How The FAA Is Supporting Student Health and Well-Being Through the EVAR/EVARS Framework

By: Lola Gueguen 

Summary: Next year, the French American Academy will begin implementing elements of France’s new EVAR/EVARS framework to support students’ emotional, social, and physical well-being through developmentally appropriate lessons focused on healthy relationships, personal safety, respect, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making at every stage of growth.

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Starting this fall, the French American Academy will begin integrating elements of France’s new EVAR/EVARS curriculum into its educational approach: Éducation à la vie affective, relationelle, et à la sexualité. While the name may sound formal, the purpose is simple and deeply child-centered: helping students grow into respectful, emotionally aware, healthy, and responsible individuals.

This curriculum is research-based, developmentally appropriate, and designed to support children at every stage of growth. At the heart of this framework is the belief that overall well-being and academic achievement are deeply connected, and that students are more likely to thrive academically when they feel healthy, safe, and supported both emotionally and physically. As a result, schools play an important role in helping children develop life skills beyond academic knowledge, from understanding emotions and personal boundaries in early childhood to building healthy relationships, critical thinking skills, and self-awareness during adolescence.

Importantly, this is not a “one-size-fits-all” sex education program. It is a broader educational framework focused on emotional well-being, relationships, safety, respect, and age-appropriate health education.

What Is EVAR/EVARS?

The French EVAR/EVARS program stands for:

• EVAR: Education to emotional and relational life (primarily for younger children)
• EVARS: Education to emotional, relational, and sexual life (introduced progressively for older students)

The curriculum is built around three interconnected areas:

• Biological learning: Understanding the body, growth, puberty, and physical health in age-appropriate ways
• Social-emotional learning: Developing empathy, emotional regulation, communication skills, confidence, gender identity, and self-respect
• Relational and societal learning: Learning about boundaries, consent, equality, digital citizenship, stereotypes, social norms, and respectful relationships

Rather than focusing solely on difficult topics or potential risks, the program emphasizes a positive, proactive approach centered on well-being, personal safety, and healthy human relationships. Concepts are introduced gradually and in developmentally appropriate ways as students grow. For example, in preschool, children may learn the names of genital areas in the same way they learn about arms or legs, often through simple, age-appropriate activities such as using a doll for demonstration. In later grades, these conversations may expand to include topics such as reproduction in plants and animals, human development, and, eventually, more advanced health and sex education at the middle and high school level. Ultimately, the goal is to support students in becoming thoughtful, respectful, and responsible individuals who are equipped to make healthy and informed decisions throughout their lives.

What Does This Look Like at Different Ages?

One of the most important aspects of the curriculum is its gradual, developmentally appropriate progression. The framework is organized around three broad areas of child development, which together support students’ emotional, social, physical, and interpersonal growth throughout their school years.

The three core areas include:

• Knowing Yourself and Your Body
• Building Relationships and Connecting with Others
• Finding Your Place in Society as a Free and Responsible Person

Across these three areas, the curriculum progressively explores five major themes in age-appropriate ways:

In Preschool and Elementary School

The focus is not on sexuality. Instead, students learn foundational life skills that support emotional safety, healthy relationships, and personal development. Topics may include:

• Understanding emotions
• Respecting personal space and boundaries
• Learning how to say “no”
• Understanding the body, anatomy, and self-care
• Developing empathy and kindness
• Understanding friendship and inclusion
• Identifying trusted adults
• Staying safe online
• Challenging harmful stereotypes

For example, younger students may learn:

• “You have the right to refuse a hug or kiss.”
• “Everyone can express emotions.”
• “Secrets that make you uncomfortable should be shared with a trusted adult.”

These lessons help children build confidence, communication skills, emotional awareness, and a sense of safety from an early age.

In Middle and High School

As students mature, topics are expanded gradually and thoughtfully in developmentally appropriate ways. These may include:

• Puberty and body changes
• Consent and healthy relationships
• Online behavior and digital safety
• Media literacy and social pressures
• Prevention of harassment and violence
• Respect for diversity
• Scientific and health-based information

Throughout all grade levels, the curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, respect, emotional well-being, and healthy decision-making rather than fear-based messaging. Across topics such as consent, digital citizenship, equality, relationships, and health education, EVAR/EVARS promotes a safe and supportive learning environment grounded in respect for students’ maturity, individuality, and privacy. The framework also prioritizes the prevention of violence and discrimination while fostering inclusion, empathy, and mutual respect within a neutral, educational, and developmentally appropriate setting. Ultimately, the curriculum recognizes the importance of tailoring discussions and learning experiences to children’s developmental levels, emotional readiness, and individual needs.

Social-Emotional Learning at the Heart of the Curriculum

A major strength of this approach is its strong emphasis on psychosocial and social-emotional skills. The framework explicitly addresses three main competency areas:

• Cognitive competencies: skills related to self-awareness, decision-making, problem-solving, and impulse control.
• Emotional competencies: skills that help students recognize, express, and regulate emotions and stress in healthy ways.
• Social competencies: skills that support communication, assertiveness, relationship-building, and respectful interactions with others.

Together, these competencies help students learn to manage emotions, resolve conflicts, advocate for themselves, communicate effectively, and establish appropriate boundaries. These skills benefit children far beyond the classroom, supporting:

• emotional resilience,
• positive peer relationships,
• academic engagement,
• mental health,
• and long-term well-being.

Why Schools Are Prioritizing This Work

EVAR/EVARS is grounded in research- and data-driven principles. Research has consistently demonstrated a strong connection between health, well-being, and academic achievement, highlighting that students learn best when they feel safe, supported, and emotionally secure. The EVAR/EVARS framework is closely connected to France’s broader initiative, École Promotrice de Santé (“Health-Promoting School”), which recognizes the relationship between emotional and physical well-being, school climate, and academic success. This framework emphasizes the importance of taking a global and systemic approach to student well-being that extends beyond the acquisition of academic knowledge alone.

The program also responds to real, critical challenges children and adolescents face today, including:

• cyberbullying,
• exposure to inappropriate online content,
• peer pressure,
• anxiety and stress,
• gender stereotypes,
• and difficulties navigating friendships and relationships.

By addressing these topics proactively and appropriately, schools can help students build the tools they need to make healthy, respectful decisions throughout their lives.

A Partnership Between School and Families

Another key principle of the curriculum is co-education, meaning schools and families work together, not separately. The goal is not to replace family values or conversations at home. Instead, in collaboration with families, the school provides shared language, developmentally appropriate guidance, and protective education that complements family discussions. Families will continue to be informed about learning objectives and the school’s approach. Transparency, respect, and age-appropriateness remain central priorities.

To further strengthen this partnership as the French American Academy embarks on implementing this new curriculum, our first parent workshop on October 5th will be dedicated to helping families better understand the EVAR/EVARS framework and how to make the most of this new educational model.