What is National Check-In Week?
National Check-In Week (NCIW) was founded with a clear mission: to ensure that no child falls through the gaps—regardless of their background, identity, or location. Australian schools are at a critical crossroads, yet many still lack the tools, data, and professional learning needed to act early. National Check-In Week 2026 is more than a campaign—it's a national movement to elevate student voices, challenge outdated and siloed wellbeing practices, reduce educator administration, and drive systemic, generational change.
Register for upcoming events here!Why This Matters
Australia's young people are facing challenges many adults never experienced themselves.
Growing Challenges
Anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying, cyberbullying, school refusal, disengagement, social media pressures, and screen-related issues are affecting wellbeing, learning, attendance, and long-term outcomes.
Clearer Insight Needed
Schools, families, communities, and decision-makers need clearer insight into what young people are experiencing now and stronger ways to respond.
First-of-its-kind Data
For the first time, Life Skills GO will release its 15 Million Student Check-In Report during National Check-In Week 2026.
Student Voice at the Centre
This landmark release brings student voice to the forefront, offering rare insight into the emerging trends, pressures, behaviours, and wellbeing challenges shaping the lives of young people today.
What Makes NCIW Different
For the first time, Life Skills GO will release its 15 Million Student Check-In Report during National Check-In Week 2026.
This landmark release brings student voice to the forefront, offering rare insight into the emerging trends, pressures, behaviours, and wellbeing challenges shaping the lives of young people today.
Combined with expert-led events, practical resources, and national discussion, NCIW creates a unique platform for deeper understanding and stronger action.
Who You'll Hear From
Through free webinars, events, and discussions, these voices will help unpack the most urgent issues affecting young people and the collective response needed across schools, families, systems, and communities.
What You'll Access
"When you don't know, you don't know yet.When you do know, it's time to act.If not now, when?"
Be Part of the National Conversation
The issues are here. The data is emerging. The conversation is shifting.
Join National Check-In Week 2026 as leading voices, current insights, and powerful student data come together to bring the realities facing young people into sharper focus.
View EventsOur Partners
Littlescribe
Littlescribe transforms handwritten illustrated work into digital books and hard copy books. Littlescribe creates purpose for a child's writing and provides the ability for children to read and reflect on their own work. Literacy is the bedrock of education and Littlescribe connects key writing skills and literacy skills in a meaningful and engaging way. Digital books are added to the Megabonkeramus Library, Littlescribe's very own online library of books by children for children. Children's books can be kept private and accessible to only them and their families, or available in a library for their class, school, or for all other children to read in the Megabonkeramus Library. Students are also able to share their work with their family and friends, and create their very own online book clubs to enjoy each other's work in a safe and secure environment. Littlescribe allows students and teachers to print physical copies of their books for use in the classroom, to take home to their families, and to share with their loved ones to establish a sense of pride and achievement in learning.
Australian Government Department of Education
Supporting student wellbeing initiatives across Australia
How to Participate
Register via the form on the right to access FREE webinars, professional development sessions, panels, tools, and teaching resources. As part of your participation, your school can receive two weeks of access to Life Skills GO, the platform that powers National Check-In Week. This includes:
Register Your School
If not now, when?
Unite for a New Era in Student Wellbeing
Australia is at a critical crossroads. The challenges facing young people are growing in scale, complexity, and consequence, yet many schools still do not have the tools, data, professional learning, and support needed to act early. National Check-In Week 2026 is more than a campaign — it is a national movement to elevate student voice, challenge outdated and fragmented wellbeing approaches, and drive systemic, generational change.
All events, tools and resources are free for every school and family.
Why It's Time to Lead
We're calling on school leaders, education departments, policymakers, and communities to help shape a stronger national response. Join us to:
A national movement driving change in student wellbeing
National Check-In Week is bringing together ambassadors, partners, experts, and organisations, such as those below, with a shared determination to shift the national conversation on student wellbeing. Together, they are raising visibility, strengthening understanding, and driving the collective action needed to create meaningful change for young people across Australia.
Andrew Smith
CEO EDUCATION SERVICES AUSTRALIA
National Check-in Week will contribute to raising the criticality of student wellbeing. Investment in this critical issue will raise awareness and provide educators with evidence- gathering tools to start conversations that will provide timely data to help understand students’ state of well-being in realtime.
