Suggested activities for students

There are also simple and practical ways for young people to be involved. Many of your peers have found meaningful ways, such as the following: Visit someone living with HIV. Place a question box in your classroom so students can ask anonymous questions that will be answered by teachers at specified times. Ask that your school set aside a specific area where students can confidentially obtain condoms and information about sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Write and perform a song to show solidarity with those affected by the epidemic. Develop a pen-pal exchange for children and young people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in different cities and countries. Organize for people living with HIV to speak at your school. Become a peer educator on life-skills, sexual health, and AIDS education. Become a young peer counselor to serve as a link between health care professionals and young clients in local clinics. Encourage your local health care center to set aside special times for the provision of health services to children and young people. Advertise the existence of child-friendly and youth-friendly health services if there are any in your community. Encourage celebrities to speak to their audiences about the need to support people living with HIV. Initiate annual media awards as incentives for journalists to write in-depth stories on AIDS. Work with writers for radio and TV soap operas to integrate HIV/AIDS messages into their story lines. Create a pocket-sized card entitled, "Know Your Rights," and distribute to children in all public schools. Urge that HIV messages be integrated into politicians' and leaders' speeches. Encourage youth groups to hold workshops for Government officials on the utility and effectiveness of youth participation in HIV prevention.