It might make the whole world change
BODYkind
Toolkit for Facilitators
Formal education has a long tradition of prioritizing the mind over the body. Instead of learning how movement, sensing, thinking, and feeling are interrelated, we are exposed to messages reminding us that our bodies are not good enough.
Restricting and condemning our bodies come at a high cost. When the gap between our minds and bodies is wide we might become strangers to ourselves. We might not be aware of our resources and the true range of our potential. To appreciate our bodies is to trust ourselves, and from that comes the power to make a difference in our lives and our communities.
The BODYkind project aims to transform the educational practices in which the bodies and body image of the learners are neglected or even damaged.
Body image consists of the personal relationship with our body - encompassing our perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and actions that pertain to our physical appearance. Body image can affect different aspects of our lives - interactions with others, experiences at school, meeting new people, relationships with friends and family members, physical activities and satisfaction with life in general. With our work, we would like to encourage young people not to avoid being active and voicing their opinions because they dislike their appearance. No one should feel less valued or less able to use their potential because of their appearance. And it requires some inner work and some social change as well.
The digital toolkit available on this website consists of eight training modules and offers ideas and non-formal learning methods which can be used to lead a conversation about body image with young people, boost their confidence and critical thinking, and encourage their active participation in developing inclusive and healthy communities.
You can listen to our podcast where experts from different areas share their point of view on tackling body image in youth work and education. There you will find also exercises for facilitators in English, Czech, Latvian and Macedonian language to improve your own connection to your body, your self-awareness and self-acceptance.
This project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Commission or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. You can learn more about receiving the funding for similar international educational activities on the website of the Erasmus+ Programme.
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Facilitators' Guidelines
INTRODUCTION
The Facilitators' Guidelines include an introduction to this toolkit, its eight modules, and how to work with them. The guidelines highlight the importance and relevance of body image in youth work and education, as well as our motivation for addressing this topic.
You will also find useful advice on creating a safe learning space, along with general principles and strategies to help improve young people's body image.
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Introduction to Body Image
MODULE I
How we see ourselves is essential for our self-confidence and well-being. Creating a healthy relationship with our bodies is a long process which can be challenging, especially in the period when bodies are changing and when there are lots of pressures around.
This module introduces key terms and explains the relation between body image, learning and participation. It opens the discussion about our individual perception of our own bodies, and what has influenced it.
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Bodies in Media
MODULE II
Media and social networks can have a significant impact on body image. Young people are exposed to a content that can create unrealistic beauty standards and increase their insecurities.
The aim of this module is to increase young people's critical thinking and awareness of the negative effects that media have, but also to encourage them to promote realistic and diverse notions of beauty in their own social networks.
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Body Stereotypes
MODULE III
We might be not aware of many stereotypes we have, yet they might unconsciously impact how we see or treat other people depending on their appearance and other features.
It is essential that we reflect on our stereotypes, question them, and act out of kindness towards ourselves and others. This module aims to raise awareness of how stereotypes and hidden biases influence our treatment of others.
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Shame and Boundaries
MODULE IV
Responding to body shaming is one of the biggest challenges young people face. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to learn to recognize body shaming and raise the understanding how harmful it can be.
This module explores various ways of addressing body shaming, such as setting boundaries, reflecting on our actions, and standing up against it. The proposed activities invite to cultivate empathy and inclusivity.
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Embodied Arts
MODULE V
We are not used to talking about our bodies. We talk about our satisfaction or dissatisfaction with them. But we do not speak about how it is to live in our bodies. Perhaps there are not enough words for such a description. But there is one form that can allow us to have at least a glimpse of how we feel inside our bodies - and that is art.
This module aims to increase the appreciation and acceptance of our bodies through creative process and reflection.
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Finding Your Movement
MODULE VI
Movement is our natural need. As much as breathing or eating. But unlike with hunger or thirst, our body does not show us that much of its need for a stretch or a walk. Or maybe it does but we stopped listening. So, let us find our own movement.
This module will help the learners to know how to nurture their bodies and how to use movement in a healthy way. The module also teaches how to experience a conscious movement and ability to provoke it.
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Body Image and Identity
MODULE VII
How other people treat us based on how we look, how we evaluate ourselves based on what our bodies can do, and how we choose to change our appearance to express individuality or belonging to a group - these are just a few examples of how our bodily experiences interact with who we are.
This module invites young people to reflect on different aspects of their identity and explore the role their body plays in how they see and express themselves.
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Body as a Protest
MODULE VIII
Bodies are our universal tool which can also provide creative forms of participation. Sometimes bodies are used to set or erase boundaries. Sometimes the very presence of particular bodies can be a form of resistance.
This module explores how changing body practices can help to reach a bigger institutional or social transformation. It introduces how body expression passes political messages, and invites young people to become more active citizens.