Kinley Dowling's song about sexual assault to be used as teaching tool in classrooms

P.E.I. singer-songwriter Kinley Dowlingis hoping that a song she wrote about a sexual assault that happened when she was in high school will help other teens learn about consent.

Microphone, off Dowling's album Letters Never Sentdescribes a post-prom field party where Dowling says a young man sexually assaulted her.

That song will now be incorporated into a new Grade 9 health curriculum set to roll out in the fall that deals with consent, gender norms and stereotypes,sexual assault and the role of the bystander.

Students to study song to understand consent

Dowling met with the Department of Educationrecently to workshop the new modules.

"They've done so much awesome work, it doesn't even seem real right now," she said. "It's really engaging work and really thorough and interesting and it's really needed right now."

Dowling explained that her song and the music video that accompanies it is included in the modules.

"The students will be studying and taking apart my song and music video which is so cool and I'm so happy to be a part of it."

Dowlingsaid she believes she would have benefited from the new modules when she was a student.

"You never can be sure but I think it would have changed some things that have happened and it would have changed maybe how I reacted at the time, instead of waiting 15 years," she said.

Nominated for 4 ECMAs

Dowlingis headed to the East Coast Music Awards in Halifax where she is nominated for four awards, including Song of the Year andFans' Choice Video of the Year for Microphone andPop Recording of the Year and Rising Star Recording of the Year for Letters Never Sent.

She will also be performing in the awards show on Thursday night which she said she is most nervous about, but also most excited for.

She will also be taking over CBC P.E.I.'s Instagram account for the day on Thursday taking followers along on the red carpet and behind the scenes at the show.

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