Our primary school mentoring program ‘I CAN Imagination Club®’ is a program for students who are Autistic, or who have learning differences or experience social anxiety. The program can be used by a school to engage a broader range of primary students. ‘I CAN Imagination Clubs – for students with big imaginations’
Albert Einstein
Our primary school mentoring program ‘I CAN Imagination Club®’ is for students aged 8-12 who are Autistic, or who have learning differences or experience social anxiety – students with ‘big imaginations’. Each session is designed to develop optimism, belonging, confidence and emotional literacy in the students to help them channel their strengths and develop resilience to their challenges.
During the sessions, our mentors avoid the term ‘Autism’ and the language which surrounds Autism due to the fact that many families are yet to disclose diagnoses or are in the middle of a diagnostic process.
Inter-school programs are also available where multiple schools come together from the same region to form a group. This option works particularly well in regional areas.
Imagination Club® can be implemented in any school setting. Schools decide, in conversation with I CAN staff, on an appropriate space to run the program within the school (e.g classroom or library), or online.
Sessions run for 45 mins to 1 hour and 15 minutes Programs can be delivered across 16 (or less) fortnightly sessions throughout the course of a school year.
Two I CAN Mentors (Network Leader and Mentor), facilitate each session, one of whom is on the Autism Spectrum. *All I CAN Staff hold current Working with Children’s Check. Each session must be supervised by at least one VIT (or relevant state jurisdiction) registered teacher.
Students get to know each through identifying the necessary components of an effective team and the value of what each individual has to offer.
Students are upskilled in capacities for listening and compromise through activities and social engagement and personal growth.
Students are encouraged to share what specific areas of communication they find difficult as well as helpful strategies for navigating concentration, conversation and public speaking.
Students are given practical advice on how to best navigate their personal emotional landscapes. Emotional literacy is explored here through the I CAN Imagination mascot: ‘Cam the Chameleon’.
Students work together on creative projects which can be exhibited at the Imagination Club’s end of year celebration.
What we offer: We offer weekly one hour, group mentoring sessions for up to 16 Autistic students in both primary and high schools. Our packages also include educational talks for students and parents as well as professional development workshops for staff.
Areas served: Greater Melbourne, South West Victoria, Goulburn Murray Victoria, Brisbane Queensland, South East Queensland, North Coast Queensland
How to access: Interested schools can write to us at mentoring@icannetwork.com.au for program details, prices and packages. For families who are keen to bring our program to their young person’s school, we recommend starting with hosting an I CAN presenter on campus for an introduction presentation. We can also provide tailored templates and information for parents/carers to use for approaching school leadership who might not be familiar with our programs.
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I CAN SCHOOLS
ONLINE MENTORING
WHY WE MATTER
I CAN Network Ltd. PO Box 356 Ashburton 3147, Victoria, Australia
Email: hello@icannetwork.com.au Website: icannetwork.com.au
I CAN Network Ltd. PO Box 356 Ashburton 3147, Victoria Australia
Email: hello@icannetwork.com.au Website: icannetwork.online
ABN: 63 608 173 100
© I CAN Network Ltd. 2024