Change is Possible! New film shows it's young people who can lead change!

It's finally arrived - a video prooving the positive impact young people can have on their communities. Our 'Change is Possible' film identifies seven examples of students in action to bring about change in their schools and local areas, captured over the last 2 years. It includes real-life London examples of film making, petitioning, negotiations, board meetings, street protests, rallies, alliance actions and use of the media. As one group of students from a Greenwich school said, 'it's a completely inspiring film!'...

Lewisham Mayor Commits to Prendergast Ladywell Fields College

All it took was an email.

And a phenomenal group of committed students passionate and confident that they are going to make a change in their local community.

So it was that Amanda and Alice, Year 9 students of Prendergast Ladywell Fields College, Lewisham, sent their borough's 'power players' a simple email asking for their support in helping them make their local Catford community better. And top of their hit list was Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham.

And just two weeks later they came face to face with their targeted recipient - following South London Citizens' 'Delegates Assembly' at Lambeth Town Hall. The Mayor was there to be contragulated for, and reaffirm, his support for London Citizens' 'City Safe' campaign - a community-led response to make local streets safer, by bringing shopkeepers, police and communities together, a response triggered in south London by the tragic murder of teenager Jimmy Mizen.

It's the kind of real change Alice and Amanda want to achieve. And, hand in hand with a strong team of students from Prendergast students present at the event, they met the Mayor afterwards and were delighted when he committed to meeting with them to discuss their 'Citizen Schools' project more to see how he could support it - before they even had to press him on the matter.

So now they have their foot in the door - and it just took an email (and the commitment to make that happen). Now the real hard work begins: convincing the Mayor to support their ideas.

Watch this space for more - from both the school and the Mayor!

London Youth's Got Talent - Calling all Creative Schools - One Brilliant Opportunity!

THE EVENT
On 25th November it is London Citizens' Annual Assembly at The Barbican. 2000 people from 130 schools, universities, faith groups, youth groups, trade unions and community groups will gather with London's power players (Mayor Boris johnson included) to make London better for its citizens.

THE OPPORTUNITY
And we want London's young people to turn the Barbican into a venue showcasing their amazing talent.

We are looking for talented poets, spoken word artists, circus skills artists, visual and physical theatre artists to perform to a PROFESSIONAL STANDARD in the prestigious Barbican foyer on the night of the Assembly. We also have one space for a Jazz Band/Orchestra. We need a total of 5-6 acts on the evening.

THE AUDITION: CIRCUS SKILLS/PHYSICAL THEATRE/POETRY & SPOKEN WORD/JAZZ BAND or ORCHESTRA
Auditions to find the five acts will take place on Tuesday 3rd November, 6-8pm, at Central Foundation Girls School, Harley Grove, Bow London, E3 2AT).

To book places for acts/performers from your school, please contact:
Ben Hammond, Citizen Schools Co-ordinator, ben@citizenschools.info / 0772 33 780 44

The audition is limited to 20 acts so please get in touch as soon as possible to confirm your place(s).

THE ARTWORK
If you have artwork you'd like to display on the evening it needs to be mounted on A1 boards - see here for more.

The Pathway is up and running! Session One Highlights...

18 schools from across London came together in East, South and West London to begin their year's development programme to bring the teaching and learning of citizenship education alive by connecting it to the communities they serve.

Students, teachers, parents, carers, governors and senior leaders from each school worked together, long into the evening, to vision their 'Citizen School' and get to grips with the year ahead, a year they are responsible for working together to plan and implement.



2009-2010 will see each school will see its students connecting to and listening to their community, creating ideas to solve key community issues, sharing their ideas with other schools, negotiating with power players, taking action to make their ideas happen, and celebrating the progress they have achieved.

Calling all Art Departments!

On Wednesday 25th November, thousands of leaders from London Citizens' communities will attend London Citizens’ Autumn Assembly at the prestigious Barbican Centre, to work together on issues that matter to our communities across the capital. Mayor Johnson has already confirmed his attendance.

