Entries are now open for the 2024 Five Ways to Wellbeing Schools Creative Project. School children across south west Sydney are invited to enter the competition, which celebrates October’s Mental Health Month. 

Entries close on Monday 16 September.

About the competition

The Five Ways to Wellbeing School’s Creative Project is an art competition that shares the five simple actions that poeple can take in their lives to improve their mental wellbeing and their ability to cope with the ups and downs of life.

The Five Ways are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. You can learn more about the Five Ways here.

How to enter

Students enter the competition by creating an artwork that shows any of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Everyone who enters has the chance to win a prize!.

The 2024 Five Ways to Wellbeing Teachers Guide is available to support classroom learning opportunities which aim to help students identify and use strategies that support their mental wellbeing. 

The guide includes:

• Lesson plans
• Links to PDHPE and Visual Arts curriculum learning outcomes
• Stage appropriate wellbeing activities

 Ways to enter

• Online - Between 5 July and 16 September 2024

  or

• Dropped off from 2-16 September at the following locations:

  Bankstown Community Centre: 36-38 Raymond St, Bankstown

  Rosemeadow Community Health Centre: 5 Thomas Rose Drive, Rosemeadow

  Wingecarribee Community Health Centre: 20 Bendooley St, Bowral

  Wollondilly Community Health Centre: 15 Harper Close, Tahmoor

Drop-off checklist

Please label the back of the artwork with:

• Student's name
• Age
• School
• Artist Statement: Ask the student to describe how the artwork expresses the Five Ways to Wellbeing or the techniques they used to create the artwork (optional).

Artwork collection

Artwork can be collected from the drop-off location from 4-15 November, 2024.

Please email SWSLHD-Wellbeing@Health.nsw.gov.au if you have any questions or require further support to assist your school's participation. You can also email the Health Promotion Mental Wellbeing team on the above address if you need any further information. 

Classroom resources

• Printable Five Ways to Wellbeing Icons - PDF
• Five Ways to Wellbeing Diary - PDF
• Five Ways to Wellbeing Diary - PDF Fillable
• Five Ways to Wellbeing Diary - Image
• Five Ways to Wellbeing Passport - PDF
• Five Ways to Wellbeing Passport - Image
• Taking Notice Scavenger Hunt Checklist - Early Stage 1 to Stage 3 - PDF
• Taking Notice Scavenger Hunt Checklist - Early Stage 1 to Stage 3 - Image
• Taking Notice Scavenger Hunt Worksheet -Stage 2 and Stage 3 - PDF
• Taking Notice Scavenger Hunt Worksheet -Stage 2 and Stage 3 - Image
• Five Senses Mindfulness A4 Poster - PDF
• Five Senses Mindfulness Poster - Image
• Five Senses Mindfulness Tile - Image

*Five Ways to Wellbeing art source: New Zealand Mental Health Foundation

Our Honour Roll:

Congratulations to the winners of 2023

A record number of students entered the Five Ways to Wellbeing Schools Creative Project in 2023, making it the most successful year of the competition.

The judges had a difficult job choosing the winning artworks and often made their final decision with the help of the artist statement. The statements often showed what the students had learnt about the Five Ways to Wellbeing and how it linked to their artworks.

Winning and highly commended artworks from each age category won a $50 gift voucher. An extra 20 students were awarded an Original Artwork Encouragement Award certificate.

The winners are:

5-6 years

Winner: Rory Hain, Picton Primary School 

Highly commended: Leah Freeman, Picton Primary School

7-9 years

Winner: Zeeana Zamir, Bardia Primary School

Highly commended: Ava Terkalas, St Euphemia College and Sarah Gurung, Bardia Primary School

10-12 years

Winner: Bryan Tran, Canley Heights Primary School

Highly commended: Abigail Wilson, Mawarra Primary School and Celine Noovao, Claymore Primary School

13-15 years

Winner: April Ferry, Camden High School

Highly commended: Zahraa Deeb, Distance Education and Kien Lucino, Casula High School

Schools

Schools which had more than 50 entries were eligible to win one of three $350 art packs.

Winning schools for 2023:

Bardia Public School

Casula High School

Claymore Public School

Thank you to all of the students and schools across the region who entered the competition and created an artwork based on one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing.