Published on: 11 June 2013


In Terms 1 and 2, Years 7 and 8 boarders have been participating in a program promoting leadership and self-esteem in teenage boys. It is the second year the Residential Community has run the LAD (Leadership and Development) program created by the Becoz Project.

The LAD program was piloted at Christ Church last year to great success. Years 7 and 8 Residential Co-ordinator Jason Lamb said the boys had once again responded positively to the program, which includes four sessions at the end of Term 1 and four sessions at the start of Term 2.

The program is run by facilitators from the Becoz Project, an organisation that runs youth health, well-being and leadership programs. The evening sessions range from organisational skills, resilience and physical wellbeing to emotional intelligence and managing your personal brand on social media.

Facilitator Katherine Hazlewood said she was amazed with the boys’ level of engagement in the program. “Each week I spend with them they are learning new ways of thinking and acting that helps them to be physically and emotionally resilient and make the most of their experience at boarding school,” she said. “It is preparing them for their senior years… as they are that little bit more aware, more confident and more self-regulated.”

This year, the program has the addition of a new male facilitator, Scott Nodwell, who has a background in psychology and counselling. Scott has also been having an impact through some individual mentoring. “The boys like having a guy they can look up to. They have even begun writing journal questions for him too so the balance is perfect,” Katherine said.

Mr Lamb, who does not sit in on sessions or read the boys’ LAD journals, said the success was in the facilitators’ delivery to the boys and its tailoring to the boys. “It gives the boys basic skills in a language that is interesting and with music and imagery they find engaging. It provides clear facts about behaviours, perceptions and consequences while building confidence for the to make informed choices,” he said.