Educators
Pre Workshop Resources
Educator involvement in our workshops can significantly increase the impact of the day.
Below are messages from our facilitators on how you can best prepare yourself and your students – as well as our tips for the staff that will in the room on the day. We have also included a brief explainer about what each workshop covers and the intended outcomes.
What this workshop is about
Designed exclusively for Year 6 boys, Foundations develops emotional literacy, empathy, trust, and help-seeking behaviours. It creates a compassionate and connected group culture, preparing students for the transition to secondary school.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Build emotional literacy to recognise and express their feelings
- Develop empathy and connection through trust and positive group culture
- Promote help-seeking and resilience as healthy ways to manage challenges
- Strengthen confidence and readiness for secondary school
What this workshop is about
Boys reflect on their identity, emotional world, and the impact of inherited masculine norms. They learn and practise our “Check-In” tool, and begin envisioning the kind of man they want to be.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Examine the scripts of masculinity they have inherited and the impact on wellbeing
- Understand the consequences of not expressing and sharing emotion
- Practise authentically articulating their inner world through a Check-In
- Envision the man they want to be for themselves and their community
- Recognise the importance of honouring the strengths of their peers
What this workshop is about
Boys focus on relationships, learning the LEAD tool (Listen, Empathise, Ask, Do). They practise sharing stories and develop empathy and support skills.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Recognise relationships in their lives and their importance for wellbeing
- Understand the impact on men and society when people cannot hold space for one another
- Develop relational skills to hold space through the LEAD framework
- Practise the skill of sharing stories and acknowledging others’ strengths
What this workshop is about
Boys explore personal and relational boundaries – how to set them, respect them, and “play on” after they’ve been crossed. They reflect on the role of boundaries in wellbeing, respect, and group culture.
Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Understand what boundaries are and the role they play
- Recognise the importance of establishing healthy boundaries for self, others, and group culture
- Explore the impact of crossing boundaries on self, others, and group culture
- Envision how healthy boundaries positively impact relationships
- Know what to do when a boundary is crossed
Evaluation
We want to make our programs the best they can be, and as part of that, we are asking some students at your child’s school to complete a short survey.
Please read the below for detailed information about the survey, and know that if you do not wish for your child’s data to be used in the evaluation, you can email daniel@themancave.life, include your child’s school email address, and we will ensure their response is removed immediately.
If you are reading this, it means you may be:
- A parent of a boy participating in The Man Cave workshops
- A parent of a female peer of boys who have completed The Man Cave workshops
- A parent of a boy is not participating in The Man Cave workshops yet but will do so in the future
The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and includes questions about topics such as bullying, gender stereotypes, respectful relationships, and violence prevention. These questions help us understand the impact of the workshops and how school culture may be shifting.
All data collected is de-identified, and responses are not linked back to individuals. Your child’s de-identified responses may be shared with an external evaluator, Whereto Research, and the Commonwealth Department of Social Services as part of the broader evaluation of The Man Cave program.
Participation is entirely voluntary. Students are not forced to answer any questions they don’t want to. They can skip any question or stop the survey at any time. Doing so will not affect their ability to participate in school activities or in future Man Cave programs.
Some questions may be sensitive or uncomfortable, depending on the student’s role:
- Workshop participants may be asked to reflect on their own attitudes or behaviours
- Female peers may be asked about things they’ve witnessed at school
- Control group students may answer the same questions as participants, even though they haven’t yet attended a workshop
These questions do not necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of The Man Cave — they are included so we can identify areas where the program may be having a positive or meaningful impact.
The principal researchers on this evaluation are:
- The Man Cave: Daniel Datnow-Jamieson and Gerard Moriarty
- Whereto Research: Sue Khor, Charles Coulton, Finn Maddison, and Kathryn Hull
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