Grand Pacific Entertainment & Advisory has been appointed to provide strategic advisory, content and partnership support for the upcoming Student Anxiety Summit.
The Sydney-based content, communications, marketing and partnerships firm, founded by Francis Coady, will work alongside clinical psychologist Michael Hawton and his team at Parentshop to support the February summit and expand the reach of the school-based anxiety program across Australia.
The Student Anxiety Summit will address rising student anxiety
In association with the Primary Principals’ Association of NSW (NSWPPA), the Student Anxiety Summit will take place on 27 February 2026 at the NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre in Surry Hills.
The event will bring together school leaders, psychologists and allied health professionals to examine the drivers of rising student anxiety and identify practical, system-level responses.
According to organisers, 81% of primary school principals report childhood anxiety as a significant concern, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
Beyond the summit, Grand Pacific will lead strategy across content, marketing communications and corporate partnerships for the national rollout of The Anxiety Project in primary schools from years K–6.
An evidence-informed school-based approach
The Anxiety Project is designed to build the capacity of educators and parents to respond to anxious behaviour in ways that reduce reinforcement and support the development of student confidence and coping skills.
Hawton, Founder of Parentshop, said the partnership would help translate clinical expertise into broader community engagement.
“I am incredibly impressed with Francis Coady and his team’s ability to apply the principles of entertainment to content, marketing and communication. By integrating high-level storytelling and a sophisticated corporate partnership approach, they are helping us transform a clinical necessity into an engaging national movement.”
Rob Walker, Principal at Evans River Community K–12 School, said clear communication and scalable implementation would be key.
“We’ve been really encouraged by the way Francis and his team approach communication and partnership building. Schools need solutions that are not only evidence-informed, but also communicated clearly and implemented at scale. Grand Pacific’s support will help ensure The Anxiety Project and the Student Anxiety Summit reach school communities in a way that is practical, accessible and impactful.”
‘This project is very close to my heart’
Coady, CEO of Grand Pacific Entertainment & Advisory, described the project as both professionally and personally significant.
“This project is very close to my heart, particularly as I have a young child in this cohort. My team is committed to harnessing the power of entertainment to help ensure The Anxiety Project reaches every school in the country, providing essential support for the next generation of students and their families.”
The collaboration will include engaging the corporate sector to support the scale of change required to address student anxiety at a population level.
Following the summit, the focus will shift to embedding evidence-based strategies across primary schools nationwide to foster long-term student well-being.
Top Image: (L to R) Irena Yurovsky, Francis Coady, Michael Hawton, Jared Reilly, and Jacqueline O’Neill