By Tamara Fyke Although we are entering into Year three of pandemic life, there have been some hidden blessings. One is the rising awareness of mental health. From social media to the morning news, everyone is talking about it.  Mental health impacts our overall well-being because it encompasses how we deal with stress, how we relate to ...

By Betsy Hill and Roger Stark The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to better understand and address mental health in more effective ways. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges to students, educators, and parents. Children already coping with mental health conditions have been especially vulnerable ...

  By Kevin Dorsey and Zach Vander Veen Where does Social Emotional Learning (SEL) fit in? Through the framework of SEL, students can develop skills in self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal relationships to better prepare themselves for school, work, and life success. SEL provides a foundation in areas ranging from impulse control and emotion management to ...

By Ian Fagan and Julian Fagan Since the start of the pandemic, the incidence of students struggling with anxiety, emotional detachment and mental health issues have increased exponentially. Remote learning has caused isolation and a very serious interruption in the routines that youth depend on. Technology it seems, with all its promise, is the principal ...

By Julian Fagan and Ian Fagan The Coronavirus pandemic and ensuing challenges from school and society closures have heightened awareness about the growing dangers to the safety and wellbeing of our students. Our natural response in this situation is to leap in and protect these students from danger. However, before leaping to protect students, it ...

By Ian Fagan and Julian Fagan We used to believe that the good student is the quiet and conscientious student. In a classroom of 20 students, it is not hard to see why this was once encouraged. Constant chatter is disruptive, and teachers are under pressure to run a lesson for students that are eager ...

Skodel, the Australian company pioneering student wellbeing check-ins, has raised $1.8 million to help fund its mission to give every student a voice that is heard and acted on. The company was co-founded by identical twins Ian and Julian Fagan, and friend, Huon Peard, and was inspired by the Founders’ direct and indirect experiences with ...

By Ian Fagan and Julian Fagan Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part series on student wellbeing. Much has been made of the state of student wellbeing during the pandemic. On the back of decades of rising mental health concerns, a global lockdown has stripped students of one of the best defense mechanisms ...