Many international agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO call for the adoption of comprehensive Sex Education curricula to be used with groups at risk of marginalization, including young people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. However, the availability of inclusive sexual education material is still limited and so is the experience implemented at the field level.
The INCLUDED project partnership has now released a tool that teachers and educators can use to reduce this gap.
“INCLUDED: Inclusive sex-ed through creative methods” is an Erasmus+ project that aims at enhancing the offer of an inclusive sex education training program, aimed at middle and high school students with a particular focus on the inclusion of youth with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
In this framework, the partnership has released a handbook outlining a curricular training program (approx. 8 hours) for students 14-20 years old, based on the use of creative methods such as role-playing and theatre games, which have proven to be effective in educating young people – especially young people with intellectual disabilities.
The modules of the program are the following: a) human body and human development, b) fertility and reproduction, c) sexuality, d) emotions, e) relationships and lifestyles, f) sexuality, health, and wellbeing, g) sexuality and rights, h) and social and cultural determinants of sexuality.
Before its release, the training program was piloted in secondary schools of each partner country to test the activities and training modules in classrooms, where students with disabilities were also present. Directions and suggestions for teachers can be found in the handbook to enable them to acquire skills and knowledge on how best to carry out a sex education program.
The program is available in English, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Dutch and Macedonian. You can download it for free from the project website: http://includedproject.eu/educational-resources/.
A few words about the project
“INCLUDED” is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. It is implemented by a partnership of seven NGOs, research institute, and public entities from different European countries. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will empower them to realize their health, well-being, and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives.
The results of the project are linked to the following outcomes: i) a curricular training program for students, including those with intellectual disabilities; ii) an e-course for teachers about teaching inclusive sex-ed through with creative methods; iii) a guide for schools on how to include the family in inclusive sex-ed; iv) policy guidelines and detailed roadmap based on the experience in each partner country of how to implement a creative whole-school approach to holistic and positive sex-ed. To find out more about the project and get involved in the activities please follow the link www.includedproject.eu