You can view a quick instruction video below:

To achieve Ambassador Status, 5 Awareness topics/campaigns from our HEADSTRONG programme are required to be delivered by a HEADSTRONG student committee to the rest of the school population in a peer-to-peer/whole school approach manner, throughout the school year.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Create a HEADSTRONG committee

The designated HEADSTRONG teacher will select a committee of students to deliver the HEADSTRONG programme. The size of this HEADSTRONG Student Committee is at the discretion of the school/teacher.  Choices include:

1. Using all TY classes as their HEADSTRONG Student Committee with each class tasked to deliver one exercise from their chosen topics to the rest of the school population.
2. Using one class in TY to deliver our HEADSTRONG programme
3. Using a group of students from various year groups to form their HEADSTRONG Student Committee.

Once the committee is formed, you and your student HEADSTRONG committee should watch this video outlining how to deliver the HEADSTRONG programme in a peer-to-peer, whole-school approach. This video is designed to run for the length of a full class.

2. Educate the HEADSTRONG committee

A teacher designated to the HEADSTRONG programme will deliver each of the five chosen topics as a lesson plan or self-directed student learning (info sheet & quiz) to their Student HEADSTRONG Committee (more information on this is available HERE).

Once Students have a better understanding of a particular topic, they can then devise an exercise/awareness campaign with agreement from the designated HEADSTRONG teacher to ensure it is appropriate to that particular topic. They then deliver it to the rest of the school population.

3. The HEADSTRONG committee deliver awareness campaigns to the whole school

As a whole school approach, the Student HEADSTRONG committee deliver their awareness exercises to all other year groups.  This can be completed by in-class presentation, class assembly, school assembly or year assembly. Students will have full access to a ‘library’ of ideas HERE. This will feature exercises completed by school and student HEADSTRONG committees in previous years as well as other suggestions from Cycle Against Suicide.

But it’s important not to just ‘copy and paste’ ideas from years before! This is a great chance to be creative and to ‘think outside the box’.  While the topics revolve around serious issues like mental health and looking after oneself, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be delivered in a fun and informal way!

4. Let the world know what you’ve done, and pay it forward

As part of the HEADSTRONG community, it is important your student and educator voices are heard in the ongoing improvement of the programme. Please complete our online feedback and review form HERE. It will only take a few moments!

When your students have created new ideas and content, please show them off as you feel is appropriate.  Schools have worked with local newspapers, used their online presence and social media as well as sending their material to Cycle Against Suicide to share with future HEADSTRONG committees, educators and students.

Please share your materials with us online HERE to gain Ambassador status.