What It Takes to Move from Reactive to Preventive Wellbeing
Most schools care deeply about student wellbeing. The harder question is whether they can see enough, early enough, to act.
National Check-In Week is built on a clear reality: schools, families, communities and decision-makers need better visibility into what young people are experiencing now, and stronger ways to respond. Good intentions matter, but they are not enough if schools are still acting too late.
This session explores what it really takes to move from reactive wellbeing responses to a more preventive, visible and coordinated model of support. Hosted by Gemma McLean, this webinar brings together Gayle Walters, Nikki Bonus, Dr. Phil Lambert and Sally Webster for a high-value conversation about what leadership, systems and technology make possible when the goal is earlier action, not better reaction.
Together, the panel will unpack how schools can build stronger visibility across student wellbeing, reduce the risk of young people falling through the gaps, and turn insight into practical action across classrooms, wellbeing teams and leadership.
What this session will explore
what preventive wellbeing looks like in practice
how data visibility and team alignment can support earlier intervention
where schools often mistake reaction for prevention
what it takes to move from insight to coordinated school-wide response
This is a conversation for school leaders, wellbeing teams and decision-makers who want to strengthen their approach, build earlier visibility, and create the conditions for more effective support.
Because when schools can see more clearly, they can respond earlier, more consistently, and with greater impact.
Gems McLean is a passionate advocate for student wellbeing, equity, and the power of technology in education. As the VP Digital Sales at TTEC Digital, she is dedicated to ensuring no learner is left behind. Her journey has been anything but traditional. Despite being told she would never amount to anything and facing significant challenges in her school years—including an undiagnosed neurodivergence and growing up in a household affected by mental health struggles—she has built a career that proves otherwise. Without finishing high school or attending university, she has navigated a path that led her from the world of EdTech to Amazon Web Services and now at TTEC Digital. More than just a leader in edtech, she is a mentor, a champion for diversity and inclusion, and someone who deeply believes in the power of kindness and community. She sees people for who they are and strives to elevate, encourage, and empower them to recognise their own strengths. Her personal story fuels her mission: to ensure that no student slips through the cracks and that every young person is seen, supported, and given the opportunities they deserve. Her superpower? Using her lived experience to help others uncover theirs.
Nikki Bonus is an Australian founder, educator, keynote speaker and wellbeing innovator who has spent more than two decades building purpose-driven work that helps people thrive. As the Founder and CEO of Life Skills GO, she is helping redefine how schools understand, measure and respond to student wellbeing — shifting education from outdated, reactive models to real-time, evidence-based support. Nikki brings over 20 years of personal and professional experience in the research, co-design, development and delivery of social-emotional literacy programs for students, schools and organisations. Through Life Skills GO, the EdTech SaaS platform she founded for K–12 education, she has dedicated her career to equipping schools with real-time student wellbeing data, metrics, insights and reports that enable earlier identification, more precise intervention, and stronger wellbeing and academic outcomes. At the heart of her work is a clear belief: no child should fall through the cracks because of the circumstances they were born into. Grounded in evidence, neuroscience and lived experience, Nikki's approach is built on the conviction that every child can thrive when they are met with the right environment, the right skills, the right support and the right tools at the right time.
Gayle Walters brings over twenty-five years’ experience in public policy, strategic leadership and corporate governance roles across from across state government and two decades of experience in the Not-for-Profit human services sector. Having worked in Ministerial Offices and in senior government roles across many agencies, Gayle brings a strong passion for education, child protection and supporting families and children to make our communities stronger and safer. Having been Chief of Staff to the Minister for Education and Minister for Youth Justice, Gayle brings experience and knowledge of the critical issues facing the youth justice and child protection system and the critical intersect with education in this space. Having also led P&Cs Qld for four years as President and eight years as a Board director, Gayle knows first-hand the importance education is for our community. Leading the Strategic Vision for P&Cs Qld to provide Every Child Every Chance was introduced under Gayle’s leadership. Having Chaired the K-10 Curriculum Committee for the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority as well for four years, Gayle knows how important the impact of access to early education is for every family. Gayle’s personal motto is “education is the pathway from poverty to prosperity”. As the Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister for Child Safety Youth and Women and the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence in 2020, Gayle led the first ever national virtual summit on Domestic and Family Violence.
