We receive positive feedback from teachers, parents and participants who have attended our workshops. Here is just some of what they had to say about The Cycle Show.
“My son came back from the day bouncing and full of it. He talked with real enthusiasm and fascination with the information and the fun things they had done. He is still embarrassed when the topic of reproduction and relationships arises in conversation, but I no longer worry that he does not have a positive understanding of it. This will help so much when it becomes overlaid by playground gossip, and other things that he hears and reads. Thank you so much.”
“The Workshop was excellent. It definitely helped that the material was presented in a style that included lots of interactive elements and regular breaks! My daughter told me that she loved preparing for the ‘special visitor’ and then eating the party food! The visual display was reported as being amazing and has definitely left an impression! I tested her some weeks after the Workshop on what she could remember of the female reproductive organs and together we were able to draw a passable diagram with labelled parts! She really loved the relaxation element when they went on the ‘dream journey’. She said afterwards she felt so relaxed she could have slept. I was very glad that my daughter took part in the Workshop as she seems to know more than she did before and is happy and confident to talk about her periods. I think you did a great job in making the girls feel very special and unique.”
“That should have been covered in my school days! Beautifully and clearly explained and not at all awkward!”
“Very good, lively and vivid presentation. I am pleased (as a psychologist) for young people to get such a beautiful and caring introduction.”
“Very informative! Very perceptive! Overall a wonderful event. The issue of sexuality is something “normal” – I wish as a kid I had attended such an event!
“…We decided to introduce a trial basis for this workshop… the response from out parents and children was overwhelming. I was particularly impresses as a religion teacher that the speakers sustainably managed to create a positive attitude to the processes in your body. I’ve always noticed the discrepancy between cultures when discussing matters such as fertility. In our culture, the event is often repressed and hidden, the children are afraid and ashamed and it is not common to talk about it. After the workshop, the girls seemed to be at ease with their pending puberty and were even looking forward to it! We are definitely going to include The Cycle Show on our syllabus next year.”
“We consider the project an extraordinary contribution in helping shape young girls. The presenter radiated confidence and enthusiasm and this was reflected in the faces of the students. We hope that other schools take up this offer and teach many other girls this invaluable information about their bodies.”
“The project is just great. The evening gave parents information in an entertaining way. As a teacher, I think it’s great that there is this project. We have never been able to explain these concepts in such a playful way. I am sure due to this project that the children are more aware of the changes in their body and are much more relaxed because of it. I thoroughly recommend this project!”
“We the leaders of year 6 would like to thank the organisers for the day. They had a lot of empathy for the children and their great visual aids were able to explain the physical and emotional changes of puberty – a current hot topic in our class. The content was very age-appropriate and it took the young girls not only over the fear of what to expect, but also awakened a positive attitude to their own body and its changes. Since the training, we’ve also noticed that the children have more understanding for each other’s genders.”
At the end of the workshop every child is given an anonymous questionnaire to complete. It emerges that the girls can draw a pictorial representation of the cycle and the events that occur within it. When asked how much the workshop has helped them understand their body and menstruation better the large majority of them stated “Very much” and “a lot”. When asked about their attitude towards their forthcoming menstruation, the most common responses were, “I think it’s perfectly normal and Ok”, “I am no longer afraid” and “I am relieved that I know everything”.
As part of a thesis, one year after the workshop an 11 year old Turkish girl was asked, “What do you remember about the workshop?” Her answer: “… a woman is something really important, and um, that they are made of a lot of beautiful stuff”.
