Healthy Relationships Media Project (2023-2025)
Secondary schools across Wiltshire are taking part in a series of free, interactive, creative media workshops as part of the latest public health approach to healthy relationships from Wiltshire Council.
Students are being asked to make a short podcast that will help spread the word to other young people about unhealthy relationships, gaslighting, domestic abuse and coercive control.
The half-day workshops, delivered by educational media company Collaborate Digital, have covered the most relevant and up-to-date facts, highlighting local case studies and the consequences for young people, their friends and family. Many thousands of students have also attended interactive assemblies covering much of the same material.
The project has been extremely well received by educators across the county;
Charlotte Clarke of Bradon Forest School, Purton said “We've already had students come and speak to us about examples in their lives that they have noticed, based on the assembly, that they might be in an unhealthy relationship. To have students make those disclosures already shows the level of importance of the work that we're doing.”
Ruth Wood, Head of Sixth Form at Kingsbury Green Academy, Calne said “This lends itself to all the PSHE learning that we’re doing but it also lends to subjects such as sociology, ethics, RS as well as the skills work that you’ve done with the podcasts.”
Dave Bissington of The Wellington Academy, Ludgershall said “I have already had two parent emails from students in the workshop saying how much their children enjoyed it. The opportunity to plan and then record the podcast was an activity that very much piqued the interest of the students.”
The workshops continue until mid-March and a playlist of some of the best podcasts created so far can be found via this link to YouTube.
Feedback from Wiltshire schools on the project.
For more information, contact Mark Matthews of Collaborate Digital at mark@collaboratedigital.com