Dianne Giblin
CEO of Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO)
We love the focus you have placed on National Check-in Week, highlighting the need to assess the wellbeing needs of very child in Australia.
Louise Rogers
BSc/BE (Hons), MTeach (Primary) — School Can't Australia
Tiffany Westphal
BSocWk, GradDMgt, BA — School Can't Australia
Dr. Paula Barrett
Director, Friends Resilience Pty Ltd — Author of the FRIENDS Programs
Dr. Rachel Baffsky
Postdoctoral Research Fellow — Black Dog Institute
Approximately 40% of common mental health disorders emerge by age
14 years, making the primary school years a crucial time for prevention.
Prevention is most effective when delivered across the two settings that children spend most of their time, school and home. It is important to develop multi-levelled programs that build the capacity of educators and parents to enhance emotional regulation and connectedness in children.
Even if a child never goes on to develop a mental health disorder, they will inevitably experience difficult emotions and benefit from regulation skills. This underscores the importance of a universal approach to prevention.
Dr. Lauren McGillivray
Research Fellow & Clinical Psychologist — Black Dog Institute, UNSW
Supporting emotional literacy and self-regulation from an early age – particularly in primary school – lays the groundwork for lifelong wellbeing and helps to reduce the risk of future mental health challenges.
Building schools’ and parents’ capacity to model, teach, and reinforce these skills in everyday interactions strengthens student outcomes and fosters more connected communities, all of which are key to raising resilient, emotionally healthy adults.
Darryl Thompson
Teacher & Principal — Department of Education, NSW
Dr. Neil Hawkes
D. Phil (Oxford), MEd, BA, FRSA — Values-based Education
If we really do care about our students’ wellbeing then teaching about Self-regulation should be the priority for schools. Values-based Education (VbE) and its Inner Curriculum enables schools to focus on the development of Self-regulation.
Its overarching educational philosophy and pedagogy nurtures staff and students holistically. This process underpins everything the school does, giving students access and experience of a rich ethical vocabulary, which nurtures their essence and enables them to be Self-led.
Self, they will learn, is the essence of their consciousness.The outcome of creating a Values-based School is Self-regulated students who take control of their wellbeing and develop positive character traits.
Gavin McCormack
Montessori Educator & Co-founder, Upschool.co
I am motivated to support National Check-In Week because I believe that education must reach beyond academics to nurture the whole child. When students feel seen, heard, and valued, true learning can take place – and that begins with moments of genuine connection and care.
Daniel Payne
Assistant Principal — Shortland Public School
I’m involved in National Check-In Week because I’m passionate about ensuring all students are known, and supported in schools. Emotional literacy and self-regulation are vital for young people—they help students understand themselves and others, manage challenges, and build healthy relationships.
By giving students with these skills, we create safer and more connected learning environment. Supporting this cause gives me the opportunity to positively impact the lives of the staff and students I work with each and every day.
Dr Phil Lambert
Education Expert — Former General Manager, ACARA
If we really do care about our students’ wellbeing then teaching about Self-regulation should be the priority for schools. Values-based Education (VbE) and its Inner Curriculum enables schools to focus on the development of Self-regulation.
Its overarching educational philosophy and pedagogy nurtures staff and students holistically. This process underpins everything the school does, giving students access and experience of a rich ethical vocabulary, which nurtures their essence and enables them to be Self-led.
Self, they will learn, is the essence of their consciousness.The outcome of creating a Values-based School is Self-regulated students who take control of their wellbeing and develop positive character traits.
Sarah Garnett
Founder & CEO — The Footpath Library
Dr McGillivray is a research fellow and clinical psychologist. After working in private and primary mental health care as a therapist, she joined Black Dog Institute,
University of New South Wales, to work as a postdoctoral researcher in youth suicide prevention. Her work focuses on preventing suicide and self-injury in children,
adolescents, and young adults using digital and school-based interventions.
Sally Webster
Head of K12 Schools Industry, ANZ — Amazon Web Services
National Check-In Week offers an essential opportunity to prioritise the mental health and well-being of students and educators. It encourages open dialogue, emotional support, and underscores the importance of checking in regularly with those in the educational community. With the challenges of academic pressures and personal stress, this week serves as a reminder to ensure that students and educators alike feel seen, supported, and heard.
