My great passion in life is helping tweens and teens flourish at school.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY?
Building Better Friendships | Building Better Friendships | Building Better Friendships | Building Better Friendships
It means I want them to discover the joy of great friendships by being able to identify a good friend and back away from the toxic ones. It means I want them to feel confident – confident about their ideas, their abilities, their gut instinct and their appearance.
And most of all I want them to know that despite what the world is trying to tell them - they are enough, just as they are.
That’s why every year I speak to thousands of kids – about friendship and resilience and screwing up and bouncing back and life online and the power of kindness - in primary schools and high schools around Australia.
I think there's never been a harder time to be a teenager.
that's why I'm here...
TO HELP POINT THEM TOWARDS THEIR TRUE NORTH …
topics
6 lessons in friendship
In this online version of one of my most popular school talks, I go through the six things teens and tweens can do to navigate those tricky waters of friendships in their teen and tween years. Tips include choosing to avoid drama, not being possessive, expectations around messaging and texting and having friends but also being friendly.
The Friendship Reset
In this talk I help tweens and teens reflect on the quality of the friendships in their lives. From learning how to find friends to understanding what it takes to create robust friendships this talk is designed to help kids get clear on what a good friendship looks and feels like.
5 Secrets To School
Is whether or not you enjoy high school based on luck? Or can you actively make choices and decisions which will greatly improve your chances of having a positive experience? In this online version of one of my most popular school talks, I go through the five things students can do to have a more positive experience in high school.
From choosing supportive friends and avoiding drama cyclones to allowing yourself to be ‘seen’ and understanding the difference between bullies and jerks … this material is especially useful for students in years 5, 6, 7 and 8. Suitable for Parents and their Teens/Tweens.
The Art of Connection
for staff
A talk for school staff on how to forge a better connection with the students in their classroom as well as understanding the social dramas and challenges kids are facing which get in the way of their learning.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME...
Bec Sparrow has been described as Australia’s “Friendship Whisperer”.
Every year Bec speaks to thousands of tweens and teens (and their parents) about how to recognise and nurture strong friendships, be a good friend to others, navigate conflict and set healthy boundaries. She truly believes that the biggest decision we make in our lives is who we choose to hang around.
Bec’s online friendship webinars are watched in loungerooms across the world from Hong Kong to Honolulu, London to Laidley.
She is the author of three best-selling novels The Girl Most Likely, The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay and Joel and Cat Set The Story Straight (co-authored with Nick Earls). Since 2009 Rebecca has focused on writing non-fiction books for teenage girls to help them navigate those tricky high school years. Those books include Find Your Tribe (and 9 other things I wish I’d known in high school); Find Your Feet (The 8 things I Wish I’d Known Before I Left High School) and the best-selling Ask Me Anything (heartfelt answers to 65 anonymous questions from teenage girls).
In 2024, she released Out Of The Box: a one-stop guide to navigating neurodivergence which she co-authored with award-winning journalist Madonna King. It is the first Australian book to bring together expert advice, lived experience, interviews and up-to-date resources to help neurodivergent children thrive.
Aside from writing books Bec is the host of the popular ABC podcast Parental As Anything: Teens. And with her friend Jane Sullivan, Bec co-captains four enormously popular online book clubs for kids, teens and adults.
Bec is also an ambassador for The Lady Musgrave Trust which provides support and services to young women facing homelessness. In 2018 she was invited to sit on the Queensland Government’s Anti-Bullying Taskforce. She was awarded the 2024 Queensland Child Protection Week Media and Communications Award for her dedication to educating adults, kids and teens about the dangers which exist online.
Rebecca lives in Brisbane with her husband Brad, her three kids and two labradoodles.
schools and organisations I've worked with:
How you can
Work with Bec
01
In-person Events
Bring Bec to your next event for an engaging, insightful, and impactful talk. Bec shares practical strategies, relatable stories, and a passion for helping kids and teens navigate friendships and school life.
02
Live Webinars
Join Bec for interactive, live webinars where she addresses pressing questions and offers valuable advice for educators, parents, and students. Tailored to meet the needs of your audience, these sessions are both informative and empowering.
03
Recorded Webinars
Access Bec's library of recorded webinars, designed to provide flexible, on-demand learning for schools and families. Each session is packed with actionable insights and resources to support kids and teens in building strong connections and navigating challenges.
SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN SAYING
Thanks Rebecca for such an informative, down-to-earth and 'smart' presentation last night. Not only did I get a lot out of it (and made many mental notes to follow-up resources), but my 10-year-old daughter came home saying it really made her think hard about being online.
Your humorous, self-deprecating stories about your own life and school years really resonated with her also - which made the messages stick! So - thank you from both of us! 🙂
CARLY ~ PARENT
Bec presented to over 220 of QLD’s high-achieving Year 11 students as part of the 2017 UQ Young Scholars Program. Her keynote presentation was an absolute standout for our students, and she received an almost perfect score on our student satisfaction survey! She was hilarious, down-to-earth and a brilliant presenter – the perfect recipe for delivering an inspirational and relatable message to all young adults. I could not recommend Bec more highly!
MONIQUE POUNTNEY
UQ Young Scholars Program Coordinator.
I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the stimulating, entertaining and most of all heart-felt presentation at last night.
My boys need to hear from quality women like yourself to help them shape a better future for themselves and those they interact with. Having lost their mum a few years back I desire to augment my guidance with exceptional female insight to give them the balanced approach they need to be the best human beings they can.
Your talk hit the mark spot on and has already fuelled some great discussion on the way home last night.
SANDRA MANNION
Curriculum Leader: Library & Information Services Mt St Michael’s College, Ashgrove
I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the stimulating, entertaining and most of all heart-felt presentation at last night.
My boys need to hear from quality women like yourself to help them shape a better future for themselves and those they interact with. Having lost their mum a few years back I desire to augment my guidance with exceptional female insight to give them the balanced approach they need to be the best human beings they can.
Your talk hit the mark spot on and has already fuelled some great discussion on the way home last night.