Musician and Poet Arlo Parks supports UNICEF UK and Dove to build children’s body confidence and self-esteem
- The workshop engaged 30 children from Year 6 at Moreland School, a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School in Islington.
- The session focused on a series of evidence-based activities designed to empower children to think about their strengths beyond appearance.
London, UK – October 10, 2025 —UNICEF UK Ambassador Arlo Parks joined pupils at Moreland School in Islington for a Dove Self-Esteem Project workshop (DSEP) focused on building body confidence and self-esteem.
Arlo is an award-winning musician and poet known for her advocacy for youth empowerment. In 2024 she was appointed the youngest ever Ambassador to UNICEF UK and her work with UNICEF has taken her to Sierra Leone, where she met young people leading grassroots change in their communities. Arlo is passionate about helping young people feel seen, valued and confident in who they are which is why she was so keen to attend the workshop.
The Dove Self-Esteem Project is the world’s largest provider of body confidence education and today it has reached more than 137 million young people in 153 countries.
Ahead of International Day of the Girl, Dove hosted workshops in schools and communities worldwide, uniting partners, parents, educators and employees around the world to help to build real confidence in the next generation.
Arlo observed the session and spoke to the pupils taking part.
Some examples of the evidence-based activities that the session included are:
- All Bodies Are Great Bodies – encouraging students to reflect on how comparisons affect their body confidence and self-esteem.
- Change the Topic – helping students shift conversations away from body image and toward more positive, inclusive themes.
Arlo also took part in a student-led Q&A, sharing her personal reflections on identity, confidence, and the importance of self-esteem.
“It was an honour to be part of Dove Day and witness the impact of this work firsthand,” said Arlo Parks.
“Dove and UNICEF UK’s partnership is helping young people feel seen and supported. I’m proud to be an Ambassador for UNICEF UK and support them in their mission to build confidence and wellbeing in schools and communities.”
During the Q&A session, Arlo asked the children a series of questions including what makes them feel most confident, how we can all help each other feel good about ourselves and how they manage stress.
Arlo also shared why she started writing music.
She said: “I feel like myself when making music. It makes me feel more connected and confident in myself.”
“If you are creatively minded, I hope that you keep on doing that.”
Moreland School is part of UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) programme, which helps schools embed children’s rights into their ethos and culture.
The Dove Self Esteem Project workshop aligns with this mission by encouraging students to explore emotional wellbeing, boost self-esteem and encourages them to feel empowered to have their voices heard -core elements of the right to health, education, and protection.
This workshop took place as part of Dove Day, Dove’s annual celebration aligned with International Day of the Girl (October 11), highlighting the Dove Self-Esteem Project’s commitment to helping young people develop body confidence and self-esteem. Dove Day unites parents, caregivers, educators, and partners by expanding self-esteem workshops in schools and communities across the world to help children build confidence.
This visit is part of a broader partnership between Dove and UNICEF UK, which aims to reach millions of children and young people with free tools and resources to empower them to be confident in who they are and help them fulfil their potential. The collaboration brings together Dove’s expertise in self-esteem education and UNICEF UK’s commitment to children’s rights. This enables the educational resources and tools to reach the right communities with scale and impact.
Currently the partnership has already reached 25 million young people across India, Indonesia and Brazil and we’re on track to provide self-esteem education materials to 8 million more children in India by 2026 being integrated into UNICEF’s life-skills programmes and curriculum. These resources are being integrated into UNICEF’s life-skills programmes, helping children learn about their rights, build confidence, and succeed in education and employment.
“Our partnership with Dove is a powerful example of how organisations can come together to create lasting change for children,” said Philip Goodwin, UNICEF UK Chief Executive.
“Whether it’s here in the UK or in countries like India—where we’re working to reach millions of young people with self-esteem education—this work is about giving children the confidence to thrive. Dove and UNICEF’s fantastic partnership is helping young people feel seen and supported. Dove Day is more than a celebration; it’s a reminder of the importance of nurturing self-worth in every child, everywhere. And in Rights Respecting Schools like Moreland School, we see how this work connects directly to children’s rights—empowering students to understand their worth, speak up, and shape their futures.”
“One of the most powerful truths in our research has revealed is that low confidence in appearance doesn’t begin in adulthood – it takes root in childhood. When nearly two-thirds of girls tell us they feel less able to thrive at school because of how they think they look, it becomes clear this is not a superficial issue; it’s a barrier to potential. At Dove, we see self-esteem education as a social imperative. Through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we’ve reached over 137 million young people globally – and more than 25 million through our work with UNICEF in India, Indonesia, and Brazil — helping them advocate for themselves and build body confidence. It’s something we could not have done alone, and it remains at the heart of what we do today.” Marcela Melero, Chief Growth Officer, Dove Personal Care North America & Dove Masterbrand
By educating children about body confidence and self-esteem, UNICEF UK and Dove hope to empower every young person to understand that their personality, values, and achievements should be integral to how they define their worth.
Notes to the editor
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service
Photography can be downloaded here.
https://unicef.resourcespace.com/?c=28394&k=6d5d67b72c
To find out more about Dove and UNICEF’s partnership visit https://www.unicef.org.uk/corporate-partners/dove/
To learn more about the Dove Self Esteem Project visit
Dove.com/DoveSelfEsteemProject
Media Contact:
For more information, please contact UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0208 375 6030.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Project
Dove is the largest self-esteem education provider in the world, offering no-cost, academically validated tools to parents, teachers, mentors, and kids for nearly two decades with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. To date, Dove has reached more than 137 million young people globally across 153 countries with DSEP, with a goal of reaching 250M young lives by 2030.
About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturising cream. Dove’s heritage is rooted in care – proof, not promises grew Dove from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands.
Real women have always been our inspiration, and since the beginning, Dove has been wholly committed to providing superior care to all, and to championing real representations of beauty in our advertising, communications, and campaigns. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone, and the Dove mission is to ensure a positive experience with beauty is universally accessible to all.
For 68 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. This includes the ‘Dove Real Beauty Pledge,’ and commitment to:
- Portray women as they are in real life with honesty, diversity, and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair colour, type, and style.
- Represent individuals with zero digital distortion, with all images approved by the women they feature.
- Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of body confidence education in the world with a goal to educate 250 million young people by 2030.