CONTEXT According to the WHO comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) plays a central role in the preparation of young people for a safe, productive, fulfilling life in a world where sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence and gender inequality still pose serious risks to their well-being. However, in many European countries still few children receive preparation that empowers them to take control and make informed decisions freely and responsibly. Family also has an important role in the sexual development. Many children grow in an unstable and non-safe home environment. Even in good-functioning families they often get confusing messages about sexuality. HENCE OUR KEY OBJECTIVES • Raising the awareness of the importance of relationship- and sexual-education from early ages • Raising the awareness of the family approach in societies by involving parents to talk openly about sex and relationships • Involve schools having sex-ed as a part of school life in each partner countries • Enabling teachers with multiple means to handle the topic naturally and with relevant knowledge • Influencing decision makers of the importance of comprehensive sex-ed PARTICIPANTS, ACTIVITIES AND IMPACTS 1) Book of generations videos online (O1): 3 generation interviews, workshops for parents and grandparents would change the attitude and improve communication skills on relationships and sexuality. This would be ´taboo – breaker´ and ‘eye-opener’ that would make the world more connected, safer, and also unveiling the diversity in manners of speaking, contacting, loving. 2) The 4 day-long teachers´ training (O2) in each country with 10-15 participants will enable teachers, school professional to organize structured relationship and sexuality education lessons in schools. The training outline will be available on the online platform and will be accredited in Hungary. 3) The 6-month-long mentoring program (O3) with 20-25 participants would help teachers to develop their own teaching methods and apply the learned methods in their own teaching context. 4) A toolkit for a 30-hours long sex-ed curriculum with module guide based on the inputs from pilot lessons in participating countries. (O4) The use of this methodology would help young people to become more informed, confident and successful in their relationships. In the long run that prevents unwanted pregnancies, STIs, gender or sexuality-based violence. We are going to adapt and test secondary school sex- ed curricula based on mainly Dutch examples with local schools and teachers. Altogether 20-25 teachers and 450-500 children will be involved. 5) All the results of the project; the video lessons, the training outline, the toolkit for a 30 hours long sex-ed curriculum will be translated for five languages and will be available on the official webpage of the project. (O5) 6) During the duration of the project we will inform the broader public by our events, media coverage, trainings, materials and videos as well raise the awareness of policy makers of the importance of the topic via the White Paper (O6). METHODOLOGY • We will use sexual education in a broad sense including cultural aspects, social, emotional learning development of skills. We put a special focus on cross-generational communication, family discussion to create more open climate around the topic. • We would like to work out a methodology which is easy to combine with other schools subjects (such as literature, biology, language, history) as well as can be integrated in after-school activities (such as school camps, sport activities, theater, dance, music). • The module-based teachers´ training program reflects on the individual needs of the participants. Participants put together their tailor- made training program based on their special needs and teaching context. • The mentoring process ensures a platform for professional counselling, discussion, experience sharing. • Training activities will rely on active, democratic, experimental, cooperative learning methods, using and analyzing the concrete work situations of participants. We apply non-formal methodology; interactive, embodied activities. POTENTIAL LONG TERM BENEFITS All the produced tools and documents will be widely available for teachers and educators in 5 languages. Participants can promote it within their schools, local communities, colleagues and experts from other institutions. The videos will be accessible for broader public and can be used for education, awareness raising campaigns or as inspirational source for further educational projects. Participants will get acquainted with this approach of sexual education. This would change the attitude of the given schools and their environment and improve communication skills on sexuality. In the long term that prevents unwanted pregnancies, STIs, gender or sexuality-based violence and helps to build a healthy, respectful and joyful social and sexual life.
To bring focus on the importance of Relationship and Sexual Education from early ages (within this project mainly in the age group of 11- 18 years old young people). To contribute to the introduction of holistic sexuality education, that gives children and young people unbiased, correct information on all aspects of sexuality and, at the same time, helps them to develop the skills to act upon this information. Thus it contributes to the development of respectful, open-minded attitudes. We wanted to establish the roots of a holistic approach in Hungary, Italy and in Greece and in the Netherlands that based on an understanding of sexuality as an area of human potential that helps young people to develop essential skills to enable them to self-determine their sexuality and their relationships at the various developmental stages. We wanted to give tools and methods to the educational actors to handle the topic with confidence, knowledge and with ease. We wanted to make a long- lasting impact in formulating the way as we approach SexEd in the given countries.
According to the WHO Sexuality education equips young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that help them to protect their health, develop respectful social and sexual relationships, make responsible choices and understand and protect the rights of others. High-quality sexuality education delivers positive health outcomes, with lifelong impacts. Schools need to acknowledge the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to make responsible choices in their lives. The need for sexuality education has been triggered by various factors in the past decades like globalization and migration, different cultural/ religious backgrounds, the rapid spread of media, Internet and mobile phones, changing attitudes towards sexuality among young people. Key actors- teachers are lacking basic knowledge to provide appropriate sexual education or begin and open dialogue about sexuality. The situation has even worsened in the past years: nurses are asked to deliver one- off sexed classes in Greece, that is not sufficient to provide enough knowledge on the topic, there is lack of teacher training in Italy, a new Act in Hungary that created fear around the topic, even Dutch schools are facing some hardship.