Robyn Dowse, Principal Alfords Point Public School

This year, through our School Chaplaincy program, we ran the Esteem Designz Program for our grade 6 girls.

Esteem Designz Program has played a key role in supporting the Personal Development strand of the PDHPE curriculum, helping the girls develop their identity and being able to cope with different and challenging situations. Through the design projects and tools within the kit, the girls developed skills that provided ongoing support and reinforcement.

These skills and tools have been very valuable in preparing the girls to transition into High School. Esteem Designz Program has provided an opportunity for the girls to discuss their concerns and issues openly as they created.

On receiving their resource kits, the girls were highly engaged in all the activities.
 
The kits were of extremely high standard both in design and content and included many meaningful treasures for the girls to learn from and keep.

Esteem Designz has helped cultivate and strengthen friendships, creating unity within the whole grade. The design projects and activities equip girls to encourage and care for one another.

It has helped the girls with confidence and reinforced the skills of resilience.

During the program, many of the girls were facing difficult situations and found comfort and strength in the design projects and group discussions. The facilitator was able to talk with them about deeper issues as their focus was on creating. Through the design projects and discussions, the girls were encouraged to give each other advice and support and find their own solutions to situations.

Each week, the girls eagerly look forward to Esteem Designz, excited to know what they will be doing.

The girls absolutely love the program. We will definitely be running Esteem Designz with all the year 6 girls again next year. It is a program that would be beneficial in any school fostering friendship skills, self-esteem and identity building through creativity.

I strongly recommend other schools to use Esteem Designz to help teenage girls grow in friendships, confidence and develop their identity in a caring and safe environment.