1. Introduction
Gabriella and Anna
Health Promotion Beechworth Health Service
HART project – title of project – refer to HART throughout presentation and Settings refers to Early Childhood Education Services and Primary Schools

2. It is important that we set the scene and provide some context to the project:
Rural region located in North East Victoria – BHS catchments include the towns of Beechworth, Wooragee, Yackandandah, Tangambalanga, Kiewa and surrounding areas such as Bruarong and Kergunyah
- Communities in which is inclusive of 7 primary schools, 6 early childhood services
- Engaged with 7 PS and 4 early childhood (2 X kinder, 1 X CC and 1 X integrated BMS)
Schools vary in size from small schools of 13 students to larger schools of 220 students
Early childhood services – each engaged with around 50 – 75 families
HART project is an example where local government, local health service and education are working together in partnership to support and commit to the project.
Health Service working in partnership to support identified needs in the community.

3. Began in 2015 … Resilience not in our initial plans.
As a health service, BHs works in partnership with other health agencies in a PCP catchment to deliver a joint plan that is addressing Healthy Eating in our area with a target group of children aged 0-12 and their families.
It is part of the joint plan that in delivering a health promotion and prevention focus that all health services chose the Achievement Program to support improving health outcomes in the catchment.
The AP is a framework that is evidence based, best practise and WHO health promoting schools framework
Developed by Dept of education and Dept of Health with support and resources managed through Cancer Council Victoria
Addresses 8 areas of health; HEOH, MHWB, AOD, Tobacco, Safe Environments, SHWB, Sun Protection, Physical Activity
Initial surveys conducted with parents Staff and students looking at areas of health and wellbeing indicated a common theme through early childhood and primary schools
Resilience and anxiety were issues that were a concern
Stand out as concern with parents and staff in the settings and difficult to ignore the need to address high levels of anxiety and need to build resilience in children in these settings

4. Evidence supported our approach and there was no one solution
No one single solution to assist in building resilience in children and young people but rather a number of different approaches
Multifactor approach – whole of community including educators community and students
Settings were committed to promotion of resilience
Knowledge of risk and protective factors that impact on resilience
Promotion of health and wellbeing
Importance of community connections

5. From the department of education literature review on building resilience in children and young people, the factors here are clearly identified.

6. Aims:
Increase understanding of resilience
Build a common language and skills for support development of resilience
Unified approach across education settings
Address the need identified by the settings – anxiety and resilience in children

7. So how did we start?
To provide some context, there have been 2 HART projects commence in 2 separate districts- Indigo hills in 2015 (Beechworth District) and Yackandandah district in 2016.
The initial project began in response to the need identified by the settings in the Indigo Hills and hence, HART moved from move than an idea.
The commitment came from all the settings: WPS, BPS, BK, BCCC, St Joes.
BHS then took on a role to support the settings to look for funding and to also discuss what an approach may look like.
There were few things that happened hand in hand – the funding round from Foundation of Rural and Regional Renewal for grants for resilience and wellness were available, we conducted some research into children and resilience as it was an area that currently fell outside of our focus area of healthy eating, and what an approach may look like within the realms of the resources we had available to support an initiative. It was also at that time that the Cooperative Research Council released their research post 2009 fires and the recommendations from that report identified the need for resilience building for children young people and disaster risk reduction education. In discussions with the local CFA, it was clear that they too would be partner to support an initiative in the community due their relationship with the settings and the delivery of the fire safe kids program in schools and early childhood.
So we were very fortunate to receive funding through Grants for Resilience and Wellness – FRRR
Funds from the Victorian Bushfire Fund
And additional funding from Berry St
In both

8. So what did we do ….
A number of things were clear – a whole of community approach was required – staff students and parents. We had to acknowledge our role from BHS and the capacity support the initiative
So this is what we did … identified a group known as The Resilience Project that came recommended by a group of schools in the Snow Rd Cluster – they were able to deliver a whole school approach and were supportive of widening invitation to broaden to the community approach
So the Indigo Hills HART project began with
Student sessions
Single venue
Bus transport
3 groups

9. Parent sessions

10. Professional development/educator sessions
PS and early childhood
Open invitation to across the region

11. Post education sessions
Evaluations conducted throughout to capture not only what they learnt but what they wanted to see in the community to support what they had learnt – what could or want to be different
Overwhelming buzz from parents and staff and students
Whilst we thought the BHS role was done, it was evident that the community and the staff/parents wanted to do something more – opened up the conversations
Putting Resilience into action workshops – developed and based on information gained from evaluatinf from staff and parents who attended.

12. Fire safe kids programs in schools and early childhood services

13. What was in our favour to be able to address and consider a community/setting based response to addressing the need clearly identified by the settings:
Existing partnerships and relationships with settings, local government, community organisations, framework for HWB that provided the development and use of HWBT in setting to establish commitment and support for the project.

18. Rutherglen Early Years network
3 early childhood services
2 PS
1 high school
Supported the presentation of the