Form III to Lower V take part
St Augustine’s Priory, in partnership with Dove, is running a programme to encourage positive self-image as part of a positive attitude to life and mental and emotional well-being. Girls who are secure learn better.
One of the many challenges which affects young people today is the world of media and social media with the pressure to look perfect, to have the ‘ideal’ body. This can lead to low self-esteem and low self-confidence.
Dove workshops aim to address this. On 6th October we welcomed the Dove Self-Esteem Project to St Augustine’s Priory. Facilitators Matthew and Anna-Lisa travel the UK running workshops in school on self-esteem. Form III to Lower V pupils attended the workshop which aims to encourage body confidence.
Matthew and Anna-Lisa said, ‘Social media affects what young people think they should look like. These workshops are about changing your attitude to yourself.’ They went on to say, ‘We see results. Even throughout the workshops. At the end the children make a pledge to do something to make themselves or other people feel better about themselves’. Matthew commented, ‘For me it is about prevention. The children are all aware of what is going on; we work on preventing attitudes forming and also changing attitudes that may have formed.’
Upper IV girls commented after attending the workshop: ‘The workshop was very informative. We now have a clearer understanding of what everyone else feels. You are not alone’.
In 2004 Dove, a brand known for its toiletries, created their social outreach arm which works to enable young people to ‘understand and deal with feelings about their physical appearance, and learn how “ideal” images of beauty are created.’ Their website contains resources to be used by teachers and parents and they also run school workshops.
Mrs Collins, Deputy Head Seniors, said ‘We are delighted to welcome Dove to St Augustine’s Priory. We wanted to open the discussion for our pupils about how society sets role models.’
Miss O’Brien, Head of PSHEE commented, ‘Our girls were really engaged and open. The course really challenged our perceptions of self-image.’
Categories: Senior
