GAF - Projetos - Algodão Doce

What is this project all about?

Health investigators reinforce the relevance of the family and education institutions’ role early in childhood, on the health promotion, prevention for HIV infections and other STDs as well as the contribution to their well-being and quality of life. In this context, CAPS VIH/SIDA created a Candy Floss Project that aims to promote the sexual education in preschool involving the main educators - parents and preschool teachers - and four and five-year-old preschool children.

Focus Group Preschool teachers and Parents

Objectives

1. To know preschool teachers and parents' perspectives on health promotion concerning the affective and sexual education
2. Promote collective reflection about the educational agent role in young children’s sexual education
3. Contribute to the development of communication skills
4. Promote an increase in the pre-schooler and parental involvement in young children’s sexual education

Intervention Preschool teachers

Using seven fortnight focus group discussions with preschool teachers of 4-5 year-olds, in order to discover more about their needs in this area but also to acknowledge their acceptance to this kind of program for their children and the family-school relationship (duration of 90-120 minutes)

Intervention Parents

Using eight monthly focus group discussions with parents of 4-5 year-olds, in order to discover more about parents’ needs in this area, but also, to acknowledge their acceptance to this kind of program for their children. Preschool teachers* were involved in the planning and implementation of the parents’ focus group.
*They had previously participated in preschool teachers’ focus group

Conclusion

"Focus group” should provide opportunities for parents and preschool teachers to share experiences in a special way, particularly, in their children’s sexual education, to develop a support system and to give strategies for talking to children about sex at different stages in the children’s development.

“The Affection Blanket” Project

Objectives

1. Give children an informed and responsible discovery on sexuality and affections, either individually or in group
2. Contribute to the development of children and families' personal and social skills
3. Promote self-awareness and respect for each other
4. Analyse the relevance of the approach to sexuality and affections, as a complement to parental education, through young children’s learning and behaviour

Intervention

The “Affection Blanket” is a project about Sexual Education developed throughout the 2013-2014 school year with four and five-year-old preschool children. This project involved the children's families and applied the “action-learning” methodology. Educational materials and group dynamics were created to be used at home in a family environment.