Rockin Yr Teens 2024- Teen Boys Conference
On Thursday 21st November, a group of our Year 8 students attended a conference celebrating Internation Men’s Day in Barbican hosted by Linklaters law firm.
Along with schools across London, our students engaged in sessions with their aim of "equipping young people with the skills that leaders of the future need”. Rocking Ur Teens helps teenagers to develop entrepreneurial spirit, agility & flexibility, character, self esteem and good mental health by connecting them to industries such as Arts, Media, Science, Technology and Business.
It was a wonderful opportunity for students to listen to speakers who have created an impact in the world of sport, social media, music, dance, technology, science and law. Our students listened to 4 x Paralympic GB Wheelchair Fencer talk about his struggles that he overcame through strength and determination.
Our students engaged in sessions led by Wilfred Webster, a motivational speaker and actor – he spoke about the challenges he faced as he was growing up and how he overcame them.Ryan J Matthews, also known as Ragz-CV, who is a spoken word artist and founder and CEO of Brixton Charity Poetic Unity. He did an impromptu performance highlighting some of the worries our young men face.
The speaker for the day was Cameron Parker, an international coach and speaker. Our students listened well and asked questions around the stigma surrounding men’s anxiety and mental health. They showed compassion when listening to the stories relayed to them about individual life adversities and were empathetic in their responses.
Student reflections
“We had a really nice day out at the conference; it was fun and engaging, and it was good to learn about other people’s careers.”
“We learnt about the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and what we can do to tackle it”
“We learnt that it’s OK not to be OK”
If you feel like you are suffering with anxiety or mental health, it is vital that you let someone know. At school you can speak to your form tutor, your PSA, your HOY, the safeguarding team, the school counsellor or any other trusted adult that you can confide in. It will be taken seriously, and you will be supported. There’s no shame in asking for support, and no one should feel they have to go through hard times alone.