By YASEMIN TALAT
Werribee Secondary College has introduced two new young women’s programs this month to help enhance the learning of female students.
The school’s “Beauty and Bling” and “Live No Fear” programs aim to help teenage girls think about common issues they may be faced with.
School councillor and student wellbeing coach, Julie White, said the Beauty and Bling program is based on encouraging positive body image and involves promoting good self-esteem and acknowledging each individual’s uniqueness as being valuable.
“Beauty can be based on inner good character, like a lamp that is lit from within and is reflected on the outside,” Ms White said.
“This kind of beauty is not affected by our body shape, age, or any other external thing.”
Ms White said body image was a major problem for teenagers.
“I think the girls in the program who choose to go against the current tide of negative body image will have to have courage, but that is the kind of courage that will be required to change our cultures quest for the unattainable body shape.”
The participating girls will also be encouraged to wear badges with two positive statements that read “be beautiful, ask me how” and “character equals beauty”.
“My hope is not just to affect the way the girls in the program think about body image, but that they will be able to take a new concept of beauty and realistic body shapes out into the wider community,” Ms White said.
The other program being introduced by the school is “Live no Fear” a young women’s program which is run by the Department of Justice.
The program is a proactive measure aimed to teach girls aged 15-17 about the consequences of their actions.
Student Welfare Coordinator Robyn McClelland said the program will be based around real life situations that young girls may find themselves in like bullying and online bullying, girl on girl violence and alcohol misuse.
“It’s about giving them life skills that are going to produce an all-rounded individual who is socially competent and I think that’s really important.”
