By the Numbers: The Impact We’re Having (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)

Recently, Laura and I were on holidays with our kids for a few days around Sydney, and we had one of those realisations.

As we were driving around, we started noticing something.

We passed around 35 schools that we work with.

Some of those schools we know well. Others we may have only been in once or twice.

But it’s a great feeling to realise that across different towns, regions, and communities, there are places where our message has landed. Even when we’re not physically there, something of that work remains.

That’s the nature of education at its best — the ripple effect goes beyond the moment.

The World Young People Are Growing Up In

When you zoom out even further, it becomes clear why this work matters so much.

Young people today are surrounded by constant noise.

• Negativity in the news

• Pressure and comparison on social media

• Messages in music and culture that don’t usually build them (or other people) up

It’s relentless.

And most of it isn’t helping them become more confident, more respectful, more resilient, or more self-aware.

Which is why the role educators play — and the environments you create — are so important.

Because in the middle of all that noise, you provide something different.

A Countercultural Opportunity

What we do in schools — whether it’s a full day workshop, a lesson, or impact session — is, in many ways, countercultural.

We ask kids to be present IRL (In Real Life), for more than 15 seconds. Not just on a screen, real life.
To reflect about a good message.
To think differently. To take responsibility.
To consider others and work together.

To smile or laugh without taking a photo of it and sharing.

To participate and have a go without worrying who is watching.

To be a positive influence.

To build personal and social skills that set them up to do life better.

And perhaps most importantly, we create space for them to engage with something positive — often for extended periods of time.

That’s no small thing.

In a world where attention spans are shrinking, having a group of students genuinely engaged in something meaningful for a day - or even an hour - is a privilege.

It’s also an opportunity.

The Numbers Behind the Work

In Term 1 this year, our team delivered:

• 207 workshops

• Reaching around 18,000 students

• Across a wide range of school communities

Those numbers are encouraging.

But more importantly, they represent something far more meaningful:

• 207 opportunities to influence a room

• 18,000 students who engaged with something positive for a good chunk of time

• Thousands of moments where a different, positive message was heard

Moments where a student might have:

• Thought differently about themselves

• Considered their impact on others

• Chosen a better response

• Or were simply felt given the option to participate in a productive and positive way

What the Numbers Don’t Show

The real impact of education is rarely immediate or obvious.

You don’t always see the result in the room.

You don’t always get the feedback.

You don’t always know which message landed, or with whom.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Often, the real impact shows up later:

• In a decision a student makes

• In how they treat someone else

• In how they handle a challenge

• In who they become over time

And that’s why the work matters.

A Privilege Worth Recognising

For those of us who get to work with young people regularly, it’s easy to normalise what we do.

But it’s worth pausing to recognise:

It is a privilege to have the attention of a room full of students.

It is a privilege to speak into their thinking, their behaviour, and their choices.

It is a privilege to contribute, even in a small way, to the culture of a school.

Not everyone gets that opportunity.

And when it’s done well, it can make a genuine difference.

In a Noisy World, Your Work Matters

In a world that is constantly pulling young people in one direction…

Educators have the opportunity to help pull them in a better one.

That doesn’t require perfection.

It doesn’t require having all the answers.

But it does require intention, consistency, and a belief that what you’re doing matters — even on the days when it doesn’t feel like it.

Because when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture… It does.

Students Building Positive Relationships in Your School this Term

Welcome back to Term 2!

We hope the term starts smoothly for you and your students this week. After working with around 18,000 students across Australia in Term 1, we’re excited to continue supporting schools to build stronger, more positive student relationships this term.

In Term 2 and 3, our most popular workshops focus helping students navigate friendships, strengthen peer connections, and build the skills they need to thrive:

Friendship Fitness (Year 3–4)
Our brand new program designed specifically for younger students, helping them build the foundations of healthy friendships in a fun and practical way.
Positive Peer Relationships (Year 5–6)
Supporting upper primary students to better understand friendships, handle conflict, and contribute positively to their peer group.
Stronger Connections (Year 7–12)
Helping secondary students develop deeper awareness, stronger communication, manage conflict and build more meaningful connections with others.

