OneWave Free the Funk School Tour

This June, we’re hitting the road for our 4th annual Free the Funk School Tour — and we’d love your school to be part of it!

We’re on a mission to bring colour to mental health across Australia and equip 6,000 young people with tips and tools to take care of their mental health.

OneWave Free the Funk programs are available for both Primary and Secondary Schools,.

📅 Free the Funk School Tour Dates:
- Australia-wide: Monday 2 June – Friday 13 June 2025 – Book programs using the form below
- The Shire: Monday 16 June – Friday 27 June 2025 – Book programs here

Ready to get involved?
Fill out the booking form below to bring the Free the Funk program to your school 🌈💬🌊

What is the OneWave School Program?

OneWave delivers 'Free the Funk' programs at primary and high schools to raise awareness of mental health. We know early prevention, connection, and conversations save lives, so we bring colour to mental health and share tips and tools that young people can use throughout their lives. Teachers and students are encouraged to dress in fluro (this is optional).

What age group are the programs for? We provide Free the Funk Programs for primary and high schools students.

Location: We can present at your school assembly or adapt to smaller groups.

Dates: Monday, 2 June – Friday, 27 June 2025 (morning or afternoon sessions available).

Duration - 45 minutes:

We can run one program for the entire school or break it into two sessions for the different age groups.
We can run a shorter session than 45 minutes if that works better for your school.

Example format of session:

Presentation from the OneWave team - raising awareness of mental health through saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro.

Learn tips and tools for taking care of your mental health and how to support your friends and family.
Students get an opportunity to share their free the funk tips.
Q & A - students get a chance to ask the OneWave team questions.

Program Costs:

Thanks to the amazing support of the OneWave community and our sponsors, Free the Funk school programs are free of charge for new schools.

When we return to a school for a second visit, we usually ask for a $500 contribution to help cover costs and support us in providing more free mental health programs at other schools. This could be through a gold coin donation, school fundraiser, or school contribution. If covering the fee is tough, no worries at all — we’re always happy to provide the program for free. We never want students to miss out 💜

ONEWAVE SCHOOL PROGRAM INFO PACK

OneWave Free the Funk School Tour - Booking Confirmation Form

Complete the booking form below to register your school for a Free the Funk Program and we will contact you with more information. If you have any questions, you can email cassandra@onewaveisallittakes.com, or we are happy to jump on a call and talk you through the program.

Thanks for helping bring more colour and awareness to mental health at your school.

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

School Name

What are some potential program dates and times?

Free the Funk School Tour dates: Monday, 2 June – Friday, 27 June 2025. Please provide 2-3 potential days from the dates above and whether a morning or afternoon session works better.

Would you like OneWave to deliver one or two 45 minute programs?

Please let us know if you would like a shorter program than 45 minutes.

Age range of students

Number of students expected to participate in the session?

Where at the school will the presentation take place?

If you give us approval, we would like to take and share photos and videos of the presentation that are created by the school on the OneWave website and social channels for marketing and promotional purposes. Are there any consent or other restrictions that we need to consider?

OneWave has Australia wide $20m public liability insurance coverage. Does your school have any further insurance requirements in order for OneWave to present at your school?

All attending OneWave representatives have current “Working with Children” certification in Australia. Does your school have any other requirements for us to present at your school?

Do you have any questions?

Why are preventative mental health programs so important in schools?

Youth mental health is fast becoming a crisis with one in four Australian teenagers experiencing serious mental health issues that range from depression through to anxiety. Youth suicide rates are currently at the highest rate ever in the past 10 years, with suicide now officially recognised as the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-25.

The long-term impact of experiencing mental health issues in these formative years is severe, with studies demonstrating continued negative effects on young people’s overall mental wellbeing and physical health even into early adulthood and beyond.

Early intervention is critical, with research showing that more than 75% of mental health issues develop before the age of 25. These statistics demonstrate a need for greater investments in preventative mental health programs and increased access to community-based mental health services.

How will the OneWave School Program help students free the funk?

Through our school program and the opportunity to join other OneWave programs, young people will discover a brighter future where mental health is something they understand and are capable of successfully tackling with the support of those around them. Some of the tools and tips students will learn include:

How saltwater therapy, surfing and fluro can help you free the funk
Information on warning signs and symptoms of mental health challenges
It’s totally ok not to be ok and ask for help
Information on how to get professional mental health support
Actionable ways to proactively manage your mental health
Tips to help you support your friends/family facing mental health challenges
Different recipes to help ‘free the funk’ including how to create a supportive mental health culture at your school
Many participants in our school programs and their peers also go on to become active participants in our weekly Fluro Friday sunrise sessions where they are empowered to share stories and waves with the OneWave community

OneWave School Experience Testimonial

"Instantly Grant captured the full attention of the boys who were blown away by his honesty and passion for letting the boys know that their Mental Health matters and it was ok to talk about it. Since Grant’s speech the students have felt more comfortable talking about their Mental Health, it has made our community stronger and we thank OneWave for their support."

School Counsellor/Phychologist, St Pauls Catholic College

“Last year OneWave ran the most amazing session with my Year 5 and 6 students at Clovelly Public school. Asking the kids how they free the funk has created some awesome conversations around mental health. I have recently started teaching at a Wilcannia Central School and since being out here, my Year 6 class celebrates fluro Friday every Friday morning in our Yarning circle. It has had the most amazing impact.”
Primary School Teacher, Clovely Public School and Wilcannia Central School

“I've seen so many veterans find healing through surf and saltwater programs. I was incredibly thrilled to witness the work that OneWave is doing in primary schools this morning - teaching kids in accessible language that it's ok not to be ok, that it's cool to talk about it, and how to help a mate who might be struggling... along with sharing wisdom about the power of the surf and connection with others to promote mental health. Prevention, early intervention, and destigmatisation, all wrapped up in a fantastic fluro package!!”
Assistant Director, Clinical Coordination (NSW) at Open Arms - Veterans & Families Counselling

OneWave School Program Partnership Opportunities

To date the OneWave School Program has reached 45,000 young people in Australia and New Zealand. If you are interested in partnering with OneWave to help us bring colour to mental health in more schools we would love to hear from you - Send an email to: grant@onewaveisallittakes.com.

Partner with OneWave