......

Teacher Feedback:

  • ‘Overall the programme was very beneficial and gave students a new perspective on their well-being’
  • ‘Excellent resource that is pitched perfectly for students.’

Student Feedback:

  • ‘The programme is great’
  • ‘I really enjoyed these lessons and they helped me’
  • ‘Really good at helping me fight negative thoughts’

Wired for Well-Being Books and Resources

Sale!

Wired for Well-Being: Book A (Secondary – 1st Year / Ages: 12-13)

4.9544.55

Wired for Well-Being aims to introduce young people to skills and strategies from the fields of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience to empower them to become active participants in understanding, creating and maintaining their well-being and resilience. In doing so, it aims to help young people to reach their potential, to flourish and to become thriving citizens.

Sale!

Wired for Well-Being: Book B (Secondary – 2nd Year / Ages: 13-14)

4.9544.55

Wired for Well-Being aims to introduce young people to skills and strategies from the fields of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience to empower them to become active participants in understanding, creating and maintaining their well-being and resilience. In doing so, it aims to help young people to reach their potential, to flourish and to become thriving citizens.

Sale!

Wired for Well-Being: Book C (Secondary – 3rd Year / Ages: 14-15)

4.9544.55

Wired for Well-Being aims to introduce young people to skills and strategies from the fields of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience to empower them to become active participants in understanding, creating and maintaining their well-being and resilience. In doing so, it aims to help young people to reach their potential, to flourish and to become thriving citizens.

Sale!

Wired for Well-Being: Starter Kit (Secondary – 1st Year to 3rd Year / Ages: 12-15)

89.50140.00

Wired for Well-Being aims to introduce young people to skills and strategies from the fields of Positive Psychology and Neuroscience to empower them to become active participants in understanding, creating and maintaining their well-being and resilience. In doing so, it aims to help young people to reach their potential, to flourish and to become thriving citizens.