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I Am Who I Am – a classroom intervention

Information for teachers, academics and educational policy makers

I Am Who I Am is an educational intervention designed to improve body image and media literacy. Based on scientific evidence and adapted to the cultural context, it program seeks to counteract sociocultural pressures related to physical appearance, fostering self-acceptance and critical thinking about media messages. This project bridges the gap between academia and the real needs of students, encouraging them to question unrealistic ideals, celebrate diversity, and build relationships based on mutual respect.

The intervention is designed for classroom settings with 25 to 40 participants. Over four interactive sessions, teenagers aged 11 to 16 can explore key topics such as image manipulation on social media, external pressures on appearance, the impact of comparisons, and strategies for responding assertively to unwanted comments. 

The I Am Who I Am manual was developed by the BIRES research project (Building Body Image Resilience in Populations Undergoing Rapid Economic Development) originally in Spanish was created through a joint effort by Durham University and Universidad del Norte (Colombia). It has since been translated into English for use in the UK, Zimbabwe and Kenya.  With this manual, facilitators will have the necessary tools to empower participants, reminding them that each person is unique and valuable just as they are.

Below you can find more information about the evidence of the intervention’s success, resources for implementing it, and how you can collaborate with the project to receive the intervention materials and manual.

A student completing the intervention writes: We are all unique! We are all different!

Questions and answers

The key slogans for the intervention: I am who I am Check if it's real Don't compare yourself Celebrate differences Soy como soy Mira si es real No te compares Celebra la diferencia.