Not afraid to talk about sexualityThe Let's Learn to Love Program aims to transmit the beauty and depth of human love and sexuality, with a comprehensive and formative approach for teachers. During the 2023-2024 school year at the Francisco de Vitoria University, the program impacted almost 30,000 people, of which 23,000 were children and adolescents.
This work is based on the conviction that young people are looking for answers and guidance to channel their emotions and desires to love and be loved. To accompany them on this path requires educators who are prepared, willing to dialogue and share an enriching vision of affectivity and sexuality.
Objectives
The Aprendamos a Amar program promotes the development of healthy self-esteem and personal awareness in young people, fostering emotional management skills in their interpersonal relationships. Through clear and objective training, based on respect, dignity, commitment and human love, it raises awareness of the importance of true love as a fundamental pillar of the family and society.
In addition, it promotes critical thinking in the face of cultural and media messages about affectivity and sexuality, offering students the tools to reflect and make decisions with their own criteria.
Methodology
The methodology of the program is based on the adaptation of the contents to the vital moment of each student. It offers a comprehensive approach that not only addresses the biological dimension of sexuality, but also its affective aspect, helping young people to understand and manage their emotions in order to make responsible decisions.
The Aprendamos a Amar Program is developed through a participatory, reflective and experiential methodology, in which students take an active role in their learning. With a comprehensive approach adapted to each educational stage, it employs various strategies such as group dynamics to encourage dialogue and emotional expression, case studies that strengthen personal criteria, and the use of audiovisual material to analyze media messages and promote critical thinking. In addition, it offers personalized accompaniment and tutoring, providing students with close support in their personal and emotional development.
The role of parents
In addition, Aprendamos a Amar works in close collaboration with families and educational centers, reinforcing their role as fundamental agents in affective-sexual education. Its commitment is to generate spaces for dialogue and reflection, respecting the diversity of needs and realities of the different groups.
each educational community.
Through the sessions, students are invited to share their concerns with their parents, thus strengthening the family bond.
Each training is preceded by a session designed to present the content of the workshop and to provide parents with tools for
Target audience
The program is designed to involve the entire educational community: families, teaching staff and students. Its long-term approach allows the contents to be adapted according to the specific needs of each center and the training impact to be monitored.
The program incorporates the family as an essential pillar, from the 3rd grade of kindergarten to high school and vocational training. The program offers a wide range of workshops and training courses on topics such as self-esteem, mental health in adolescents, prevention of toxic relationships and addictions, among others.
One of the most enriching formats is that of parent-child workshops, which promote
dialogue and communication about love and sexuality, creating a space of trust and understanding.
The workshops for students last four hours and are designed to accompany young people at each stage of their development. Through a participatory environment, they are encouraged to share their concerns and find answers together with their peers and educators.
Contents
The Aprendamos a Amar method is based on the formulation of questions that invite reflection. Affective-sexual education is a process that evolves according to the age and maturity of the students.
In Infants, self-esteem is worked on through the workshop El Elefante Maxi (The Maxi Elephant). In Primary, topics such as the value of the body, the expression of affection, self-care and the protection of privacy are introduced, preparing children to face the onset of puberty.
In Secondary School, young people explore the importance of love and affective expression. Interpersonal relationships, the importance of respect and self-knowledge are addressed. A key aspect is to accompany them in understanding their identity in a world that often trivializes sexuality. They are encouraged to reflect on authenticity in their relationships and the meaning of true love.
In high school, sexuality is explored in depth as a dimension that goes beyond immediate pleasure. The construction of solid relationships based on respect and commitment is promoted, helping young people to differentiate between external influences and their own criteria on affectivity.
Training of Trainers
Many schools choose to train their own teachers to provide this education directly. To this end, the program offers specialized support through the Aprendamos a Amar Consultancy. In addition, it offers training of trainers in classroom and online modalities, with an international reach in more than 30 countries and 800 students enrolled in its flagship course: Expert in Affective and Sexual Education.
LET'S LEARN TO LOVE: THE OPINION OF SCHOOLS
-TEXT Javier Gª Herrería
If one works in the Aprendamos a Amar program team, one can see the impact this course has on the lives of thousands of students, teachers and families. These educators carry a powerful message about affectivity and human sexuality, opening spaces for dialogue in the classroom that many young people have longed for. The reception of the program continues to grow, and more and more centers are incorporating it into their educational itinerary, convinced of its enormous value for the integral development of their students.
