Empower your students to anticipate and prepare for life’s rainy days.

The Umbrella Project is a teacher-led curriculum and school based program created to help teachers, students and parents reframe our perception of challenges and strengthen the skills of well-being to positively cope with the everyday stresses of life.

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Program Pillars

Positive Priming

Obstacles and opportunities are often the same things. By repeatedly looking for the umbrella skills in our environment, we can change what our brains do when faced with obstacles.

Inquiry-based Learning

In order to best use the skills of wellbeing we need to approach them with curiosity and interest and gain insight into how they can work for others and ourselves.

Role Modelling

Role models have the power to shift a child’s self-perception. We give students the chance to learn the skills of wellbeing through the stories of their community, their peers, and their families.

15,000+ Students

25,000+ Parents

2,000+ Educators

My students have been making cross-curricular and worldly connections using the Umbrella Skills. One student mentioned to me that she was feeling ‘rain’ in her life. When I asked her to tell explain, she said some friends were calling her ‘bossy’ and it felt like rain. We talked about what different skills she might be able to use, and she chose empathy. “Maybe they were just having a bad day”.

Another time, I walked by a group holding a Book Club. As I listened in, one of the students mentioned that the main character was showing a Fixed Mindset: she thought she couldn’t do something. Another student had found the same thing. I did not direct the conversation at all, so it was neat to see this play out organically.

While reading the book Ferdinand, one student put up their hand and said that Ferdinand was showing Authenticity. He did not care what others think of him, instead taking time to sit down and enjoy the flowers.

Andrea

Teacher, Waterloo Region District School Board

Our school culture and the mental wellbeing of our students are paramount! Our monthly themes, based on the Umbrella Project’s varied emotional and cognitive skills, are reflected at our assemblies, in our front display cabinet, on our morning announcements, in our classroom activities and on social media. We post our work in the hallways so all of our parents can share in the skill we are practicing.

We are glad to be equipped with “umbrellas” and we are having fun learning how to use them to protect ourselves in the “rain” ! This is a wonderful program for our school!

Kelly Widmeyer

VP, K-W Bilingual School

While outdoors playing one day, one of the students fell on her trike. Another boy immediately went over to help her as he saw her crying. When he couldn’t lift her up, he came to get a teacher for help. As the other students watched, one observer said, “Jason is showing EMPATHY! He is trying to help Faith get up!”

Once Faith was back up, Jason looked at her tear-streaked face and then Faith hugged him saying “Thank you.” These are the moments that make teaching worth it. We sent a learning story home with Jason outlining his empathetic actions and how they relate to belonging and contributing skills within our curriculum.

Another fun Umbrella Skill to learn in my class was Growth Mindset.

We read the story, Giraffes Can’t Dance and really talked about they things we couldn’t do YET. Yet is key! We had a great discussion about the giraffe in the story and how he was feeling throughout the book.

We made a beautiful bulletin board display and each student wrote down one thing they couldn’t quite do yet.

Nancy

Teacher, Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board

Getting Started with the Umbrella Project

Curriculum and Classroom Resources

18+ months of lessons plans, activities and assessments for educators to teach the skills of well-being in any classroom. Resources available from grades K-12.

Educator Masterclasses

Monthly professional development opportunities for educators to advance their own mental health literacy and connect with a global community of practice.

Parent Engagement

Weekly newsletters and on-site programming to build alignment with parents, and help students build their umbrellas at home, and in the classroom.

Empower your students to anticipate and prepare for life’s rainy days

The Umbrella Project is a teacher-led curriculum and school based program created to help teachers, students and parents reframe our perception of challenges and strengthen the skills of well-being to positively cope with the everyday stresses of life.

About our Founder, Dr. Jen Forristal

Dr. Jen Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and CEO of the Umbrella Project, a school curriculum and parenting program designed to create a profound paradigm shift in our understanding of personal well-being and to empower parents, teachers and children to choose wellbeing, even on the rainy days. She has worked extensively with schools and organizations, shifting the way we are preparing for life’s inevitable rainy days and building the powerful coping skills necessary for health and happiness.

Request Availability

About our Founder, Dr. Jen Forristal

Dr. Jen Forristal is a Naturopathic Doctor and CEO of the Umbrella Project, a school curriculum and parenting program designed to create a profound paradigm shift in our understanding of personal well-being and to empower parents, teachers and children to choose wellbeing, even on the rainy days. She has worked extensively with schools and organizations, shifting the way we are preparing for life’s inevitable rainy days and building the powerful coping skills necessary for health and happiness.

Request Availability