The ambition of this project is to transform youth work and education practices in which the body image of the learners is neglected or even damaged, as well as to create opportunities for young people to develop their body confidence. In order to move towards achieving this ambition three objectives were set: - To create and develop learning resources and adaptable - usable online and offline - training modules and methods for enhancing young people’s body confidence. - To create a network of youth workers and educators who are interested in tackling body image related themes with young people and equip them with competences and tools for providing non-formal learning activities about body image. - To produce educational social media content that would raise a discussion around body image and to increase interest and abilities of youth workers and educators to deliver experiential learning workshops aimed at boosting body confidence. We also wished to strengthen our own capacities to create and facilitate meaningful activities related to body image. That has enabled our organizations to offer new services and better fulfil our goals and mission that is related to serving young people.
Educator Susan Bauer writes that ''young people know little about their bodies, but ironically, they are intensively focused on their bodies, often in unhealthy ways. They think about their appearance, weight, physical skills, and how they are perceived by their peers. With all this focus on their bodies, the actual study of the body is mostly omitted from the school curricula. The silence that exists around the body is of concern for young people, since the body is a source of self-esteem, both positive and negative.'' The British Government's Equalities Office’s overview of body image studies suggests that potential consequences of negative body image include low self-esteem and depression. Negative body image is linked to eating disorders and risky sexual practices. Individuals with low body satisfaction may be more likely to report that they have thought about killing themselves or have attempted suicide, or body harm. It is important to create settings in which young people can have an open discussion about body image and the effects it has on their lives. This is the central need that we wanted to address with the help of this project.