FAQs
How are schools incorporating the program into the school day? Educators are finding ways to include the Back Pocket curriculum both inside and outside of the classroom. Here are just a few settings we’ve seen the workshop taught in: - Health class - Homerooms, study hall, or advisory classes - Wellness week - Orientation week - After-school wellness or mental health workshops - Clubs and athletic teams - Summer programming/day camps
How should the five modules of the Back Pocket Workshop be scheduled? Ideally, each module in the workshop is scheduled by the instructor over the course of five consecutive days (e.g. 45 minutes each day, Monday through Friday). Alternatively, each module can be scheduled once a week for four to five consecutive weeks.
What’s the ideal class size for each workshop? In order to maximize learning, small group discussion and interactivity, the ideal number of participants for each workshop is approximately 15-25 students. With that being said, there’s no minimum threshold, but we do suggest trying to limit the workshop to no more than 50 students.
Is Back Pocket evidence-based and trauma-informed? Yes! The Back Pocket workshop was built on decades of clinical experience. It’s evidence-based, trauma-informed, and recommended by teachers, counselors, and mental health professionals.
Does Back Pocket have trained instructors that would be willing to teach the workshop to our students virtually (or even on-site)? Yes! Shaney Andler, the founder and creator of Back Pocket, is available to lead workshops for both students, teams and clubs (additional fees apply). To get pricing and scheduling information, fill out our custom events form, and a member of our team will get back to you shortly.
In addition to the scheduled virtual training, does Back Pocket offer on-site training for educators or school districts interested in a dedicated PD day? Yes! We’ve done many on-site training sessions, and these events have always proven very valuable to educators, coaches, and district leaders. Fill out our custom events form, and a member of our team will get back to you with pricing and scheduling information.
Do educators with experience in mental health (e.g. counselors, therapists, social workers) need to attend a virtual training session in order to lead a workshop? No, attending our teacher training is 100% optional. However, we highly recommend watching the on-demand training videos that highlight best practices and opportunities to foster a positive workshop environment.
What if we don’t have time in our calendar to schedule all 5 modules? No problem! Teachers are busy, and students have a full workload. We designed this curriculum to be fast, effective, and flexible. Modules can be combined back-to-back, and depending on group size, completed in as little as 30 minutes each.
Is this a one-time program, or something students can repeat? We don’t believe in “one and done” initiatives. Coping skills aren’t something to be memorized, they’re a muscle group that takes time to develop. We highly recommend revisiting this curriculum, or even just certain modules, throughout the year. We believe our schedule of 2 workshop experiences and reinforcement throughout the school year is the most effective way for the concepts to "stick".