An EMOTIONAL and social development program at Birkdale State School has been boosted by a state government grant.
The school applied for the money distributed as part of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month to raise community awareness of domestic and family violence.
Principal Greg Gosling said the school ran the You Can Do It program for students from prep to year 6.
It is an overarching program that focused on resilience, organisation, persistence, confidence and getting along.
Mr Gosling said the grant was being used to build on that program and would culminate with students working with an artist to build totem poles covered in paintings that depicted healthy and respectful relationships.
The totems are expected to be finished and installed in gardens around the school in about 10 weeks.
“Teachers at the school have voluntarily put the process together and will be engaging with an artist to create the totem poles,” Mr Gosling said.
P&C member Leanne Gill said the initiative was built as a skills development program.
“The Not Now, Not Ever program is obviously about addressing domestic violence,” she said.
“However, being a primary school we were able to look and see how can we help the kids build healthy, respectful relationships at a young age.
“So that’s something they can carry on through life.”
After receiving the grant, the school was filmed for a video clip about their project.
The government grants have been provided in response to the Not Now, Not Ever report by the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland, which recommended that individuals, community groups and the private sector work together to help prevent domestic and family violence.