The Push-Up Challenge Student Ambassador Program is breaking ground as one of the leading mental health student ambassador initiatives in Australia. Made possible by funds raised for The Push For Better Foundation during The Push-Up Challenge, the Student Ambassador Program gives students across Australia the opportunity to lead a push for better mental health in their school community.
Research shows that one in seven young people aged 4 to 17 experience a mental health condition in any given year – so it's our mission to reduce the stigma associated with mental ill-health, help students be more proactive about supporting their mental wellbeing, and empower them to seek help when needed.
Record numbers in 2024
This year, we equipped over 640 Student Ambassadors with Mental Health Awareness training, resources and support, to lead their peers and teachers in The Push-Up Challenge , encouraging connection, physical activity and education. Rapid year-on-year growth saw this year’s program hosting Student Ambassadors from every state and territory in Australia, with a record 393 schools signing up for the student leadership program.
Students doing good
This year’s Student Ambassadors were tasked with motivating their school’s students and staff to complete The Push-Up Challenge from 5-28 June. The challenge: 3,249 push-ups over 24 days, in honour of the lives tragically lost to suicide in 2022. Participants were encouraged to get fit, connect and have fun, all while learning about mental health.
Each year, we’re inspired by the incredible young people in our Student Ambassador program, who showcase creative ways to encourage participation and open all-important conversations around mental health. Student Ambassadors created gratitude boards, integrated our daily Mental Health Facts into school notices, designed mental health posters, talked about mental health at assemblies, invited guest speakers to inspire their peers, created inter-house competitions and held push-up competitions between students and staff. We also saw prefects from multiple schools band together to create brilliant social media content promoting The Push-Up Challenge – and of course, set up a little healthy competition between schools.
Here are the students from Forest Lake State High School getting their push-ups done together:
Mental Health Awareness Training
A cornerstone of our Student Ambassador program is the Mental Health Awareness training offered to all Ambassadors. This comprises an interactive, online mental health awareness workshop pre-event, facilitated by a Registered Psychologist and First Nations Educator. We are proud to offer this valuable opportunity for students to develop the tools and knowledge to have conversations with confidence around mental health.
This year’s Student Ambassadors said the training increased their mental health literacy and helped them become more aware of their own mental health, including their ability to strengthen their mental wellbeing through self-care practices. They also reported that the Mental Health Awareness training left them feeling equipped with the skills to support others who may be experiencing anxiety or depression. Students reflected that the workshop helped them to confidently talk with friends and their school community about mental health, with a primary focus on learning to ‘listen.’
What students said
Following The Push-Up Challenge 2024, we surveyed over 230 students who participated in our Student Ambassador program. Of those:
99.1% said The Push-Up Challenge created a positive and inclusive school
culture.
97.8% found the online training workshops helpful in setting them up for
success.
98.3% said the challenge helped with getting students more active at school
82.1% said they developed or enhanced their leadership skills.
Macarther Girls High School loved getting involved and showing off their Push-Up Challenge merch:
Quotes from some of our Student Ambassadors:
“I really enjoyed the interactive aspect of the mental health workshop! I loved how we were provided with a safe and welcoming space for everyone to participate, which is so important when discussing mental health. Learning about mental health in such a positive environment was a great experience overall.”
“The most rewarding part was seeing how it opened up conversations for students who normally don’t talk about this kind of stuff. Seeing the loud, funny, tough boys who normally don’t talk about this at all, actually open up and honestly I was so proud that so many students at my school were able to speak up.”
Epic results
The Push for Better Foundation’s Student Ambassador Program supported the participation of a record 33,806 school participants in The Push-Up Challenge 2024. Growing popularity and awareness of the program saw over 640 Student Ambassadors lead the way in bringing Australia’s biggest mental health and fitness event into schools.
In total, schools raised $938,082 for mental health in 2024. These funds are on their way to making real change thanks to our three beneficiaries; Lifeline, headspace and The Push For Better Foundation, who collectively deliver crucial mental health programs and crisis support services.
Students from The Hutchins School showing off their moves:
Continuing the push for better
We’re committed to utilising funds raised for The Push For Better Foundation to nurture and grow our Student Ambassador Program. It is our mission to continue building the program as a powerful vehicle for nurturing student resilience, reducing stigma around mental health challenges and ultimately, making better long-term mental health outcomes a priority for young people across Australia.
Read more about the Student Ambassador Program or register interest for our 2025 event on our website.
