Role Model Talk

Role model talk is a lecture by an external speaker. Talks by positive role models may influence not only the school children actions but also the actions of the whole community. The speaker should be asked to tell their life story and share their experience of growing up in a low-income community and overcoming challenges to prosper in life. These successful individuals may act as role models to inspire the school children and their parents.

Talks by positive role models may influence the school children’s actions and also the actions of the whole community. Role models may motivate them striving to uncover their true potential and overcome their weaknesses. Having role models is natural, and having good role models is very important, as they influence how the children develop in the long term.

People look up to a variety of role models to help shape how they behave in school, relationships, or when making difficult decisions. Role models set standards for a person’s behaviour, but they are chosen by the individual child. Thus, it is important to influence their choice by exposing them to good role models. Children must see a potential role model as relevant to them and their lives in some way. Young people tend to choose role models whom they know personally, and parents come first. Therefore, involving parents in this educational activity may enhance school children education. However, this does not mean they have to know a role model personally and nowadays rappers and ‘celebrities’ exert great influence in setting children’s behaviour. Role models come in many varieties. School children may admire everything about them, or just one quality.

The organiser may identify external speakers and invited them to visit the school and give a talk. An ideal speaker is one that serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviours associated with a specific role. In the absence of a good role model available to be invited, the organiser may identify a talk on internet and show it on a screen as an alternative to inviting an external speaker.

A typical AHI HPS model role model talk is run on Friday evenings to facilitate parents’ attendance. The school event usually starts with the visitor addressing an assembly. The organiser will have agreed the learning objectives with the speakers in advance. This activity last up to 60 minutes. In the first 30 minutes the speaker addresses to the audience, and the other 30 minutes is for questions and discussion. The whole school community is invited, in particular the school children enrolled in the AHI HPS model intervention and their parents should be motivated to attend the role model talk.