When Anxiety Tells Students The Sky Is Falling

Who this program is for

This program is designed for:

• Middle schools
• High schools
• Alternative and flexible learning programs
• District wide wellness or mental health initiatives

It works well for:

• Personal wellness and health classes
• School wide mental health days
• Assemblies and special events
• Indigenous, equity, and inclusion focused initiatives

What students will learn

Student keynote
Chicken Little Brain
Understanding Anxiety and Building Resilience

Using the familiar story of Chicken Little, students learn what is really happening in their brain when it feels like the sky is falling. They discover that nothing is wrong with them. Their brain is trying to keep them safe.

Students leave with:

• Clarity about what anxiety is, where it comes from, and how it affects thoughts, feelings, and focus.
• Simple grounding tools they can use in class, at home, or with friends when they start to spiral.
• Emotional awareness and language to describe what they feel so they can ask for what they need.
• Real life resilience through stories from John’s journey of surviving a fatal car crash and rebuilding his life.
• Hope that no matter what challenge they face, they can get through it and they do not have to do it alone.

What educators and schools gain

Professional learning session
Supporting the Anxious Brain

To truly shift school culture, staff need tools as well. This workshop helps teachers, counsellors, administrators, and school staff understand the same model students learn and gives them ways to apply it in the classroom.

Educators will:

• Understand the survival brain and why anxious students shut down, lash out, or avoid work.
• Practice simple regulation tools for themselves and for students.
• Learn scripts and questions that reduce shame and build trust.
• Discover ways to integrate emotional regulation into daily routines.
• Leave with ideas to build a calm, resilient classroom culture.

This session can be delivered in person or virtually and can stand alone or be paired with the student presentation.

The Learn Heal Grow pathway

The full Anxiety and Resilience program follows a simple three part journey.

Learn

Students learn what anxiety is, how their brain and body respond to stress, and why they react the way they do.

Heal

They practice tools that help calm the Chicken Little brain, including breath work, movement, music, and simple mindset shifts.

Grow

They explore what it looks like to ask for help, support friends, and build daily habits that strengthen resilience over time.

Delivery options for your school or district

Every school and district has different capacity and budget. The program offers flexible delivery options that can be tailored to your needs.

John will work with you to choose the right structure for your context, including rural and remote schools or band operated schools that may need virtual access.

Tested with real students in real classrooms

This program builds on multiple years of partnership with New Brunswick Education and their Personal Wellness Curriculum team. During recent tours John spoke to thousands of students and staff across the province, sharing his story and teaching resilience tools that fit directly into wellness outcomes.

Feedback from educators highlights:

• High student engagement.
• Strong alignment with curriculum.
• A clear, hopeful message about mental health and resilience.

Curriculum leaders describe John’s presentation as deeply impactful, authentic, and unforgettable for both in person and virtual audiences.

Why John

• Burn survivor with lived experience of trauma, anxiety, and rebuilding identity.
• More than twenty years of speaking in schools and organizations across North America.
• Co creator of mental wellness programs with New Brunswick Education.
• Indigenous role model who grew up in poverty and understands what it means to feel like you do not belong, then prove that you do.

Students see someone who looks different, who has walked through fire and still created an amazing life. That visible proof that resilience is real may be the most powerful lesson they take away.

What happens after the presentation

To help your school sustain the impact, you can add:

• Classroom activity packs.
• School wide posters and morning announcement scripts.
• Daily challenges focused on calming the anxious brain.
• Parent and caregiver information sessions.
• Branded student workbooks in digital or print formats.

These resources help you turn a single event into a lasting culture shift.

Next steps

Ready to explore the Anxiety and Resilience program for your school or district

Invite John to learn about your community, answer questions, and explore the best delivery option for your goals and budget.