ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN

The film highlights innovative solutions that exist to support children to thrive and flourish in a shifting future world. There are alarming increases in children experiencing anxiety, stress & depression with suicide being the largest cause of deaths of 15 – 24 year olds. We explore innovative solutions in wellbeing and education that can help prepare children for their future. .
ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN is designed to powerfully provide examples of countries and schooling systems that are successfully supporting the wellbeing and resilience of children, along with real life stories of children and families struggling to create a better future. It highlights that we all have a responsibility to act in making children’s wellbeing. The film leaves us with a vision of positive examples for children's wellbeing and clear and inspiring ways forward.

The vision of ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN is to

. Change wellbeing policies so that children’s present & future well being & resilience are a key priorities.
. Inspire parents and society to change to focus to support children's wellbeing & resilience.
. Enable innovative wellbeing initiatives to be available to all children.

ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN will increase people and society’s awareness of the need and how to make children’s wellbeing and resilience a priority in both school and in the home.

Short-term outcomes
• Increase in number of children, schools and families accessing the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit that helps young people to develop wellbeing, resilience and self-esteem.

Medium-term outcomes

• Continued increase in number of children, schools and families accessing the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit to promote well being and resilience programs.

Long-term outcomes
• New positive roadmaps of innovative solutions where children, family and society’s well being are key priorities and that parents & society are ongoing advocates for making this a priority.

We have established an extensive network both in Australia and internationally of experts who have helped inform the project and can help access our target audience.
In UK: Professor Dr Anne Bamford, Strategic Education and Skills Director, Anne oversees 173 schools in the inner London area. Professor Bamford has expressed interest in trialing the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit with her schools. Christopher Clouder, Co-founder, Alliance for Childhood, E.U Christopher has established lobbyist at European Parliament. In Finland: Irmeli Halinen, Head of National Curriculum Development, 2004 – 2016, Educational Consultant to OECD, Finland, Anneli Rautiainen, Head of Innovation Unit, Finnish National Agency for Education - Anneli expressed interest both the film series & the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit.

The actions the viewers want to take after seeing the film series are

1. Getting more people, advocates and organizations to screen the series – hosting screenings in their school and communities to enable parents and society to change the way they view & offer education.

2. Increase in schools using ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit to enable introduce well being and resilience of children to be a key priority.

3. Encourage policy makers and government to see the films & action policy changes.

The indicators for success of ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN
Short term
• Increase in number of people who've seen the film series & support the campaign.
• Increase in number of schools, parents & students who are utilizing the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit. E.g. In the first year we plan to have 50 NSW schools with 4,000 children & families participating in ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN programs. We have already 20 primary & high school principals in the Northern Rivers interested in the program.
Medium Term
• Increase of uptake of schools and students accessing the ON THE SHOULDERS OF CHILDREN Toolkit e.g. In the second & third years we plan to have 200 schools with 16,000 children & families participating in the programs.
Long-term outcomes
• Wellbeing & quality arts rich education integrated as foundational aspects of educational curriculums.