MELODY (Music Education for Learning Opportunities and Development of Youngsters) is an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union with a mission that is both innovative and timely: to use the universal language of music as a powerful educational tool to enhance children’s participation in democratic life, promote knowledge of EU values, and foster inclusion and civic engagement.

In an era where children and young people are constantly bombarded with digital stimuli—notifications, short videos, online games, rapid streams of information—their ability to concentrate and truly connect with those around them is increasingly affected. Music offers a necessary counterpoint to this accelerated pace, becoming a space for calm, attention, and presence.

Listening to music together invites young people to slow down, tune in to each other, and share a common experience, uninterrupted by screens. In such moments, they learn to truly listen, respect differences, feel shared emotions, and cooperate naturally.

Studies show that collective musical activities increase empathy, reduce group tensions, and strengthen the sense of belonging. In a society where digital isolation is becoming the norm, music—especially when experienced together—can be a universal language capable of rebuilding bridges between young people, stimulating healthy, authentic, and lasting social relationships.

Targeted at students aged 6–14, MELODY is building a cross-curricular methodology that integrates music with citizenship education. The approach prioritises non-formal, engaging learning experiences that encourage students’ creativity, critical thinking, and ability to express their opinions—skills fundamental to a thriving democracy.

Whether through singing, rhythm exercises, experimenting with sound, or exploring genres such as rap, classical, or pop, children learn not only musical skills but also the democratic values of inclusion, non-discrimination, solidarity, participation, and collaboration.

One of the early successes of the project comes from international collaboration between partner organizations from Germany, Italy, and Romania. Representatives—including educators, musicians, and youth workers—formed an international team and took part in a skills assessment before and after their collaboration. The progress they reported is substantial:

• 70% of team members improved their ability to use music as a teaching tool;
• 75% of team members recognised music’s value for strengthening democratic engagement;
• 85% reported greater integration of inclusion and non-discrimination in their professional practices.

These results show the project’s potential not only to transform classroom practice but also to strengthen Europe’s democratic culture through early education.

A Collective Effort

Another strength of MELODY lies in its diverse ecosystem of partner organizations, each bringing deep experience in education, youth work, and cultural participation. Analysed and described in detail in the project’s Handbook of Best Practices, the following programs inspired the methodology used in the MELODY project:

• Educational Music Tools for Human Rights (Germany), led by Roter Baum Berlin, provides educators with creative tools to teach human rights through music in schools and youth centres.
• Opera Domani (Italy) engages more than 100,000 children annually in participatory opera productions, turning performance into a tool for civic expression.
• Tinemobil – The Mobile Youth Centre (Romania) brings educational and civic activities to remote villages, ensuring equal access to culture and participation opportunities.

Together, these best practices form part of a dynamic toolkit now available to educators across Europe—a resource designed to inspire, engage, and empower the next generation of European citizens. It is available to download in 4 different languages on the project webpage.

About the Toolkit

The Music for Citizenship Education toolkit is designed to help educators make democratic values tangible and relatable through music. Its purpose is to offer practical activities that bring concepts such as inclusion, participation, equality, and human rights into the everyday experience of students.

It can be used in classrooms, youth centres, libraries, after-school programs, or cultural settings, adapting easily to different groups, age ranges, and levels of musical experience.

By integrating music with civic education, the toolkit equips educators with a fresh and inclusive approach to preparing young people to become empathetic, engaged, and responsible citizens. It offers ready-to-use activities structured around five priorities:

1. Common Values
2. Civic Engagement
3. Participation
4. Inclusion, Diversity, and Non-Discrimination
5. Equality

Activities require little preparation, use simple materials, and range from beginner to advanced musical competence. Many are accessible to teachers with no formal musical training, reflecting the project’s commitment to inclusion and practicality.

Pilot Actions

In three partner countries the MELODY methodology was piloted in schools, youth centres, and libraries. The activities were tested in order to best understand their dynamics and impact in different settings. Feedback from the facilitators and students was integrated in the final version of the toolkit, including suggestions and tips inspired by these pilot actions.

