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Posted on March 15th 2022
Treasure Your Chest - Bra and Breast Education Project
Global Teacher Prize Finalist Eartha Pond, alongside Nike and management consultancy Bandaequals, are conducting research into the behavior and attitude of girls towards bra and breast education.
Our school is one of only four schools that has been selected to be a part of the Treasure Your Chest research project. Throughout the project, students have received a lesson on bra and breast education put together by expert researchers. The Year 9 girls have really engaged with this via remote learning and have shared some of their work with us (see below). This has been a truly fantastic opportunity!
Phase two of the project saw five students selected to attend a remote workshop with B+A experts to discuss their opinions on the Treasure Your Chest lesson. Throughout the workshop students engaged in elaborative, honest and thoughtful conversations. The B+A experts were very pleased and expressed how wonderful It was to have had the opportunity to work with our students.
The feedback and outcomes from the research will support Nike and the ESP Foundation to further improve the learning materials, engagement and information that they deliver, with an aim that future girls can be enriched and more informed about bra and breast education and its important within physical activity.
The final two phases of the project will commence during the summer term. All students in Year 9 will receive an eight week digital training programme from Nike, which has been incorporated into the PE curriculum. The final phase of the research project will see all Year 9 students gifted with a free Nike sports bra.
A special shout out to the following Year 9 students: Eva, Esther, Norhan, Amie and Tuka for representing HAB so wonderfully during the workshop! Also, thanks to Ms Maquiera and Ms Donnally for doing everything possible to ensure that the project could still go ahead during remote learning.
Ms Kelly
What the students said...
Eva, Year 9
I would like to start off with my experience and thoughts surrounding bra and breast education for girls because I believe it is a topic often perceived as embarrassing especially by young teenagers such as HAB students, and honestly, we shouldn’t have to be embarrassed to talk about breasts.
Up until the Treasure your Chest lesson, I didn’t know much about breast and bras and I am sure I was not alone. This is because such topics are not openly discussed at home or in school so young girls grow up believing myths that they read online such as “both breasts are always the same size” causing us to feel ashamed and insecure when our body doesn't develop accordingly.
The treasure your chest project was filled with important information any girl our age should have the opportunity to read, topics from the science behind breast to the way a bra should fit. The information in the PowerPoint was credible, factual and very easy to understand which is why I believe the overall project was very successful and had an impact on many girls. It served to grow our confidence, learn about our body and teach us the correct way to take care of our breasts when wearing a bra.
Overall, I found that the lesson very useful and personally believe girls should receive breast education every year because we will continue to develop and there are many other topics that link to breast that girls should be aware of, such as breast cancer.
Norhan, Year 9
Breast health and awareness isn’t always about the looks. You could be wearing a bra for as long as you like but your breasts will never stay put but will only sag more as you are loosening up your breast muscles.
The more you follow old myths on how you can grow your breasts, the more you put your breast health in danger. If your breasts lower your self-esteem then think about where your insecurity is coming from before trying to solve your insecurities without putting any research or thoughts into it.
If you feel uncomfortable talking to someone about your breasts then try watching some helpful videos online and you can also put some research in your spare time.
