高清福利片

He was without fail, the rowdiest kid in every classroom, but during The Helmsman Project group camp, he went on a 45-minute walk where no-one had phones, and no-one was allowed to talk. After the camp, this rowdy kid said the silent walk was the thing he liked best.

鈥淗e loved it. All the kids do,鈥� explains the Helmsman Head of Programs, Dr Charmaine O'Brien (MScPsychCoach 鈥�15). 鈥淲hich says a lot about the lack of quietness and reflection in their lives.鈥�

The Helmsman Head Coach, Matthew Robinson (MScPsychCoach 鈥�18 MTeach 鈥�02), points out how technology plays a big part in this. 鈥淎 lot of these kids are constantly curating their images on social media,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 get 100 likes on every post, what does that say about you? To have that pressure taken away must be an amazing sensation.鈥�

So, what is ? It's designed to help Year 9 students from disadvantaged backgrounds to see beyond themselves and reach their full potential. And despite the silent walks, the program is anything but low-key and introspective. It is highly active, with an outdoor adventure camp as one of its key elements.

More than confidence building

This is a familiar scenario, particularly for students in more advantaged schools, but the Helmsman adds another layer to this 鈥榓dventure education鈥� that makes it unique.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 just throw them in the bush for a week as a confidence booster,鈥� says Robinson. 鈥淥ur program coaches guide them in reflecting on the experience both before and after it happens, so the kids are getting as much out of it as possible.鈥�

O鈥橞rien and Robinson have very different energies; she more reserved, he more animated. But they share a strong sense of purpose in what they do for the kids. 鈥淲e both know how important equitable opportunities are,鈥� says O鈥橞rien. 鈥淎nd we want to help these students develop the skills they need to get them.鈥�

The Helmsman approach is based in a relatively new category of evidence-based psychology called coaching psychology. The University of Sydney was first in the world to offer it as a master鈥檚 course and both O鈥橞rien and Robinson are graduates. Coaching psychology had a particular evolution.

鈥淭hese days, medicine does more than just heal the sick. Medical principles now help athletes become better at their sports,鈥� explains Robinson. 鈥淐oaching psychology is the same idea. We use a variety of psychological principles and tools developed in the clinical space, but we apply these to help people who are fine but want to make more of what they have.鈥�

The founders of The Helmsman Project, Andrew Stainer (MAppSc(PsychCoach) 鈥�12) and John Naylor (MOrgCoaching 鈥�13), met at the University while doing the coaching psychology course, setting up the project in 2010. Naylor, who is a master yachtsman, named the organisation for the person who steers a ship. As O鈥橞rien explains, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the point where you move from being a child to becoming an adult. You learn to take the 鈥榟elm鈥� of your own life.鈥�

Turning knowledge into outcomes

The Helmsman Project continues to guide and encourage young people, supported by government grants and public donations. 鈥淲e look for the kids who are coming to school but not meeting their potential,鈥� says O鈥橞rien. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not necessarily struggling, they just lack motivation and maybe some social skills.鈥�

In the five years since it began full operations, more than 439 students have experienced the program.

The process starts with representatives from the Helmsman visiting schools (currently in western and south-western Sydney, but expansion is planned) to recruit Year 8 students for the following year. The school helps identify those who might benefit most and encourages them to join. 鈥淭he kids have to choose to be part of the program. They have to want to do it for it to be effective,鈥� says O鈥橞rien.

The eight-week program matches students to volunteer coaches who help them understand the emotions they experience during the various activities (so far, 39 of those coaches have been University of Sydney graduates). They also guide them towards other ways of thinking about those emotions and how they perceive other participants.

Learning to be in the world

While one aim is to challenge the students with planned physical activities (some students are so unfit, even walking a short distance is a trial), the more significant challenge can be mixing in with the 40 or so other students on the camp. For teenagers, connection with peers is critical to wellbeing, but the necessary social skills might be underdeveloped.

For cultural reasons, some kids are expected by their parents to study and nothing else 鈥� two students joined the program just to spend some time outside. Others, particularly girls, find themselves taking over home duties during their teens, which keeps them isolated within their families. And again, technology plays a role in limiting opportunity.

鈥淢any kids have devices that allow them to access everything they think they need from their bedrooms,鈥� says Robinson. 鈥淭hey might be communicating with people they know, but they鈥檙e also alone and don鈥檛 actually learn the nuances of human interaction.鈥�

鈥淲e create challenges that demand collaboration and social skills. The camping is part of it 鈥� putting up tents, taking them down, preparing meals. Some of the kids have never cooked and it鈥檚 really exciting for them to do it.鈥�

The other key element of the program is a community project that the students design, develop and implement themselves. This can be an eye-opener, making them aware for the first time of bigger issues like homelessness and the social isolation of older people.

Robinson describes part of the process. 鈥淒epending on their chosen project, we might say 鈥榣et鈥檚 research local aged care facilities and come up with at least three places where we can offer to help鈥�. Then we tell them they have to call those places.鈥�

The kids collaborate on a script for the call. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 always fun to watch,鈥� says Robinson. Then one of them makes the call, often on speaker phone so the whole group can hear it.鈥�

鈥淪ome of these kids have never spoken to a stranger on the phone before,鈥� says Robinson. 鈥淪o, they鈥檙e learning all that social etiquette.鈥�

Research funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), has shown significant benefit for students who have participated with The Helmsman Project, particularly in developing the so-called 21st century skills like teamwork, resilience and leadership. It also shows that participants who come from further back flourish the most.

鈥淭he Helmsman kids at one school did a presentation where one of them confidently talked to a group about the experience,鈥� says Robinson. 鈥淎fterwards the principal said, 鈥業 nearly fell off my chair. I鈥檝e never even heard that student speak before.鈥欌��

Written by Lauren Sams (BA(Hons) 鈥�07). Photography by Louise M Cooper.