1. Germany: “Harmony” in a Youth Centre

At Jugendfunkhaus Berlin, educators implemented the activity “Harmony” with a theatre group of 12–16-year-old students from mixed linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

The activity used simple vocal exercises to help students tune in to themselves and one another. Despite its simplicity, it became a powerful tool for:

• Building trust and group cohesion;
• Promoting attentive listening;
• Encouraging respectful collaboration.

For many participants—some newly arrived in Germany, others struggling with traditional classroom structures—the musical activity created a non-formal, emotionally safe learning environment where everyone could participate equally.

2. Romania: Civic Education in a Village Library

In Măneciu, a rural community in the south of Romania, the local librarian facilitated two MELODY activities—“Understanding Courage” and “Flip the Script”—with children aged 8–12.

Held in the village library, these sessions brought together children from different schools who did not previously know each other. The non-formal setting encouraged:

• Greater openness and communication;
• Meaningful reflection on cooperation, courage, and fairness;
• Improved confidence among children who rarely engaged in extracurricular activities.

The librarian, despite not being a trained educator, found the toolkit accessible, flexible, and easy to implement, demonstrating that MELODY can be adopted in a wide variety of educational environments.

3. Italy: “Invent Freely” in an Inclusive Primary School

At the E. De Amicis primary school in Macerata, music teachers piloted “Invent Freely,” an activity blending rhythm, melody, and creative expression. Working with a culturally diverse group of 9–10-year-olds, teachers observed:

• Strong inclusion across linguistic and cultural differences;
• Enthusiastic participation;
• Improved confidence and group collaboration.

Children described the activity as “beautiful,” “funny,” and “wonderful,” highlighting the emotional impact that creative musical experiences can have on their engagement and sense of belonging.

Want to follow MELODY’s journey?

Stay connected with and be part of the growing community redefining education through music. Learn more about MELODY on the project’s website or Facebook page.

The post Using Music to Teach Democracy appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

In classrooms across the country, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has become a central pillar of modern education. Schools are working to equip students with the technical abilities needed to navigate a rapidly changing world. Yet, in this important push, something essential can fall through the margins: the boundless and generative force of imagination.

While STEM provides the tools, imagination provides the blueprint. It is not an expendable extra or a distraction from serious academic work, it is the soil in which curiosity takes root and the foundation on which innovation is built. Before a student learns to calculate, measure, or code, they must first believe that something new is possible. In that sense, imagination is not a supplement to STEM. It is the beginning of it.

As a children’s book author, I’ve had the incredible joy of bringing this message into classrooms across the country. From sharing stories with children face-to-face to working with teachers on accredited curriculum, I’ve seen how the power of imagination can spark a child’s curiosity, fuel their belief in themselves, and, ultimately, inspire them to consider new ideas and possibilities.

Where Every Breakthrough Begins

Long before a bridge stands, a medicine heals, or an algorithm functions, a moment arrives when someone imagines a different way the world could be. Every scientific discovery can be traced back to a question like “What if?” or “Why not?”

This is why imagination deserves intentional cultivation in STEM classrooms. Without it, students may master procedures but struggle to generate the original ideas that move fields forward. The engineers of tomorrow must be able to see what is not yet visible, and the scientists of the future must be willing to follow hunches that do not fit neatly into step-by-step instructions.

Albert Einstein understood this connection deeply. In a 1929 interview, he famously shared that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” His breakthroughs did not come from memorization alone. They evolved from years of mental experiments, playful thinking, and the freedom to investigate new ideas, long before he translated them into formulas.

If we want students to think boldly, we must first give them permission to imagine boldly.

The Role of Story in Expanding the Mind

One of the most powerful tools for nurturing imagination is also one of the oldest: stories.

​Stories, whether found in books, told by teachers, or created by students, invite children to form mental pictures, consider alternative worlds, and explore possibilities that are not constrained by reality.

A beautifully illustrated picture book, for example, is not just used for entertainment, but is a workout for the brain. As children follow a character’s journey, they practice understanding perspective, anticipating outcomes, holding multiple variables in their minds, and exploring cause and effect. These mental habits map directly onto scientific and engineering thinking.

