Voices blog

Act Global is run jointly by the Citizenship Foundation and Relief International UK. The project engages young people in global citizenship and supports them in taking action on poverty-related issues.

Act Global offers teachers support in delivering the global dimension in schools through a dedicated teacher networkg. The network provides access to resources, including lesson plans. During October half term, we will be adding a new unit of work on the issue of sustainability. Each lesson includes a media-rich PowerPoint.

To become a member and access resources and support visit www.teachactglobal.org.

My first thought when I saw the ‘My Street’ proposal was that it is a fantastic new competition for schools that connects with citizenship teaching across the curriculum. It aims to teach young people what it means to be a citizen by encouraging them to think about community, diversity, and conflict, in a practical way.

The plan is that emerging film-makers will go into schools and share their experiences and expertise with a group of around 100 students. The film-makers will then split students into groups and help them make a short documentary about their community, focusing on the streets surrounding the school, the school’s relationship with the local community, and the school itself.

At the end of the day the films will be publically screened and awards given. The best film will be selected for presentation alongside international features at the closing gala of the OPEN CITY, London Documentary Festival at University College London (UCL) and the Renoir cinema.

It was with great disappointment and regret that the Citizenship Foundation learned that the Department for Education, which funds The Youth of Today, would be cutting the schools part of the programme, which we have been delivering. All we know about the Government’s decision is that they are taking ‘a different approach to schools’, which necessitates concluding the Citizenship Foundation’s work as part of The Youth of Today consortium. (more…)

The Scouts Association has put together a series of interactive workshops for young people to meet with MPs and council leaders from across the country.

There will be refreshments and a light buffet and a travel bursary of up to £40 per person is also available.

The events will be held in:

• Liverpool: Liberal Democrat, 19 September, 1pm – 3pm, Liverpool Hilton, 3 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool, L1 8LW

• Manchester: Labour, 26 September, 5pm – 7pm, Arora International, 18 – 24 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 4LY

• Birmingham: Conservative, 3 October, 4.30pm – 6.30pm, Malmaison, 1 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RD

If your interested in coming to any of the events or for any more info please email the public affairs team at citizen@scouts.org.uk with your name, postcode and which event you’d like to attend.

Being quite a big fan of the wonderful Jarvis Cocker I don’t quite know how I missed this…thankfully a colleague pointed it out to me and I just finished listening to Jarvis interviewing Jamie Kelsey Fry, Association of Citizenship Teaching (ACT) Council member, for his show on Radio 6. In the interview Jamie talks with Jarvis about citizenship studies at GCSE and the importance of citizenship education for young people.

You can listen to it for yourself on BBC i-player (around 1.36).