If you’re looking to strengthen relationships across your student groups this term, we’d love to support your school.

Click on the links above to find out more, or simply reply to this email, give us a call (0407 677 253), or reach out via our website to start the conversation.

We look forward to working with many of you this term and continuing to make a positive impact in schools across Australia.

Why Some Schools Create Real Leaders… and Most Don’t

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working closely with a handful of schools reviewing their student leadership processes.

And there’s one pattern that keeps showing up.

Some schools are producing student leaders who take action, serve others, and genuinely make a difference.

Others… are producing leaders who hold positions, attend meetings, and organise activities that don’t really move the needle.

The difference isn’t the students.

It’s the system.

Many schools don’t actually have a leadership development system.

They’ve inherited a process.

A nomination form.
A speech.
A vote.
An announcement.

But no real structure that guarantees leadership will be:

• meaningful
• developmental
• trusted by the community
• focused on contribution

And when that happens, leadership becomes what many schools quietly experience:

Tokenistic.
A formality.
Something that “doesn’t really mean anything.”

That’s the real problem.

Not a leadership problem.

A system problem.

This is exactly why we created Schools of Leadership Excellence.

It’s not a program layered on top of what you already do.

It’s a way of rebuilding the system underneath your student leadership process so it actually develops students.

When schools step into this work, a few key things happen:

• The selection process becomes clear, transparent, and defensible
• Staff confidence in student leadership decisions increases
• Students understand what leadership actually means
• Leadership shifts from activity and meetings to meaningful contribution
• Leaders take action — not just hold titles

In short:

Leadership stops being an event.
And starts becoming formation.

What we do is simple, but powerful.

We audit your current process.
We identify where it breaks.
We provide clear, practical recommendations.
And we help you refine and strengthen it across the year.

No fluff.
No theory without application.

Just a better system.

Only 2 spots remain for this term.

Because of the level of personalised support involved, we only work with a small number of schools each intake.

If you’ve been thinking about refining your student leadership process — this is the moment.

What We Covered in Yesterday’s Student Leadership Spotlight Session

If you weren’t able to join us for yesterday’s Spotlight Session, I wanted to share some of the key ideas that really resonated with those in the room.

The biggest theme was this:

How do we generate real action from our student leaders during the short time they have to make an impact?

A big part of the answer sits with the support provided to you- the educators that lead the student leaders. When you are supported, well resourced and clear on the outcomes you want, your student leaders are far more likely to follow through and contribute meaningfully.

One of the most practical ideas we explored was the importance of a strong rhythm of leadership:

• Meeting consistently

• Meeting effectively

• Having a clear structure for each meeting

• Ensuring meetings lead to action (not just discussion or box-ticking)

We also unpacked a simple filtering process to help students move from ideas to action. They love to brainstorm ideas (eg "we could do this") but that doesn't lead anywhere if the ideas are not practical or viable. The filtering process includes six key questions students can ask to test the viability of their ideas — helping them move from big, broad concepts to something realistic, purposeful, and impactful that they can actually do.

From there, we use the Idea to Action framework to bring those ideas to life — giving students a clear pathway to plan, take action, and ultimately make a positive impact in their school community. Instead of ruminating on good ideas, student leaders need a process to help them move it forward to action- we've built that process for you.

Alongside this, we shared a number of practical resources that schools can use straight away, including:

• Positive Impact Modules

• Lead the Way and Making the Shift eBooks

• The Idea to Action framework

These tools are designed to support both staff and students to turn intention into action.

Student leadership doesn’t become meaningful by accident — it happens through intentional structure, guidance, and consistent action.

If you’re looking to build this more deliberately in your school, we’d love to support you. We currently have just 4 places remaining for schools to join our Schools of Leadership Excellence initiative this term. The doors close next Friday (unless the spots fill sooner), so now is the time to jump in. Our Schools of Leadership Excellence get access to all recordings and resources referred to in this email, and lots more stuff to guide your student leaders.