Karen Robertson is CEO of Life Ed Australia and Vice President of the Australian Parents Council, with more than three decades of experience in education leadership, policy and program innovation. She is a recognised voice in children’s health, wellbeing and digital safety, contributing to national policy discussions, Senate inquiries and global education networks. Karen is passionate about translating evidence into action and building partnerships that create meaningful, lasting impact for children and young people.
Dr Phil Lambert is an internationally acclaimed education expert. He has extensive experience in education as a principal;inspector;Regional Director (Sydney) and General Manager of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority where he led the development of Australia’s first national curriculum. He has led major reviews and reforms, presented a number of papers and keynotes at national and international conferences, had a number of articles and occasional papers published in journals, and authored three books, the most recent being, ‘The Knowing and Caring Profession’. Phil has received a number of honours and awards. In the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours he was awarded the Public Service Medal for his outstanding contribution to education and leadership in programs aimed at eliminating violence against women and girls. In 2013 he was the recipient of the Australian College of Educators’ prestigious award, the Sir Harold Wyndham Medal and in 2020 he was the recipient of the NSW Teachers Guild’s Phyllis Evans Medal. He was recently appointed Patron of the Professional Teachers Council in Australia. Phil is Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney. He supports education reform efforts globally as expert advisor and researcher. He is a Curriculum Expert to the OECD Education 2030 initiative and has been engaged by education ministries in several countries including Japan, The Netherlands, Qatar, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Brazil, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania and Vietnam to guide and support their respective reforms. Phil contributes to the community in various ways. He is Chair (previously CEO) of Together For Humanity, the Attorney General’s appointee on the NSW Children’s Court Advisory Committee and was recently appointed as a member of the NSW Parliament’s Education Advisory Group.
Sally Webster is a senior education, technology and policy leader, and Chief Operations, Strategy & Growth Officer at Life Skills GO. She leads enterprise strategy, operational maturity, strategic growth, partnerships, policy engagement and AI-enabled transformation to help scale Life Skills GO’s impact across schools, systems and global education markets. Sally is known as a connector and translator between educators, technologists, policymakers and sector leaders. Her career has focused on turning complex education, wellbeing and technology challenges into practical, high-value solutions that improve learning, equity, access and student outcomes. Across senior roles with the NSW Department of Education and Amazon Web Services, Sally has contributed to major education reform, digital learning strategy, EdTech procurement, international education, system transformation and national policy conversations. At the NSW Department of Education, her work included selective education reform, the COVID-19 Learning from Home response, digital assurance through the Online Learning Tools Panel, major incident management, and emergency-response initiatives supporting continuity of learning across bushfires, floods and the pandemic. Sally has held a range of governance, advisory and sector leadership roles, including Ex-Officio Director on the Public Education Foundation Board, StudyNSW Board Delegate, member of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Digital Technologies Working Group, and Chair of the NSW Cross-Border Community – Education portfolio. More recently, she served on the EdTech New Zealand Council and represented AWS as Chair of Project 5 within the NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact, supporting K–12 digital skilling programs for teachers and students. Her contribution extends to national and international education forums, including work with the Global Partnership for Education, the World Bank, and global roundtable discussions connected to the United Nations Transforming Education Summit. At AWS, Sally set the K–12 strategy for Australia and New Zealand, led AWS’s submission to the Australian Parliament’s inquiry into generative AI in education, appeared as a witness before the inquiry, and contributed to national work informing the Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Schools. Sally is a passionate advocate for using technology with purpose — not for technology’s sake, but to create meaningful and measurable impact for students, teachers, schools and communities. Through National Check-In Week, she is committed to elevating student voice, strengthening wellbeing insight, and supporting educators and leaders with the data, tools and evidence they need to meet every child where they are.