RSE Day is an annual celebration of amazing relationship and sex education in schools, colleges and other educational settings.
This year we’re celebrating on Thursday 30 June. The theme for RSE Day 2022 is ‘Everyone Can Sparkle’ and it’s true, everyone can.
Whether you’re a teacher, youth club leader or other education professional, you’ll know that for children and young people to find their own individual sparkle, they need to feel comfortable and safe.
For RSE Day, we’ve put together 10 ways that you can help the children and young people in your life stay safe at home and in their very first relationships.
When they feel safe and know where to turn if they need extra support, we know that children and young people can sparkle.
1. Educate your pupils about healthy and unhealthy relationships
This is the obvious one. As we’re celebrating RSE Day, we know just how important it is to deliver relationship and sex education that is high-quality, age-appropriate, informative and fun. There’s so many ways to engage young people around RSE, so do some research and find what works for your classroom.
2. Encourage pupils to be themselves
If we don’t let children and young people be themselves, how can they sparkle? The best thing about working with children and young people is that no two children are the same! They provide us with lots of fun, laughter, challenges and learning opportunities, but this wouldn’t happen if they were all the same! Make sure children know that your classroom is a safe space for them to be exactly who they were meant to be.
3. Educate children about safe and unsafe secrets
When working with younger, primary age pupils, discussions around safe and unsafe secrets can be a really good introduction to healthy relationships. Safe and unsafe secrets can be linked to friendships and relationships with adults too. Make sure they know what is and isn’t appropriate when they’re keeping secrets.
4. Collaborate and learn from others
There are so many good ideas out there, so don’t be afraid to take some inspiration from others in the sector. Learning from others helps us all shine.
5. Make sure each child’s unique voice is heard
If you don’t let children speak their truths and form their own opinions, they can’t sparkle. It’s all about being authentically yourself, so encourage children and young people to find their voice and use it to make a difference!
6. Advocate for your pupils and be their voice when they need support
This is especially important for younger pupils. Make sure they know you’re there for them and can offer support and guidance if they need it. Younger children might find it difficult to reach out and advocate for themselves, so be there for them in these cases. If they are in danger or unhappy about something, they simply cannot sparkle.
7. Create materials that can help young people find support
Find creative ways to reach young people. Our team at Glow worked hard to create posters to be displayed on the back of school and college toilet doors. They’re a great way to reach children and young people and show them what isn’t OK in their first relationship. The posters also contained details of where to find support if they needed it, perfect for pupils who might not usually feel comfortable speaking up and asking for help.
8. Keep up to date with the latest news around relationship education
There’s so many updates to laws and curriculums, so it’s important to stay informed.
9. Don’t be afraid to use social media
If you want to get an important message to children and young people, you need to put it where they’ll see it. TikTok is hugely popular with young people, so don’t be scared to get involved and create an account. At Glow, we’ve reached hundreds of thousands of people through our fun but informative videos. Think about what matters to young people and share it in a fun way – don’t forget to try the TikTok trends too.
10. Have fun!
Relationship education doesn’t need to be boring or scary. The best RSE lessons and programmes leave children and young people feeling confident and excited for the next one.
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