Stories also expose students to characters who fail, try again, and discover new paths forward. This emotional resilience is essential in STEM, where experimentation often leads to frustration before it leads to insight. When students see fictional characters persevere, they begin to internalize this trait as a natural and necessary part of problem-solving.

​Meaning is another powerful gift that imagination brings to STEM learning. A mathematical model or scientific advancement becomes far more significant when students understand who it serves and why it matters. When narrative thinking is woven into technical work, it provides students with a human frame for the challenges they are trying to solve, helping them grasp not only how to reach a solution, but also why the problem warrants their effort in the first place.

Imagination as a Practical Classroom Tool

Teachers do not need to redesign entire units to integrate imagination into STEM learning. Small and intentional shifts can spark meaningful changes in how students think.

One helpful practice is to open STEM lessons with a brief imaginative invitation. Before presenting a formula or explaining a concept, teachers might pose a playful question such as “What if gravity weakened for one hour a day?” or “If you could redesign how electricity moves through the house, what would you change?” These questions prime students to approach the content with openness and curiosity.

Another effective approach is incorporating imaginative literature into STEM lessons. For example, a story about a child building an improbable flying machine can naturally lead into discussions about forces, motion, or materials. A narrative about time travel can spark an exploration of scientific theories. A book that follows a character solving a community problem can inspire students to design their own innovations with empathy at the center.

Teachers can also encourage students to articulate the stories behind their own STEM work. When students create an invention, design a structure, or complete a science investigation, asking them to explain who it helps, why it matters, and how they overcame challenges prompts them to reflect deeply on their process. This practice transforms STEM from a checklist of steps into a meaningful act of creation.

Imagination Builds Whole-Child Learners

Prioritizing imagination within STEM strengthens technical rigor rather than weakening it. Students who imagine are more confident when forming hypotheses, more flexible when experiments fail, and more capable of thinking across disciplines.

Imagination also supports the social-emotional side of learning. When children imagine, they often engage with stories that reflect courage, hope, collaboration, and perseverance. These qualities fuel the resilience needed to work through complex problems and setbacks. They also help students see themselves as capable learners, which is critical in fields where they may initially feel intimidated or unsure.

By nurturing imagination, educators empower students to meet an unpredictable world with creativity and heart, not just to succeed in their careers, but to thrive as compassionate, adaptable individuals.

A Call to Expand What We Value

If STEM education is meant to prepare students for the future, it must honor the human capacity that drives all discovery: the ability to dream.

This does not mean reducing scientific rigor or replacing equations with fantasy. It means recognizing that imagination and STEM work best together. The most transformative ideas emerge when knowledge and creativity meet.

​Schools and system leaders have a powerful opportunity to nurture this balance. By integrating literature that stirs imagination, encouraging students to explore “What if?” questions, and placing stories at the heart of STEM learning, educators can help students develop both the skills and the spirit of innovation.

​The next generation of scientists and engineers will need to learn more than how to be technically proficient. They will need to be imaginative thinkers, empathetic designers, and resilient problem-solvers. When imagination has a rightful place in the classroom, students can see beyond what already exists and begin to envision what is possible.

The post The Power of Imagination in STEM Education appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

Kid Spark’s program weaves together STEM, literacy, and social-emotional learning, inspiring young learners to explore, create, and see themselves as capable readers and inventors. By connecting these skills, Kid Spark helps students build a foundation to thrive in an ever-changing, technology-driven world.

“In the 21st century, being literate means more than the ability to read, write, and do math,” said Ryan Neden, Executive Director of Kid Spark Education. “It also means developing a STEM identity and an inventive mindset, where children learn how the world works and gain the skills and confidence to contribute to it. When these foundations are built early, children are better prepared for future learning and the careers that await them.”

Why Early STEM and Literacy Matter

Research shows that by third grade, one in three children already believes STEM isn’t “for them,” and many are also reading below grade level. These early gaps in confidence and literacy can shape how students approach learning for years to come.

Kid Spark’s program helps change that story by introducing STEM concepts through engaging, age-appropriate lessons that strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and problem-solving while inspiring curiosity and creativity.

