📷 Left to right: Catherine Johnson, Ivanka Prichard and Pip Granfield

The lab, directed by body image researcher Associate Professor Ivanka Prichard, serves as the new research arm of The Embrace Collective, a national charity striving to reach over one million Australian children with a powerful message—'embrace every body.'

The groundbreaking Embrace Kids Classroom Program, a pivotal initiative, is gaining traction with funding from leading medical charity, Flinders Foundation. Their support includes funding two casual research positions aimed at facilitating participant recruitment and data collection in schools.

Dr. Jamie-Lee Pennesi and Pip Granfield have assumed the Research Assistant positions. Collaborating with Associate Professor Prichard's team since 2017 at Flinders University, Dr. Pennesi's role in eating disorder prevention aligns seamlessly with this new endeavour.

"I'm really excited to join Associate Professor Prichard and The Embrace Impact Lab team. This project is so important for our community, both in South Australia and across the nation," said Dr. Pennesi.

"Contributing to a program with such potential is amazing, and I'm grateful for the chance to be part of this team," said Pip Granfield.

The Embrace Kids Classroom Program aims to bring the best of the EMBRACE KIDS film to every school in Australia – for free.

The classroom program aligns with the national curriculum, making it accessible for teachers to implement. Leveraging the EMBRACE KIDS film's core concepts segmented into lessons, students delve into topics confronting stereotypes, embracing diversity, and cultivating positive change agents.

The Embrace Impact Lab at Flinders University is currently gathering data on its impact on body image, mental health, and overall well-being in 9–14-year-old children, with the funding from Flinders Foundation supporting their work with students in Years 7 and 8 specifically.

Last year, The Embrace Impact Lab conducted a pilot project in independent and Catholic schools in South Australia, gathering data from approximately 500 primary and secondary school children to swiftly assess the program's efficacy.

Preliminary findings from the pilot project showcase promising results, demonstrating a shift from comparison to self-compassion among students.

“We're really excited about this because self-compassion is a key protective influence against mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and body image concerns. It is also positively linked to both physical health and health behaviour”

Dr Prichard.

Dr Prichard says that the classroom program has the potential to help as a preventative tool for a range of other conditions and illnesses.

"We know that prevention is key to so many of the health problems that we see in society today,” she says.

“Research shows that people who appreciate their bodies are more likely to look after them. They are more likely to do physical activity, eat fruits and vegetables, be sun smart, and even have more regular health checks.

“All these behaviours can help us prevent a range of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

“Helping people to develop healthy relationships with their bodies from an early age is vital. The Embrace Kids Classroom Program offers an opportunity to do just this by educating kids to focus on the functionality of their bodies (rather than how they look), to accept diversity, and to build self-compassion."

Dr Prichard is grateful for the vital funding which provides essential resourcing to ensure the program is the best it can be.

"Donor support is vital. Without it, we couldn't employ the wonderful researchers we have on the team, and we wouldn't be able to do what we do,” says Dr Prichard.

“The funding allows us to examine the impact and benefit of The Embrace Kids Classroom Program among students in the early years of high school (years 7 and 8). This is a critical time in a young person's life where they are developing their identity and establishing health behaviours that they will take into the future.

Ross Verschoor, Executive Director Flinders Foundation says they are committed to helping South Australian children get the best start in life so they can realise their full potential as healthy, happy adults.

“Flinders Foundation recognise the urgent need to help Australian children embrace their body image and overcome the issues which negatively affect their physical health and mental wellbeing,” says Ross.

“That’s why we’re proud to work together with Flinders University researchers and The Embrace Collective as they tackle much-needed research so we can minimise young people’s lifetime risk of issues like eating disorders, depression and anxiety.”

Data collection is underway for the trial program in schools across SA and QLD. For information about how to get involved in the trial, contact The Embrace Impact Lab at embrace@flinders.edu.au