New programme will help children cope with everyday difficulties [advertiser.ie]
- Published: 09 September 2010
An innovative wellbeing programme, which targets young primary school children, has been piloted in three Galway schools.
The first dedicated mental health promotion initiative of its type, it was run at Scoil na Trionoide Naofa in Mervue, Scoil An Chroi Naofa, Newcastle Road, and Scoil An Chroi Naofa in Ballinasloe. The progamme, called “Zippy’s Friends”, was piloted in 40 primary schools in the west by the HSE and the Department of Education.
Aimed at five-to seven-year-olds of all abilities, it teaches young children how to develop skills to cope with problems which may occur in adolescence and adulthood. Pupils learn how to deal with everyday difficulties, to identify and talk about their feelings and explore ways of dealing with them.
Mary Kilraine Hannon, health promotion officer with the HSE West, says the programme gave the children an opportunity to interact with other children and their teacher in different ways.
“They developed skills on how to communicate effectively with others, how to deal with issues such as conflict, change and loss, and they learned ways to find solutions to their own problems.”
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