Who runs/offers Travellers?
Travellers is a Skylight product sold to secondary schools to run with their Year 9 students.
When did Travellers first start?
2001
Where is it in use today?
We have trained staff in over 180 schools in New Zealand
What endorsements are there for the programme from government or other creditable agencies?
The New Zealand Ministry of Health continues to fund the expansion of the Programme throughout NZ.
Are there schools/teachers/guidance counsellors happy to talk about the programme with others considering it?
Yes. Please contact us if you would like to be put in contact with schools that are using Travellers.
What evaluations have been done on the Travellers Programme and when?
Student and Facilitator Evaluations are completed at the end of each programme each year.
A three yearly evaluation cycle has been developed to ensure the programme reflects best practice with effective outcomes. The full reports and executive summaries can be found on the Travellers researchpage (link to the reaserch page)
How does it work? What exactly happens for a student who is doing this programme?
Students complete a short online well-being survey. Data from this survey is returned to schools who then select students to be invited to participate in their Travellers programme. A school's Travellers programme runs for 8 weeks (one 90 minute session per week) during school time.
What security is there for the data sent?
Student data is stored on a secure server and is only accessible by the Travellers Administrator. Data is returned to the school Guidance Counsellor.
What does the data tell our school? How is it useful?
The data is a snapshot of the well-being of Year 9 students at the time they undertake the survey. It provides information on Individual experiences and concerns a student has / is dealing with. It is extremely useful for targeting appropriate assistance programmes schools may run, in addition to selecting students appropriate for the Travellers programme. Such students are not necessarily the most at risk students in a school but those that are "under the radar " – dealing with issues the school may not know about. Survey data can be cross referenced with other data / information a school has on students to give a fuller picture of their well-being.
How many students are in each programme? 8-10 students.
What kind of student feedback do you get after they have done the programme?
Students fill in an online or paper evaluation of programme (see Students Evaluation form) which asks students to rate each of the 8 sessions on a 1 – 5 scale and provides opportunity for them to comment on each session.
What does a school exactly have to do to run the programme for their students?
Sign a Partnership Agreement with Skylight, identify and facilitate the training of a minimum of 2 staff to run the programme. Run a minimum of one Travellers Programme per year. Pay a one off fee of NZ $500 to pick up the programme and train two-four staff staff. Facilitate student access to the online well-being survey and support the facilitators to run the programme in terms of time/location within the school day.
What types of teachers or staff typically run the programme?
Guidance Counsellors, Pastoral care staff, such as year Deans, Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour, School health Nurses, Youth workers.
What does the staff training involve exactly and who runs it?
The initial two day training is facilitated by trained Travellers staff from Skylight and uses a Train the Trainer approach, where participants experience the programme as the students would.
Is there a limit on how many times a school can offer the programme each year?
No. Schools normally complete the online survey in Term One and run the programme in Terms Two and Three of the school year. Schools normally avoid Term Four as this is the major exam period for students.
Does it have to be used for just junior students?
Travellers is written for a cognitive age applicable to Year 9 students (12 - 14 years old ). Schools are advised that if they want to use the programme at other year levels, it will need adaptation.
Is this a programme that gets updated each year in any way?
The Programme content is on a five yearly cycle of review. If Student and or Facilitator evaluations reveal any need for revision we address these issues. In addition, Skylight convenes an advisory group made up of suitably qualified professionals and practitioners of the programme to provide ongoing advice and guidance to ensure Travellers remains relevant.
What contact does the school have with Travellers once the programme has been purchased?
Yearly contact with the Travellers Administration at Skylight via the online survey; news and updates on the website; via training of new facilitators for the school. In addition, if the programme is altered in any way, schools and facilitators are notified. Schools have access to the Travellers Administration at Skylight by web and phone.