The earliest years are when children begin to see themselves as learners. By connecting STEM and literacy from the start, the program gives students the tools to ask questions, make sense of their world, and build confidence in their ability to learn.

Inside the Program

The following components support the new program:

• Early Inventors STEM Lab: A hands-on kit of durable, reusable, engineering materials designed specifically for young learners. Each lab serves one or two children and is intentionally designed for accessibility, allowing all students to participate.
• Comprehensive Curriculum: A robust set of more than 60 project-based lessons, divided into two categories. STEM Foundations Lessons introduce children to early math, problem-solving, and engineering concepts, while Storytime Inventing Lessons connect children’s storybooks with STEM themes, strengthening literacy, turning each story into a hands-on building experience.
• Professional Learning and Support: Training and classroom resources that help educators, regardless of STEM background, feel confident and equipped to deliver engaging, developmentally appropriate instruction.

The full program aligns with national education standards (NGSS, Common Core, Head Start, and CASEL) and the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ensuring that all types of learners can engage, participate, and succeed. Each lesson is ready to teach, requires no prior STEM experience, and includes clear guides and visual supports for educators.

A Collaboration That Inspires Inclusion

As part of the program, Kid Spark Education partnered with Special Olympics Washington to co-develop 12 Storytime Inventing lessons that celebrate empathy, teamwork, and perseverance. These lessons connect sport, literacy, and invention, reflecting the organization’s shared vision for every child to see themselves as capable of creating and belonging.

“These lessons help students see that inclusion isn’t just an idea, it’s something they can bring to life through reading and invention. They learn they can design solutions that make STEM and sport more inclusive for everyone,” said Ellie Testerman, Director of Education at Kid Spark Education.

Expanding Access Through Funding and Partnership

Kid Spark recognizes high-quality STEM and literacy programs are often out of reach for schools and after-school programs in underserved communities. To address this, the organization helps remove financial barriers for those eager to adopt the new program through its STEM Grants Initiative, fundraising resources, and strategic partnerships.

Kid Sparks’ collaboration with corporations, foundations, and community organizations helps to provide cost-free or reduced-cost programs where they are needed most. The organization continues to seek partners who share its commitment to making early STEM education accessible to every child.

About Kid Spark Education

Kid Spark Education is a national nonprofit with a mission to help all children learn and love STEM. We design hands-on learning solutions that meet the needs of today’s students and make STEM education more accessible to more learners, especially those in underserved communities. Visit kidsparkeducation.org to learn more about our programs or explore how you can partner with Kid Spark to expand access to STEM learning for all students.

The post Kid Spark Education Launches Transformative Early Childhood STEM and Literacy Program appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

In the last two decades, the skills required to succeed professionally—and even to navigate daily life as an informed, mindful individual—have grown increasingly complex. Adapting to rapid technological advancements and developing new competencies has become essential rather than optional.

However, as society shifts, the education system seems to have remained stagnant. This disconnect raises an important question: How do we prepare students for a world that looks nothing like the one traditional curricula were designed for?

Ravi Bhushan believes he has part of the answer. He is the founder of BrightCHAMPS, a global edtech company that has been working to bridge the gap between conventional education and the skills modern students actually need. The organization offers a mixture of academic and STEM-accredited courses, alongside programs that build future-ready skills such as coding, AI, financial literacy, and public speaking.

In a recent conversation with Bhushan, he explains his vision for redefining education, and shares the results of his team’s efforts to make that vision a reality.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What was the moment you realized traditional education needed something different, and how did that lead to BrightCHAMPS?

I had an unconventional upbringing, thanks to the influence of my grandfather. He often reminded me that real growth occurs when you probe and seek out the unknown, instead of just memorizing. That philosophy guided my learning, and as I entered the working world, I noticed some similar conversations among professionals from various sectors.

Many commented that, had they acquired skills like coding, money management, or how to utilize AI from an early age, their career trajectories would have been more versatile. These remarks helped me realize that traditional education, although beneficial, was failing to address crucial gaps in the system.

The pivotal moment came when my son, a history buff, created his first app when he was seven years old. The app mapped dynasties with their timelines, marrying my son’s passion for history with technology that he learned early on. Watching him combine creativity with functional skills at such a young age confirmed my thinking that education shouldn’t merely provide children with information, but also with the capacity to apply it meaningfully. That became the source of inspiration behind BrightCHAMPS.

Q: How would you explain to teachers and parents why subjects like anti-bullying and money management belong alongside math and science?

Today’s world is far more complex for our children than the one we grew up in. The BrightCHAMPS 2024 Pulse of Parents report found that 56 percent of parents in the U.S. believe the traditional pathway from school to college to employment is no longer sufficient to secure their child’s future. As such, it is imperative for parents and educators to ensure that kids are equipped with emotional intelligence and practical skills to navigate the world with confidence and compassion.

Educating children to handle money at a young age not only enhances their financial knowledge but also instills responsibility, autonomy, and the capacity for long-term planning. Similarly, early education on anti-bullying allows young learners to develop emotions such as empathy and resilience, allowing them to create stronger relationships and confront real-life issues practically.

A well-balanced education is about more than just the merits achieved in a class. It is about creating caring, thoughtful, and confident leaders.

Q: Is it challenging to convince parents that their children need more than just regular schoolwork?

The conversation around education is changing in leaps and bounds, and so are parents’ expectations. However, getting them to believe that their child requires more than traditional academics remains an ongoing challenge.

Millennials, who constitute the majority of parents with school-age children in America today, have experienced one of the most radical technological revolutions in recorded history. They’ve witnessed industries change, jobs vanish, and new careers spring up overnight. Consequently, they intuitively prioritize creativity, flexibility, and emotional intelligence equally with old-fashioned academic achievement.

But even with this realization, there continues to have a gap between intention and action. Parents see the value of integrated learning, but default to established school systems that continue to emphasize test scores and grades. This results in a paradox of having intention but falling behind with execution.

It’s not always easy to persuade parents to allocate funds for learning programs outside of mainstream education, but the outcomes speak for themselves. Whether it’s a young learner creating their first app, running a virtual business simulation, or successfully pitching an idea to others, the effects of hands-on experience are noticeable and enduring.

These results reinforce our belief that education needs to transition from information transmission to skill development, setting children up not for exams, but for life.

Q: How do you define success at BrightCHAMPS?

Here, success isn’t measured by grades or test scores. It’s the number of young lives we can touch and transform for a better future.

A true measure of our footprint is when we observe our students using what they have learned in actual situations. When a child runs a school project smoothly or applies their knowledge of money to make responsible choices, it is a demonstration of our program’s impact—equipping children to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and confident challengers.

To me, success is watching our students blossom into caring, self-sufficient, and emotionally intelligent people who are capable of operating in the world with both capability and heart. Watching this transformation unfold in each learner is what truly defines success at BrightCHAMPS.

Q: What kind of impact are you seeing in students who take your programs?

The way our Financial Literacy students use their abilities to organize and oversee fundraising events during school breaks is an excellent example. They prepare budgets, estimate expenditures, and monitor donations with impressive accuracy and accountability. These activities not only make them aware of the actual worth of money, but also help them develop empathy and leadership skills, as students tend to collect funds for social or community causes.

Our Coding and Vedic Math courses build on creativity, critical thinking, and accuracy. Given that the platform is highly personalized, we have witnessed an increase in confidence in our students, as it caters to their actual curiosity. When a child builds a dance app after only a few weeks of coding or uses mathematical logic to crack a tough problem, it highlights the strength of experiential learning.

We love watching our students succeed academically but also think critically, act responsibly, and develop into reflective, competent individuals ready to lead in a changing world.

About Ravi Bhushan

Ravi Bhushan, founder and CEO of BrightCHAMPS, is redefining K–12 education through a digital-first learning model. He is an innovator with a vision to equip young learners with next-gen skills.

The post Is It Time to Redefine Education for Modern Students? An Interview with Ravi Bhushan appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

May we seek to understand. May we celebrate differences. May we help build positive community. Not only are these central tenets to our work as parents and educators, but they have become the foundation of our new “webugs” book series.

Webugs utilizes bugs as a conduit to encourage children to explore and celebrate the individual differences inherent in our own communities. This series aims to provide critical, supportive messaging about topics that readily impact our youth in the world today, such as homelessness, disability (e.g. anxiety, ADHD), gender identity, addiction, and stressors within a family system. Our bugs help us explore what it means to act with integrity, listen to your inner voice, and appreciate others by understanding strengths and areas for growth.

As educators in the Boston area and mothers to young children, we aspire to have our books reflect the important lessons we teach in our classrooms, offices, and homes. We also want our students who are working through some of these critical issues to feel seen and understood through the content of the stories.

Our first webugs installation is Making Changes on the Fly, which transports children to a garden full of friendly bugs who welcome a fly that has fallen into unknown territory after an unexpected incident. The fly quickly learns that although they are different from his fellow flying insects, the garden bugs are full of compassion, support, and kindness. Their own unique approaches to helping him ultimately encourage the fly to change his perspective and embrace the gift of friendship.

This first book in our series lays the groundwork for future books that will each connect an individual bug with a critical issue, such as a slug and addiction or a ladybug and gender identity. All webugs books will end with discussion questions that reinforce the main themes and ask children to extend their thinking to their own lives.

In Making Changes on the Fly, for instance, readers are asked to identify how they believe the garden bugs helped the fly and then consider how they can help another kid who is feeling worried or scared about being in a new place.

In our daily work as mothers, a teacher (Kirsten), and a school psychologist (Shannon), we work hard to have our students and children recognize the depth of their own value, while simultaneously appreciating what makes others different and equally valuable. In our educational spaces and in our homes, we seek out books and stories that aim to do the same.

As enthusiasts for all creative pursuits, we began to craft a dream of writing a children’s book that contributes to such critical messaging. We could not possibly be more thrilled to share our bugs that we’ve created to be purveyors of kindness and understanding. Thanks in advance for helping webugs create a buzz about seeking to understand, celebrating differences, and building positive community!

Please consider giving us a follow on Instagram (@webugsbooks), checking out our website (webugsbooks.com), and purchasing our book from Blue Balloon Books.

The post New “webugs” Book Series Encourages Kids to Celebrate Differences appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

“What is cancer? Is it the same thing as getting sick? Why is my best friend not in school anymore?”

Classroom curriculum doesn’t account for a student’s cancer diagnosis. When a classmate is sick, how can children help?

A Missing Piece

Suzanne Stone, President and CEO at Livestrong, and Brett Fox, Director of Operations and Philanthropy at Hopecam—two non-profits that have uplifted cancer survivors’ quality of life for decades—noticed a gap in children’s cancer education. Other books explore how a child feels when a family member is sick, but there were no books that focused specifically on the classroom.

Teachers and parents needed an age-appropriate tool to explain to children what cancer is and how they can be a friend to a peer facing a serious illness. With this gap in mind, My Brave Friend: Emma and Noah Face Cancer Together came to life.

The story, written for children in kindergarten through second grade, follows Emma and Noah, best friends who spend their days swinging on the monkey bars and taking care of their class pet, Izzy the Lizard. One day, when Emma is absent from school, Noah discovers she has cancer. With the help of his parents, teacher, and friends, Noah learns what cancer is and how he can be there for Emma. Together, they find ways to bring happiness and comfort to Emma during her treatment.

“Cancer diagnoses among adolescents and young adults are rising, and the impact goes beyond the child diagnosed—it ripples out to their classmates, teachers, and community,” said Suzanne Stone. “With My Brave Friend, we want to equip children with the language, empathy, and courage to support one another through life’s hardest moments.”

More than Storytime

Not only does My Brave Friend empower educators with the language to spark candid conversations about cancer, it provides tangible ways that children can support their own brave friends who are facing illness. Emma’s teacher Ms. Perez ensures she doesn’t feel left out by bringing her into the classroom on video chats, and her classmates brighten her mood by creating colorful cards with words of encouragement. These simple actions can make a world of difference for a student facing cancer, bringing a welcome sense of familiarity during a time of uncertainty.

“Navigating a friend’s illness can be confusing and overwhelming for young minds. My Brave Friend provides a thoughtful, age-appropriate way to talk about cancer while celebrating the strength of friendship,” said Michael Davies-Hughes, a California superintendent of schools.

My Brave Friend is one of many resources Livestrong and Hopecam offer for children affected by cancer. Livestrong at School is a free K–12 cancer education curriculum that provides age-appropriate lessons to help students understand the cancer journey. Hopecam virtually connects children with cancer to their classmates and peers by providing tablets, laptops, WiFi access, and other resources at no cost to families.

My Brave Friend: Emma and Noah Face Cancer Together is available now at MyBraveFriend.com.

The post Cancer in the Classroom: How to Have Candid Health Conversations with Kids appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

The term “global citizen” will likely be familiar to many of us working within the education sector. Over the past decade, a focus on Global Citizenship Education (GCE) has gradually established itself within curriculum development plans, professional development sessions, and more. At its core, GCE focuses on teaching students to think beyond the country or community to which they belong. Instead, it encourages them to consider what they can do to address global issues and help ensure that the world is a fair, just, and equitable place.

The need for global citizens who are able to empathise, collaborate, and think critically has become increasingly urgent in today’s progressively interconnected—yet increasingly divided—society. But it can be a challenge to present students with opportunities to truly see the lived realities experienced by others.

The post Stories from the Stage: How Drama Education Shapes Global Citizens appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

An inclusive period literacy program empowers youth to advocate for their health.

Many educators would agree that teaching students about menstruation is an important part of health education. Many would also agree that we’re short on time and period-focused educational content. Young people are often left to learn about periods on their own. The result? Misinformation, perpetuated taboos, stigma, and shame around periods, and undiagnosed health issues like endometriosis.

Endometriosis (or endo) is a prevalent period-related health issue:

• At least 1 in 10 girls, women, and unmeasured numbers of two-spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people live with endo. This means that almost 2 million Canadians have endometriosis.
• Endo can be very painful and can prevent people from living a full life.
• 6 in 10 teens and youth with endo face challenges in school due to pain.
• 4 in 10 people with endometriosis have difficulty reaching their educational goals.

Not teaching students about periods is doing young people a disservice. Despite the evidence to support the positive impact of menstrual health education in schools, it’s not included in the curriculum. To support educators in integrating menstrual health into existing curriculum, The Endometriosis Network Canada developed the What you need to know. Period. program. This bilingual period literacy program for youth is peer- and physician-reviewed and was created in consultation with youth and educator advisory committees.

The Endometriosis Network Canada is a national registered charity dedicated to raising endo awareness, providing support, and sharing educational resources. Our work to develop this resource is funded by the Health Canada Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund.

The What you need to know. Period. program is free and may help reduce the 5-year average delay to diagnosis for people with endo by educating young people about normal and abnormal period pain.

This article explores how inclusive menstrual health programming can help build confidence, foster empathy, and empower young people to advocate for their health. 

Inclusive menstrual health education fosters empathy and breaks down taboos

We developed the What you need to know. Period. program to help raise awareness and break down taboos about periods and related health issues like endometriosis. The content is designed for a wide range of youth (ages ~8–18) of all genders, identities, and sexual orientations. This information is for everybody, not just for people who get a period.

It’s not a secret that some of us get a period, but there is a lot of mystery and misinformation out there about menstruation. We want to put an end to the secrecy now. Period. And it starts with teaching menstrual health to all of your students: students who get a period, students who will eventually get a period, and students who will never get a period.

You can’t always tell if someone gets a period just by looking at them. That’s why we’ve used inclusive language in the development of this program and why we recommend delivering the program to all of your students.

Taboos about menstruation and lack of menstrual health awareness are key contributors to poor understanding of menstrual health. Teens and youth who are worried about their period often conceal their symptoms out of shame, feel uncomfortable discussing them with peers or trusted adults, or believe their symptoms are normal. When young people do disclose their concerns, peers and trusted adults may reinforce feelings of shame and inaccurate beliefs about menstrual health. The consequence is a culture of poor period health literacy.

Menstrual health education in schools is a powerful tool to address taboos and lack of awareness about menstrual health. Watch this video to learn more about the positive impact of period literacy.

Teaching youth to advocate for their health builds confidence

The What you need to know. Period. program is designed to empower young people to learn about their bodies and to advocate for their needs and what’s right for them. It’s a giant leap toward creating healthy behaviours that can last a lifetime.

We recommend that educators take a strengths-based approach to delivering menstrual health content. There are no rights or wrongs when we’re talking about our own body, our own experience of being in the world and in our body. What you need to know. Period. emphasizes that we’re the expert on our own body and we get to decide what happens to it.

The range of experiences of having a period can be drastically different. Taking a strengths-based approach to teaching period literacy will help your students build confidence in their ability to ask for help when they need it.

Freya, a youth advisor with lived experience with endo, shares her thoughts on the program. 

How does educating young people about periods create positive change?

Researchers at the University of British Columbia studied students of all genders in Grades 8–12 who took a 60-minute educational program about menstrual health. The randomized controlled trial found that after participating in the program, students’ knowledge about menstrual health increased and their attitudes about menstruation became more positive.

Results of the study also showed that the students:

• Understood that getting really painful cramps that make you miss activities during your period is not normal.
• Knew that a person with really painful periods should talk to someone they trust, like a parent, teacher, elder, or healthcare provider, about their symptoms.
• Felt more confident in their menstrual health knowledge and were more comfortable discussing menstrual health.
• Agreed that the program taught them something new and that people like themselves would benefit from learning about menstrual health.

Overall, the research indicated that when we teach young people about periods, their knowledge improves and they have more positive beliefs about menstrual health.

Integrate period literacy into existing health education

What you need to know. Period. is a ready-to-deliver program, which includes a workbook as well as facilitator training. We knew that talking and learning about periods might enter into sensitive and challenging territory, for students and teachers alike, which is why we developed training to support these discussions in the classroom.

The comprehensive period literacy program gives you the tools and the training to help prepare you for delivering the content to your students in whatever way works best for you and your group.

Periods are a part of life for many people. Equally, many people aren’t comfortable talking about periods, whether they get one or not. It’s okay to be private about some things, but periods don’t need to be a secret. The training explores best practices for talking about periods using clear language to break down taboos and stigma about menstruation.

We designed the program so that it could easily be integrated into existing health curriculum. Teachers could:

• Deliver the workbook in whole or in part (there’s around 2 hours of content in the workbook).
• Integrate workbook content into existing sexual health programming.
• Deliver the workbook in a group setting or one-on-one.
• Facilitate the program in-person or remotely.
• Adapt the content for younger or older audiences, or youth with barriers.

The post Students need to learn about menstrual health. Period. appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

By Kelsey McCallum

A 2019 UNESCO report revealed that nearly 1 in 3 students worldwide has been bullied within the past month. Bullying can take many forms, leaving children unsure of how to respond or where to seek help. To help address this issue, we’ve curated a list of impactful books that explore bullying from various perspectives. These stories can help kids see themselves in the characters, fostering empathy and understanding. Share these books with your students to spark meaningful conversations about bullying and empower them to stand up for themselves and others.

The post 10 Books That Tackle Bullying appeared first on TEACH Magazine.

By Fiona Tapp

Literary and educational communities are grappling with the challenge of recent book bans across the United States. In 2022 alone there were 137 gag order bills introduced in 36 state legislatures that sought to limit what materials could be taught or made available in public schools and libraries. Like so many American trends, this one is unfortunately migrating up to Canada too, with recent news stories such as a ban on books containing LGBTQ+ themes by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

John Chrastka, executive director of EveryLibrary (a national political action committee dedicated to libraries), says that the current moves toward censorship highlight a dark legacy. “Limiting access to information, curtailing exposure to ideas, and diminishing opportunities to discover have never been best practices in education—or in civil society,” he notes. “The political regimes that practice censorship find themselves on the wrong side of history.”

The post Fostering Inclusivity and Empathy: The Crucial Role of Book Clubs appeared first on TEACH Magazine.