Skodel, the company pioneering student wellbeing check-ins, is now available in the App Store to give every student a voice that is heard and acted upon. 

Skodel was co-founded by identical twins Ian and Julian Fagan, and friend, Huon Peard. Much of Skodel was inspired by Ian’s own experiences with mental illness during his teenage years. Skodel’s Wellbeing Check-In tool is a short, online series of questions through which students can express how they feel on a weekly basis and in a confidential manner. 

Skodel research shows that up-to-date information on students’ wellbeing will encourage more conversations around mental health and help combat the growing challenges facing youth. 

According to Skodel Co-Founder Ian Fagan, “We are excited to now be available through the Apple App Store. This gives students easier access to check in with their teachers, access support solutions and connect with 24/7 lines of support when necessary. It also allows schools and teachers to send check-ins via push notifications to a student’s mobile or tablet device, which overcomes the hurdle of students not checking their emails. Empowering and encouraging students to express themselves is fundamental to managing student wellbeing. When students express themselves, it presents teachers with an opportunity to get to know them on a deeper level. Whether it is stories of gratitude, their vulnerabilities and fears or their achievements, it opens the door for a meaningful conversation to be had and a bond to be formed. Making self-expression simple and safe at school assists in reducing the fear and apprehension of speaking out when facing challenging situations or moments of severe psychological distress.”

A regular check-in by students is fundamental to address growing mental illness concerns. Most mental illnesses develop during youth and there are moments and dynamics that can foreshadow these; that anxious feeling of meeting new people when entering high school, getting braces on, being excluded from lunchtime groups, missing out on sporting team selection. Whether minor or major, understanding how children feel, cope and respond in the moment is critical to positively shaping their social and emotional development. In turn, this can support them in understanding their own wellbeing and through small changes in dialogue, equip them with healthier ways of thinking.

Skodel is currently being used in over 100 schools across Australia as well as in New Zealand, the UK and the US. Currently, over 50,000 check-ins a month are sent via Skodel.

About Skodel

Skodel Check-In was built to unlock student voices by providing engaging outlets to tell it how it is, and then translating this into simple and powerful stories that would be heard and acted upon by those that could provide additional support. What began as a way to identify potential wellbeing issues before they became problems, quickly turned into something more as students weren’t just expressing concerns, but also accomplishments, hopes and passions. Ultimately, Skodel was helping foster stronger teacher-student relationships through the simple act of checking-in. Students knew they were being cared for and listened to. Students had a voice that was being heard and acted on. For more information, visit https://skodel.com/.

This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum