In a display of community, care, and connection, Young Academics recently partnered with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to empower children with simple, useful tools for emotional wellbeing and mental resilience.
Young Academics are committed to nurturing the whole child from the very start of their learning journey. As a result, their social and emotional development remains as important as their day-to-day learning activities. With the help of The Bulldogs, our Harris Park centre brought these meaningful lessons to life, helping children build confidence, empathy, resilience and inner strength.
The message was simple: it’s okay to feel big emotions and talk about them.
From guided breathing exercises and mindfulness activities to storytelling and group Q&A sessions, the children enjoyed a fulfilling day of emotional learning.
Players Blake Wilson and Bailey Hayward answered thoughtful questions including “What makes you nervous?” and “What do you do when you feel angry?”, offering relatable responses to show that vulnerability is a strength.
“Emotional literacy is just as important as learning the basics of ABCs,” said James Kazzi, Young Academics Founder & Executive Chairman.
By starting these conversations early, we’re giving children the tools to express themselves, build resilience, and understand their feelings in a safe, supportive way.
Children explored emotions through a range of play-based activities designed to help them recognise, understand, and express their feelings.
These included identifying emotions through facial expressions, replicating feelings using role-play and movement, matching emotions to scenarios, and practicing simple breathing techniques to manage big feelings.
The activities were carefully structured to support emotional development in a way that felt natural, playful, and age appropriate.
“We want children to grow up emotionally confident,” added Kazzi.
This initiative positions us as a sector leader in embedding wellbeing into early learning frameworks, not as an add-on, but as a core part of the educational experience.
