As a pilot project of Taylor’s Impact Lab: Education for All, Taylor’s School of Education (SoEd) and the Design School were engaged in a collaboration to deliver a 3-part workshop on Body Image and Positivity in a local primary school located at Subang Jaya.
30 primary school students, aged 10-12 years old, from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Sunway (SKBS), participated in this workshop series. 21 undergraduate students from SoEd volunteered as the workshop Facilitators under the "Education, School and Society" module.
In the first week of the workshop, the students from SoEd and The Design School worked with the primary school students on the topic of plastic surgery and fashion. The second session was more focused on promoting body positivity through fashion as the students from the Design School took the lead of this session. In the final session, an inspirational talk was delivered by Ms. Plus World Malaysia, Elena Tong, who amplified the values of self-love and appreciation of diversity to the students. This workshop series was organized by Taylor's Lecturers Dr. Joseph Velarde and Mr. Mohd Jasmi.
Generally, this programme was received positively by the students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Sunway. Based on the satisfaction survey, majority of the participating students found the workshop series to be helpful in making them aware of the significance of body positivity. The interviews from four participants also mentioned how the interaction with student volunteers from Taylor’s made them feel comfortable talking about body image. The headmistress of the school also expressed her appreciation and intention to host another workshop series for her students.
In line with the Impact Lab, Education for All, this workshop series on Body Image and Positivity delivered meaningful interactive sessions to the underprivileged students of the local community. The partnership between Taylor's School of Education and The Design School with Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Sunway highlighted the university’s commitment to provide learning opportunities to those in need.