The National Wellbeing Education Conference in 2025 was a truly inspiring gathering of educators, leaders, and wellbeing advocates, all united by a shared commitment to building safe, connected, and thriving school communities.
Whether you attended in person or followed along online, we’re delighted to share highlights, reflections, and some of the resources from this remarkable event.
Conference Highlights Video
A Reflection From PESA's Chair, Leonie Abbott
An excerpt of Leonie Abbott’s reflection on the 2025 Conference (more on our blog):
What Wood Ducks can teach us about connection
The PESA National Wellbeing Education Conference in Adelaide had many amazing moments where research met practice. I am so grateful for the efforts of all the keynote speakers and masterclass presenters. One month on, and Gina Chick’s story of the wild Wood Duck’s, Theo and Anastasia, still reverberates as a wonderful metaphor of noticing and connection.
I can only imagine how enticing the sight of two Wood Ducks, sources of sustenance, were for a hungry and fatigued Gina on her fiftieth day surviving the wilds of Tasmania competing in Alone Australia! Gina’s description of mimicking their contact call as they swam and fed on the water had me hooked. Would the ducks respond immediately to her call and fall victim to this mimicry trick? It was not the case, and Gina went without the tantalizing Peking Duck on her menu. What happened next was the part of the story that has me pondering: those ducks demonstrated curiosity in Gina and the following morning came to her hut and paid her a visit. This is like what happens in schools with students, but I am yet to resolve if Gina is representing the role of the student or the teacher in this story……
Read more on our blog here.
Outcomes of the Solution Summits
The Solution Summits brought educators together dynamic, hands-on workshops to tackle real challenges in school wellbeing using design thinking. Two themes within both staff wellbeing and student wellbeing were explored. Educators shared lived experiences, identified barriers, and co-created practical solutions to support thriving school communities.
Staff Wellbeing:
1. Fuelling teacher wellbeing and building support systems for a thriving future.
2. Reimagining what wellbeing looks like for educators.
Outcomes relate to culture, adoption, time, structures and systems, perception and acknowledgment.
Student Wellbeing:
1. Developing social and relational skills.
2. Cultivating healthy relationships with technology.
Outcomes relate to attendance, friendship, resilience, technology overuse, independant thinking and cyber safety.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to these ideas. Together, we support each other to improve the wellbeing of our education communities.
Copyright Notice
Use of Conference Presentations and Materials: Please note that the presentations and materials shared during this conference contain the intellectual property of the respective authors and presenters. These works represent years of professional development, research, and expertise. Access to these resources is provided exclusively to PESA members for personal and professional learning. Members are welcome to reference or use the materials for educational purposes with proper attribution to the original presenter(s). However, these materials:
- Must not be reproduced, distributed, or shared publicly (including on social media or external websites) without prior written consent from the presenter(s).
- May not be used for commercial purposes, including resale, paid workshops, or monetised content.
- Should be cited appropriately when referenced in publications, presentations, or teaching materials.
By accessing these resources, you agree to respect the intellectual property rights of the presenters and uphold the ethical use of shared knowledge within our community. For permissions or questions regarding use, please contact us.