The experience of the schools
From the San Agustín school in Madrid, the guidance counselor Marisa Puente comments with enthusiasm that the center has been carrying out "the Aprendamos a Amar workshops in 1st ESO, with great success, for more than 15 years, because we consider that it is an important formation that the students should receive and within values that are in line with our ideology". The success of Aprendamos a Amar at Colegio San Agustín is no coincidence. This affective-sexual education program is structured in four key sessions that allow students to deepen their self-knowledge and interpersonal relationships. It addresses the discovery of one's own identity and the uniqueness of each person, reinforcing self-esteem and self-worth, the understanding of the meaning of love and affectivity in daily life and the desire to love and be loved.
The school emphasizes that these aspects are fundamental to help students through adolescence, a stage marked by physical, psychological and social changes. Aprendamos a Amar offers a valuable framework for young people to understand the importance of friendship and open up to their inner world, supported by the values of their educational community.
However, there is a latent challenge that the program addresses with determination: the lack of dialogue in families about affectivity and sexuality. "Although in the 21st century it may seem unbelievable that affectivity and sexuality are not discussed in the home, it is often left to social networks where our young people look for information," the school warns. This program acts as an intergenerational bridge, providing tools for parents to talk naturally and effectively with their children.
In addition, the San Agustín school has detected a growing concern about the impact of pornography consumption on young people. Therefore, they have incorporated in 2nd ESO the workshop "Leisure, Social Networks and Pornography", which seeks to raise awareness among students about the responsible use of the Internet and the dangers of digital addictions. "This program is conducted in four sessions for students and one dedicated to families. It helps to better manage their free time, making responsible use of the internet and social networks, which are here to stay."
Teacher training: a transforming commitment
But Aprendamos a Amar not only impacts students. It is also designed to transform the outlook of teachers, enabling them to guide their students from a more human and closer perspective. A clear example of this is the Attendis group of schools (Spain), which decided to train teachers in all its centers through a specialized course, the Ilovefully online. With this approach, the faculty acquires the necessary tools to integrate affective-sexual education into daily learning, ensuring that each student is adequately accompanied.
In Panama, the Pureza de María school has also experienced this transformation up close. Dalia Nóhpal, Biology and Natural Sciences teacher, expressed her enthusiasm after completing the program's training:
"We successfully concluded the virtual training of the Aprendamos a Amar program, given from Spain for Panama, with the participation of 73 teachers." Among the topics discussed, he highlighted the importance of detecting child abuse, understanding the mission of adolescence and deepening the meaning of love and attraction.
For Nóhpal, the experience was much more than just a training: "Often, we are faced with the uncertainty of how to approach an adolescent in crisis. However, through the sessions on Affective Dynamism, I found a formula not only to connect and guide young people, but also to apply it to adult life, including my husband and children." Her words reflect how this training transcends the classroom and becomes a vital tool for everyday life.
A proposal that crosses borders
The impact of Aprendamos a Amar is not limited to a single type of educational center. Its proposal has been adopted by Spanish schools of diverse realities, from Cluny to Grupo Arenales, Educatio Servanda, Coas, Maristas and Institució, among others. Each of these centers has found in the program an effective way of integrating affective-sexual education into their pedagogical ideology.
But the reach of Aprendamos a Amar goes beyond the physical classroom. Thanks to the online training course, Expert in Affective and Sexual Education 100% online, now in its sixth edition, it has reached more than 24 countries and continues to expand. According to its organizers: "From groups of schools to organizations and interested individuals, we share a weekly space that becomes something much bigger than a training course. It is demanding, but offers an unprecedented accompaniment in the way of showing the beauty of human love and sexuality".
This program is making a real difference in education, helping young people to understand themselves better, make responsible decisions and develop healthier relationships. Its success lies not only in the knowledge it imparts, but in its ability to generate conversations that last far beyond the classroom. Aprendamos a Amar is not just an educational program; it is a beacon of light in the formation of values, guiding students in one of the most essential aspects of human life.
Director of Institutional Relations of the Instituto Desarrollo y Persona.
