A new Australian school program is aiming to give girls more practical health education before problems emerge later in life.
The Whole Health Classroom, developed by The Live Life Whole Project (LLW), is a curriculum-mapped digital program for students from Grade 3 to Year 10. It covers nutrition, sleep, movement, menstrual health, stress, emotional wellbeing, self-worth and body image.
The program has been developed alongside women’s health professionals and educators. It is designed to sit within existing school programs, rather than operate as a one-off health session.
“Most women only learn about their health after something has already gone wrong. Live Life Whole exists to change that.”
The approach comes as schools increasingly grapple with how health and wellbeing can be incorporated into everyday learning. Research has also highlighted links between student health, wellbeing and learning outcomes.
Addressing gaps in practical health education
Health literacy is already part of the Australian Curriculum’s Health and Physical Education framework, which runs from Foundation to Year 10.
The curriculum requires students to develop skills to access, understand and evaluate health information. Its focus areas include food and nutrition, mental health and wellbeing, physical activity, and relationships and sexuality. However, evidence suggests some young people still leave school without practical knowledge about aspects of female health.
A 2021 report from the South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People surveyed more than 3,000 young people aged seven to 22. It found 60% had not been taught, or were unsure whether they had been taught, about managing periods in everyday life.
Just over half said they had been taught how to use period products properly. The findings were specific to South Australia and should not be considered a national measure.
The issue has also emerged in other areas of school life. Recent initiatives aimed at keeping girls engaged in sport have incorporated puberty, menstrual health and nutrition into curriculum-aligned lessons.
“Female health literacy is preventative healthcare. Education is the first treatment. We don't just teach girls about health. We change how they live it,” LLW co-founder Megan Dickinson said.
Building health education into existing classes
Rather than adding another standalone program to school schedules, The Whole Health Classroom is intended to be embedded within existing learning environments.
That is particularly relevant as teachers face growing expectations around student wellbeing. Previous research reported by The Educator found that wellbeing had become a major priority for Australian schools, while many teachers felt under-equipped to manage wellbeing and mental health issues.
LLW co-founder Sarah Roughead said the program was designed to provide teachers with ready-made health education resources without requiring specialist knowledge.
“Teachers shouldn't have to become women's health experts to give girls better health education. They need access to credible, evidence-informed resources that can be embedded into the environments where young people already learn,” Roughead said.
LLW said the program has reached more than 27,458 women and girls, with more than half of that reach coming from regional and under-resourced communities. Its 2026 internal impact data found 81% of participants committed to making a positive behaviour change after taking part. LLW also reported that 90% said their health and confidence had improved.
For LLW, the broader aim is to shift some of that learning upstream before girls are navigating health decisions on their own.
“The future of women's health won't be built only in hospitals or consulting rooms. It will be built in classrooms.”