Real Life Resilience for Schools

Founded by Mike Rolls & Ben Pettingill, the Real Life Resilience team are privileged to have worked with hundreds of schools, community organisations and young people around Australia to help them uncover and build their capacity to overcome anything from day to day obstacles, to the greatest of challenges. Real Life Resilience delivers real, relatable and practical programs that are designed to empower students & their schooling communities to build Real Life Resilience.

Through keynote presentations, workshops and in-depth, long term programs, we help students to understand resilience in a deeper level while sharing practical, easy to implement strategies they can use to build resilience, increase self-awareness and improve their mental health and wellbeing.

We combine emotion, humour, vulnerability and storytelling with evidence based research and proven strategies to connect with our audiences on a deeper level. This allows the Real Life Resilience message to not only stick, but have an impact years to come.

More about Mike Rolls:

In September 2001, at the age of 18, Mike’s life changed forever. Whilst on a footy trip to Tasmania, he contracted one of the deadliest diseases on the planet, Meningococcal Septicemia.

A lethal, fast acting and brutal infection left him with horrific internal and external injuries, including multiple amputations. Mike’s faced an incredibly long journey back to health that was aided by a positive outlook, an adaptive mindset and a conscious decision to embrace uncertainty.

Mike has a background in the health industry. He is a qualified Counsellor, a highly skilled communicator and a passionate supporter of amputee charity, Limbs 4 Life. He is an  official ambassador of Interplast Australia and New Zealand, and Ossur, and currently represents Australia in All Abilities Golf.

More about Ben Pettingill:

Losing 98% of your eyesight overnight is something that is simply unimaginable for most people, however this was the reality for Ben Pettingill at age 16.

Out of nowhere Ben found himself faced with extreme adversity thanks to a rare genetic syndrome that no one knew was coming. The sudden change was massive and the challenges came thick and fast in all different shapes and sizes. Building resilience, discovering a new perspective and learning the importance of a strong support network were all vital parts of Ben navigating from complete denial about what had happened, to embracing and taking ownership of his new situation.

Ben has spent the last 7 years working with, and helping organisations around the country build resilience.

He could also be described as an adrenalin junkie, competing in water ski racing, obstacle course races and riding motorbikes and crossing the Kokoda track twice. You may have seen him featured on Channel 9’s This Time Next Year.

Ben also supports causes closest to his heart as the Ambassador of Vision Australia and Ski for Life.

What Real Life Resilience talk about:

Real life Resilience keynotes: are high energy, dynamic learning experiences that introduce students to new ideas they can explore when faced with any challenge or change. We use powerful storytelling, with evidence based strategies, to tackle the “real stuff” students are dealing with right now!

This session will teach students how to:

• Build their personal and social capabilities
• Explore and build their strengths
• Minimise distraction, maximise focus
• Turn self doubt into self confidence
• Learn how to stay cool and calm in a crisis.

School Workshops: Building on from the key pillars of the Real Life Resilience system delivered in the keynote presentations, our workshops supercharge learning by providing a fun, interactive and collaborative environment for students. We challenge them to explore new ideas as they dive deeper into the both the stressors facing students today, and the solutions they can use to tackle them head on!

This interactive session will teach students how to:

• Build their personal and social capabilities
• Implement a challenge plan
• Prioritise value rich goals
• Discover helpful problem solving techniques
• Regulate emotions effectively

THE GAME PLAN – Taking on todays challenges, together!

We are proud to offer those working with youth in schools and in the community The Game Plan; a 4 part video series addressing key challenges that students all around Australia face in the current world we live in. This program suits virtual and remote learning as well as face to face delivery and addresses 4 key areas of resilience, motivation, productivity and wellbeing. These key areas of concern have been highlighted through nation wide feedback, research and input received by teachers that Real Life Resilience has conducted in addition to numerous conversations had with both teachers and students along the way.

Video Topics are:

• Regular Routine
• Asking For Help
• Plan Something Big
• Building Momentum
• Each video has an accompanying worksheet to solidify the learning.