PSHE Road Shows

Why Organise a Road Show?

Planning, organising and conducting a road show is an enormously challenging undertaking, however the benefits of holding one are great; it is an effective way to bring together large numbers of young people including the most vulnerable. They are an effective vehicle in providing an opportunity to impart information and a forum for discussion of issues affecting young people’s life choices on a large scale, helping young people understand relationships, sexual behaviour and its consequences.

By employing the services of HYP HOP organisations can reap maximum benefit by substantially reducing general administrative and organisational tasks, therefore reducing duplication, saving time and money. More importantly it provides a tried and tested model that has emerged from the experiences of trained professionals working with young people and can be designed specifically to meet the specific needs of your organization. The HYP HOP road show takes the approach that if information is presented in a way young people understand and enjoy, greater discussion is the result and consequently young people are empowered to make informed decisions.

The road show workshops innovative approaches engage the young people so not only provide information but also act as a catalyst for exploration of sexuality and entrenched values and attitudes towards relationships. Results have also identified that this way of working with young people has increased their knowledge and access to support and services. Often young people have been inspired to produce follow up work for example, devising their own drama, creating raps with a health message which have ultimately been performed to class and whole school assemblies. The workshop based approach means it is easy to adapt to suit individual circumstances and groups and to respond to national and local priorities as well as providing an opportunity for schools, parents, governors and other professionals to observe how HYP HOP’S pioneering approach can be implemented.

Overview of the workshops

Let’s Talk
This workshop allows participants to begin to have an understanding of communication and the helpful and unhelpful things that affect communication. The challenging assumptions exercise uses photographic images to illustrate how snap judgements are made about people may influence communication.

Love What’s it all About?
This workshop aims to increase awareness of the mysteries and the meaning of love by using stories and music to explore love and relationships. This workshop represents an opportunity for young people to talk about their feelings in a comfortable non-judgmental environment and recognises that everyone will in their lives experience both positive and negative emotions.

Contraception
The aim of this workshop is to gain some understanding of various methods of contraception including emergency contraception and to explore related issues including access to services.

Attitudes to contraception varies considerably, many consider contraception merely in terms of preventing a pregnancy and not to in terms of preventing a sexually transmitted infection. The workshop thus provides an excellent platform to combat some of the myths associated with sexual health.

Sexually Transmitted Infections
The aim of this workshop is to equip young people with the basic knowledge of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections. Despite the fact many young people consider themselves well informed on STIs, many are misinformed. Furthermore AIDs and HIV tend to dominate young people’s minds, to the detriment of knowledge on other infections.

HIV
Although a sexually transmitted infection its importance may merit an individual workshop, despite the fact most young people are aware of HIV/AIDS many misconceptions exist, this workshop therefore aims to dispel some of the most common myths and guides the group to the facts.

Drugs and Alcohol Workshops
These workshops provide a variety of activities, for example, body maps, storyboards, quizzes and scenarios in order to explore attitudes and beliefs as well as providing knowledge.

Self Esteem
Young people face pressure from peers, parents, media and partners. This combined with puberty /adolescence, employment and educational issues, creates enormous strains on the psyche of young people. The aim of this workshop is to increase awareness of self-esteem and self-image and how this can affect the individual’s self-confidence and to facilitate discussion on personal values and the effects friendships can have on the life of an individual.

Reality Parenting
It is important to recognise that not all teenage pregnancies are unwanted, however by informing young people on the duties, financial implications and responsibilities of parenthood this workshop aims to ensure that all decisions are informed ones. The use of cyber babies are extremely beneficial in demonstrating the scale of the commitment involved.

HIP HOP
The HIP HOP workshop evolved from the experiences of using music as a medium to engage with young people. This workshop often leads into discussions concerning lyrics and the particular messages to young people from music such as rap. Young people are asked to compose a rap as a final evaluation. The young people have the opportunity to compose and sometimes record a piece of music often containing health and safer sex messages. The results are profound, providing a fascinating insight into the values and attitudes of young people. These workshops can be enriched by music departments contributing their expertise, equipment or providing pre-recorded backing beats. The results are often performed on stage as a finale.

What Young People Have Said:

"The HYP HOP workshops are a more fun way of learning. I’ve learnt about all sorts of things that I would normally have felt too embarrassed to ask. Younger people take more notice of it because it isn’t just reading or talking. I’ve learnt about love and relationships. I’ve learnt how to put a condom on and that condoms make sex safer not safe. Also that it only takes one time to get a girl pregnant or catch an STI."
Danny, aged 14.

"The drama makes it seem more personal, you don’t get embarrassed and you get to see things in a real life situation, you can see as well as listen to what can happen if you don’t take care of yourself. It was funky from a teenage point of view, funny in a serious way, entertaining and I will remember what they said."
Charlotte, aged 14

 You and I, we started as friends, time moved on, we grew strong
I never thought this would end, all those times, you said to me,
You left me a fool (too blind) too blind to see
Coz life's too short; I'll try and move on
Confront all my fears, and write a new song
Coz one day I'll find peace and romance, and I'll tell myself
I don't miss our last dance (miss our last dance)
You and me we had our bit of history
When we were together, it felt like forever
And deep down inside I thought we were meant to be
No matter what we had, there’s something better
My dreams you did take, and my heart you did break
Kelly-Anne aged 15

Download an example of a HYP (Hip) Hop rap created by a group of young people
(1.01MB MP3 format)