Across Australia, the youth mental health crisis continues to weigh on schools. According to a 2025 report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 34% of Australian teens aged 14–19 years reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviours in the past 12 months.
However, teens are waiting too long to access the professional help they need. Recent Australian research from UNSW, Black Dog Institute, and Flinders University found teens often wait more than three months to access mental health treatment after referral.
Recognising this, Aussie charity, OneWave, has been delivering early prevention programs that are making a real difference. The charity’s Free the Funk School Program is designed to bring colour to mental health, sharing practical tips and tools that young people can use throughout their lives.
In just three years, the program has helped more than 31,000 young people across Australia and New Zealand gain the tools to understand and take care of their mental health, supported every step of the way by their community.
Helping to start the conversation
Following the recent social media ban, calls to Kids Helpline surged, highlighting the urgent need for programs that give teens practical tools to manage their mental health while waiting for professional support.
“Our community are facing many ongoing issues such as a housing crisis and cost-of-living increases, that affect the mental health of our families, on top of the issues our children face with social media expectations and online dangers,” Heath Lawless, Principal, Shoal Bay Public School said.
“The Free the Funk program has enabled our students to feel comfortable talking about their mental health and provided them with strategies to ‘Free the Funk’ in their own lives.”
Surfboards, saltwater and saving lives
As more young people struggle to access support, OneWave is calling on more schools to take part in the program in 2026.
“OneWave delivers Free the Funk programs in primary and secondary schools to raise awareness of mental health – but what makes it different is how we do it,” OneWave founder, Grant Trebilco, told The Educator.
“We know early prevention, connection and conversations save lives, especially when many young people wait months to access professional support. That’s why we bring colour, surfing and fun to mental health, making it lighter and easier to talk about.”
Trebilco said the program’s unique approach helps students build resilience in ways that feel natural, engaging and grounded in real-life experience.
“Through a simple recipe of saltwater therapy, bright colours and lived experience, students gain practical tools they can use for life, supported by their community.
This year marks the fourth year of OneWave’s partnership with the World Surf League, kicking off at the end of April with the Gold Coast Pro, followed by a OneWave school tour in June.
To date, OneWave has reached more than 65,000 students, and this year the company’s goal is to support a further 12,000 young people through Free the Funk programs.
“We’re focused on expanding into more schools – especially where access to support is limited – while continuing to grow Fluro Fridays and community connection across Australia,” Trebilco said. “Everything we do centres on early prevention, connection and conversations that save lives.”
Building safe spaces where students feel seen and heard
Liv Phyland is a OneWave community member and Program Manager for the Free the Funk school program. She said the impact really lasts when the Free the Funk program is seen as the start of an ongoing conversation, not just a one-off session.
“School leaders can support this by building in simple check-ins, encouraging movement, and normalising conversations about emotions and mental health,” Phyland told The Educator. “Creating safe, welcoming spaces where students feel comfortable speaking up makes a real difference.”
Phyland said using upbeat, relatable language is key to helping students feel comfortable opening up about mental health.
“When schools use the Free the Funk tips and light-hearted language from the program, and encourage peer support, the tools students learn naturally become part of everyday school life.”
During a World Surf League school program at Bells Beach, one student joined the OneWave team for Fluro Friday after taking part in Free the Funk at their school, Phyland recalls.
“In the Anti-Bad Vibe Circle, they bravely shared their own mental health story and a few simple tips that had helped them through tough days,” she said.
“It was a powerful moment of honesty and connection. After the circle, they paddled out and joined us for party waves – laughing, surfing and celebrating together. It was a full-circle moment that showed how confidence, connection and community can grow when young people feel safe to share.”
‘It helped me realise I’m not alone’
Ben, a past participant of the OneWave program, said it changed how he sees mental health.
“Hearing real stories and coping strategies helped me realise I’m not alone and that it’s okay to talk about how I’m feeling, even just telling a friend I’m ‘feeling funky’,” he told The Educator.
“The program showed our school better ways to approach conversations about mental health, creating a more supportive environment for students and staff.”
Ben said this gave him the confidence to open up, support others, and know that asking for help is okay.
“I couldn’t recommend it enough.”