Media release

Coles launches partnership to help Aussie kids to build resilience 

11 April 2022

A positive mental health program to help students build resilience and cope with stress will be delivered in 20 schools across Australia thanks to a new partnership with Coles and The Resilience Project.

The education partnership was officially launched today at Shepparton East Primary School by Collingwood Football Club’s AFLW young gun Jordyn Allen who shared her football journey and mental health strategies with excited students, teachers, parents and carers.

With one in four primary students and one in three secondary school students likely to experience mental ill-health this year¹ , the program aims to help students build resilience and develop strategies to cope with the stresses of life both in and outside the classroom.

The Resilience Project, which is popular among AFL and NRL clubs, elite athletes and workplaces, focuses on Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) as tools to help people experience positive emotions, and in turn, positive mental health.

In the school programs, GEM is embedded in the community through engaging presentations to students, parents and carers, lesson plans, teacher resources and digital content.

As a result of Coles’ education partnership with The Resilience Project, the program will be rolled out to 20 more primary and secondary schools this year, including remote and regional schools, as well as schools with high Indigenous populations.

The Resilience Project founder and presenter Hugh van Cuylenburg said the partnership with Coles will enable the program to be delivered in more schools across Australia.

“This year, The Resilience Project is so proud to be delivering our wellbeing program to more than 600 schools and 300 early years services across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

“This partnership with Coles will enable us to reach even more school communities, particularly those in regional areas and in locations which have been devastated by floods, fire and now the ongoing stressors of COVID-19.”

“The research is clear - the more positive emotion we experience, the more resilient we will be. This is why we focus on cultivating positive emotion through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness.”

Coles Chief Legal and Safety Officer David Brewster said Coles is proud to provide students with an opportunity to learn Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness.

“Coles is delighted to broaden our partnership with The Resilience Project to provide around 3,000 students with the opportunity to learn about GEM and to build their resilience,” he said.

“We’re particularly proud to reach Indigenous students and schools that would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in this important whole-of-school wellbeing program.”

“At Coles, we know first-hand the positive impact of The Resilience Project. More than 120,000 team members across Coles Group including our stores and distribution centres have been introduced to GEM and we’ve provided wellbeing journals to help our team members and their families get through the challenges of COVID-19 and beyond.”

“We hope the students taking part in The Resilience Project will enjoy and benefit from the program as much as our team members have.”

Schools supported by Coles to participate in The Resilience Project education program in 2022:

¹ Resilient Youth Survey (Resilient Youth Australia), 2021