In March 2025, we're bringing together schools, service providers and community agencies who work with 6-12 year olds and their families in Hume.
This event will focus on the unique needs and challenges of middle years children and young people and provide an opportunity to learn about the latest research from academics in the field, hear from practitioners about best practice, and network and meet others who are passionate about working in the middle years space.
Don’t miss this chance to make a real impact!
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS:
Keynote Presentations:
Navigating the Middle Years: Understanding Health, Growth, and Development in Children and Adolescents
Presented by Professor Susan Sawyer
This opening session will provide a developmental overview of child and adolescent health across the ‘middle years’, signaling how pubertal development, physical growth and brain maturation effect behaviours during these years, and contextualising the risks and opportunities that accompany this period.
Harnessing the potential of whole-school approaches for mental health
Presented by Dr Monika Raniti
This presentation will delve into the concept of whole-school approaches to mental health, highlighting recent data and using the new global standards for health-promoting schools and systems from WHO and UNESCO as a key example.
Breakout Workshops/Panels:
Supporting Resilience in Young People: Attunement and the Nervous System
Presented by OKAY Therapy
This workshop equips professionals with practical strategies to help children regulate and co-regulate their nervous systems, fostering flexibility and resilience. By understanding the importance of safety and connection, we can guide children in navigating difficult experiences, enhancing their capacity to learn and recover. When a child feels supported and attuned to, they are better able to develop the resilience needed to thrive.
Promoting Mental Health in Children: Early Intervention and Whole-Person Care
Presented by DPV Health
This workshop explores the critical role of mental health in children's development, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and the clinician’s role in creating a supportive environment. DPV Health will cover common interventions like CBT, play therapy, and family-based approaches, focusing on how early detection and a holistic approach can foster long-term well-being and help children thrive.
Living in a Digital World
Presented by Project Rockit
Come and learn how to support families in reframing their relationship with technology and help developing protective factors that can support parents and children in our tech-saturated world. How can we all deal better with the mindless scroll, and support our children to develop healthy habits and values in the use of digital technology? Project Rockit will talk about different approaches and messages, share practice stories and strategies informed by the latest research that can help guide people to better support young people in this digital age.
Transitions to Secondary School Panel
Presented by Department of Education, Drummond Street and Jesuit Social Services.
This workshop will explore how to best support young people during their transition from primary to secondary school. Gain valuable insights from policy, engagement, and family perspectives. Hear from an expert panel about their approaches and collaborate with others to develop strategies for implementing them in your workplace.