Teaching consent

Songwriter singer Kinley Dowling helps develop new P.E.I. sex-ed curriculum

A new sexual health curriculum based on a P.E.I. musician’s award-winning song and music video is now being taught in Island classrooms.

The new health curriculum resource, “The Microphone Project”, was made available this fall to help teachers engage Grade 9 youth in sex health education discussions.

The province collaborated with singersongwriter Kinley Dowling, educators and community organizations to develop the new resource.

The curriculum is inspired by Dowling’s song and music video, “Microphone”.

Dowling said although she wrote the song for herself, she realized how many people were affected by the song’s message after it was released.

“‘Microphone’ starts a conversation around consent that has been long overdue. The video is authentic. It’s the first time I said out loud to a friend the details about what happened the night I was sexually assaulted,” said Dowling.

“It’s hard to watch, but it is necessary for education and healing. I am so honoured that it has inspired a new resource that will live on in the public school system in P.E.I.”

The curriculum has four modules: consent; gender norms; bystander intervention and sexual assault.

More information about the curriculum is available at Princeedwardisland.ca/microphoneproject.