'Young people don't know enough about periods' Laois teacher creates menstrual school programme

A Laois teacher wants to create a menstrual education programme for primary and secondary school students nationwide.

Abbeyleix social entrepreneur and primary school teacher Paula Byrne believes that children and even adults need to be better educated about periods.

Paula's unique new project ‘The Mindful Cycle’ is a body literacy and menstrual education programme aimed at primary and secondary school students.

She took a career break from Kolbe Special School in Portlaoise to do an entrepreneur course where she developed her idea that she hopes can be used in schools nationwide.

"I decided on the project from my own personal experience initially, because I grew up in a society where periods weren't openly talked about and information about the menstrual cycle wasn't readily available. I had no idea what a normal cycle was like. We had one talk in primary school but it didn't go into much detail. As a teacher, I noticed that period education really isn't addressed adequately in the curriculum and lots of schools still bring in a speaker to give "the talk" which isn't sufficient.  The empathy research I conducted as part of The Ideas Academy showed that young people aged 16-22 don't know enough about periods or the menstrual cycle and both menstruators and non-menstruators wished they'd learned more at school.  

"As a woman who has endometriosis, I want young people to have access to education and knowledge about their own bodies so that they understand what is happening each month and know what a typical period and menstrual cycle is like," Paula told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

She said that neither teachers nor parents are confident about explaining periods to teens.

"From the research that I had conducted with parents and teachers, they have a lack of confidence and knowledge in speaking about periods. 100% of teachers said that they didn't receive any CPD on the topic and 90% didn't feel confident teaching about the menstrual cycle. Parents felt unsure about what was important to speak to their daughters about and they didn't mention speaking to their sons."

She said boys as well as girls under 10 need the lessons.

"With girls as young as 9 now getting their first period, The Mindful Cycle Program is suitable for young people, boys and girls, in Primary and Secondary schools. My research showed that boys want to know what happens during the monthly cycle so that they can support their friends and family members. We can only end the stigma if we have open conversations. The Mindful Cycle goes beyond schools too. Many women in their 30's have told me that they were in their late 20's or early 30's before they really understood their own cycle and I can say the same so there will be workshops tailored for that cohort too and parents," Paula said.

She is one of 45 social-entrepreneurs who this week graduated from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s Ideas Academy course.

Her idea stems from sound recent research in Ireland.

"In 2018, Ireland’s Youth Advisory Panel surveyed girls aged 12-19 and found that 50% of participants felt their school had not provided adequate information on periods, and 80% did not feel comfortable talking to a teacher about periods.

"With much of their learning coming from the internet, social media or through friends, there is no guarantee that they are receiving adequate or accurate information. Through The Mindful Cycle, I aim to address the lack of adequate information by providing access to education on this topic," she said.

Paula will now have a chance to pitch to a panel for a bursary of €5,000 to pilot her project.

The graduating social entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to pitch for seed funding from a total pot of €40,000 to pilot their idea. They will pitch to a panel of judges comprising of sector experts, leading entrepreneurs and SEI staff for up to €5,000.   

"The bursary would assist me in piloting The Mindful Cycle and gathering data on the impact of the education program in schools so that I can adapt and develop it further," she said.

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The SEI Ideas Academy is a three-month programme providing social entrepreneurs with the support and direction they need to help them kick-start their idea and take the initial steps to tackle the problem at hand. 

Lydia Redmond is Programme Manager.

“The Ideas Academy is special in that the participants are at the crucial first stage of their social entrepreneurship. Over the past three months, these budding social entrepreneurs have received the direction they need to take their first steps from idea to action. It has been an absolute pleasure working with them, we can’t wait to see the positive impact they will go on to make in their communities.” 

Since it began in 2017, the academy has supported over 180 early-stage social entrepreneurs to create change across Ireland. Graduates of the Ideas Academy include Refill Ireland (2017), The Together Academy (2019), Spéire Nua (2021) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Ireland (2022). The Ideas Academy is supported by Bank of America (Lead Corporate Sponsor), Lifes2good Foundation (Sponsor of the Ideas Academy West).  Social Entrepreneurs Ireland will launch its next call for applications in Spring 2023. For more information, visit socialentrepreneurs.ie.