F2BM Spaces and Play Leader Project

The Free to Be Me: Spaces and Play Leader Project pilot is a collaboration between Access Health and Community (AccessHC) and the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training (DET).

The Spaces and Play Leader Project is a student-led project in which teachers facilitate students' use of a Spaces and Play tool to assess how gender equitable their school environment is. The project uses targeted teaching and learning lessons to develop students’ understanding of:

• gender stereotypes
• the harmful effects of gender stereotypes, and
• equality in spaces and play.

Further resources will support teachers in guiding students through the process of designing, implementing and evaluating an action plan based on their findings from the Spaces and Play tool.

At the completion of the project, students are provided with a Reflective Survey. This survey will assist us to evaluate the project, and the data collected will contribute towards a regional evidence base for the prevention of violence against women.

The Spaces and Play Leader Project aligns with the aims of topics 7 and 8 of the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) curriculum. Its integration into primary school settings will provide additional tools for teachers to implement and build on the RRRR curriculum and align with the Personal and Social Capability Outcomes from the Victorian Curriculum.

AccessHC and DET are currently piloting this project with 5 primary schools in the Inner East. Following the evaluation of the pilot we are looking for opportunities to expand the program across the Eastern Metropolitan Region.

For further information please contact AccessHC.

Email: health.promotion@accesshc.org.au

Phone: (03) 9810 3000