HighSchool Tours

OBJECTIVE

The goal is to establish an edutainment platform tailor designed to inspire and motivate high school students while safeguarding their mental health. This initiative aims to provide insights into sexual reproductive healththrough the use of creative arts and influential figures from social media who resonate directly with their demographic. The approach involves organizing high school tours and holiday events as mediums to engage and educate
these students effectively.

Background

The research findings reveal a concerning reality: an estimated 14 million Ugandans are grappling with mental disorders, with approximately 22.9% of children and 24.2% of adults affected. This prevalence significantly impacts teenagers within schools, rendering them particularly vulnerable. Shockingly, vulnerable adolescents in Uganda reported a 46.1% prevalence of suicidal attempts among their demographic. Recent data highlights substantial inadequacies in sexual and reproductive health services for adolescent women in Uganda. An estimated 649,000 sexually active women aged 15–19 in Uganda express the desire to avoid pregnancy within the next two years, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive support in this area.

Target Audience

The intended beneficiaries of this project are adolescents and young adults ranging from 13 to 19 years old, primarily attending secondary or high schools in Uganda.

Activities / methodology

Our project will encompass a variety of activities and methodologies designed to engage and educate the participants. These include:

Entertainment and inspirational performances featuring artists and renowned TikTokers.
Sessions led by mental health experts to delve deeper into understanding mental wellness.
Educational sessions facilitated by sexual reproductive health experts.
Talent education and empowerment workshops.
Peer education coaching and mentorship initiatives.
Competitions focused on singing and dancing.
Sessions dedicated to beauty and modeling.
Talent showcases and various other edutainment activities aimed at providing holistic learning experiences.

Expected outcome / Impact

We aim to inspire and motivate students who are passionate about pursuing careers in creative and performing arts. Our goal is to illuminate their paths by showcasing the possibilities of realizing their dreams. We plan to bring them up close and personal with their idols and superstars providing them with firsthand experiences that reveal the potential and opportunities within their chosen field.

We expect that following these sessions and events, students will gain and acquire:

• Reduction in the stigma associated with mental health.
• Increased awareness about mental health.
• Normalization of discussions around mental health difficulties. • Encouragement towards seeking and accepting mental health treatment.
• Continued education on maintaining good mental health.

Additionally, students will acquire knowledge about the well-being of the reproductive system, understanding that it contributes to the production of healthier offspring with improved chances of survival. They will also gain awareness of the significance of reproductive health in preventing the spread of various sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, AIDS, among others.

Monitoring and evaluation

Maintaining an efficient and consistent project requires diligent monitoring and evaluation throughout its duration. We will conduct evaluation and monitoring through the following steps:

Ensuring Identification and Achievement of Program Goals and Objectives.
Defining Specific Indicators to measure progress and success. (Like; how many students reach out with feedback after events/tours, the referral rate to different schools etc)
Defining various Data Collection Methods along with their respective Timelines.
Identifying and assigning Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Roles and Responsibilities.
Creating an Analysis Plan and Developing Reporting Templates to streamline the evaluation process.

Budget and Resources

In order to secure the necessary funds for the project’s budgets, we will need to establish partnerships with a variety
of companies and organizations that align with the interests of our target audience.
These may include beverage companies, confectionery businesses, educational material providers financial institutions, NGOs, and more. Our goal is to gather resources and manage budgets effectively, specifically allocating funds to various areas such as transportation for both individuals and equipment during tours, compensating performers, acquiring stage lights and sound equipment, providing meals and merchandise, covering expenses for facilitators and counselors, ensuring security measures, creating branding materials, and other related costs.