We want to transform the venue to reflect the diversity of our alliance of schools, unions and faith and community groups. In addition to groups' performing around the centre, members of London Citizens have the opportunity to create/display artwork, and we would like the work of young people to be at the forefront of this - showcasing the very best our schools have to offer.

The artwork can be of variable format - paintings, photography, graphic design, collage etc - but needs to be mounted on standard A1 boards (594 x 841 mm). Each school is limited to 2 boards (though this may change depending on the number of schools wishing to display work), and the work will need to be given the green light by us before it can be included.

Please let Sebastien Chapleau (07970 527622, sebastien.chapleau@cof.org.uk) know by the end of half term if you are keen to get involved and what sort of work your students will try to produce before the beginning of November. We need to have a rough idea of what they’ll produce in order to start planning the layout. Work focusing on the themes of the Assembly - diverse communities working together for change and the common good, and a people's response to the economic crisis - will get priority.

Jamie Audsley starts as the Citizen Schools Organiser

Hi everyone, I hope you’ve had relaxing summers and best of luck with the start of term if you’re heading into school, or the return to work if not.

My name’s Jamie Audsley and I’ve just been recruited by Ben and the COF team as the new Citizen Schools Organiser. Thank you for the warm welcome from everyone I’ve met and spoken to so far, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know you all in the coming year and beyond.

With an additional organiser focused on the programme we’ll be able to increase support for schools and their communities connected to the work of Citizen Schools and London Citizens; ensuring that your effort to create active, informed and confident citizens is as effective as possible.

I’ll be working closely alongside Ben to help support and implement the four strands of Citizen Schools (Alliance, Pathway, Community and Award) and I’m especially excited about getting out and about to learn with you in a real and meaningful way.

Before starting in this role I’ve worked on democracy, education and youth projects at The Young Foundation and London Youth, and more recently, taught Geography and Science at Addington High School in South East Croydon. It feels like this role will really combine all the skills I’ve learnt to date!

After organising a cross school humanities day which had an “active citizenship” focus during my last year of teaching I believe in everything you’re doing and hope to be a messenger to those who haven’t discovered a piece of the action quite yet. I believe that only by connecting our young people, schools and communities will we succeed in supporting a vibrant society, and only through teaching the art of politics in action will our democracy flourish. In this role I hope I can work effectively with you in this effort and play a small part in this massively important work.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch – I’m on 02070439874 and 07866567945

City Safe Youth's Got Talent!

On Friday 28th August, 300 people packed into Stratford Circus for the CitySafe Youth Talent Showcase. Organised by students from St. Angela's and St. Bonaventure's School, the purpose of the showcase was to celebrate the achievements of young people in being part of the solution to knife crime and violence, and to recognise all those who have contributed to the continued success of CitySafe in London.

The performances from all the acts were truly amazing! Our compares TJ and Ashley had the audience eating out of their hands with their unique humourous style, and special performances by Tribal Man and Gracious K invited some audience participation on stage.
CitySafe Champion Awards were given to: Chief Inspector Gary Brown of Newham Metropolitan Police; Barry and Margaret Mizen Tyeisha Litambola for their support and dedicated work on the campaign. Starbucks representatives received the award on behalf of Jimmy Curtis for his role in making Starbucks the first business leader to suppory CitySafe.

Paul Amuzie receieved the CitySafe Champion Award for his key role in organising the event, and special mention also goes to Karen Jones from St. Antony's Church for her invaluable input and supervision for the event.

Young people from South London Citizens also received the CitySafe Champion award: Bridy Purcell, Celia Morris, Destine Okoibhole, Alex Okoibhole, Eva Okoibhole, Halimatou Yacouba, Bubacar Yacouba, and Jamilla Yacouba.

Everyone on the night was a winner, but the official winning acts were:

First:
Visions

Second:
Georgina

Third:
Diana

A massive thanks to all the acts for all their hard work and truly insipirng performances.

Emmanuel Gotora, Newham Organiser, London Citizens