High school students have a lot on their plates. Hormonal changes, physical changes, emotional changes — all the tribulations of being a teenager.
With that in mind the self-funded Fresh ED program was created last year to offer high schools a series of free talks and seminars on topics such as self-esteem, body image, personal care, health and nutrition for students in years 7 to 10.
Students from Merrylands, Parramatta, Cambridge Park, North Rocks, Seven Hills, Penrith, St Clair, Mount Druitt and Orchard Hills are among more than 64,000 youths who have benefited from the program so far in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Fresh ED's head of education and programming Rebecca Reed said it wasn't about lecturing students.
"It's about involving them in a discussion and it's been quite powerful for the students to ask questions," she said.
"Teachers have become more responsible for things traditionally dealt with by parents, like personal care, and it's less embarrassing for the kids to talk to someone who's not their usual teacher."
When creating the program Ms Reed said they spoke to schools about addressing concerns like mental health.
"We found it's less about bullying these days and more about resilience and teaching them to pick themselves up when things go wrong.
"It all leads back to self-esteem. Our facilitators draw upon their own experiences, like low self-esteem and eating disorders, share their stories and talk about how they overcame things."
The program's website has a few healthy recipes and guest blog posts for students.
■ Find out more about bringing the free Fresh ED program to your school by emailing Ms Reed: rebecca@freshed.com.au.
