It's confirmed - the Migration Conundrum will have a brand new sparkling website up and running within the month.
I met on Friday with Elliot Fox who is co-ordinating our online efforts to confirm arrangements for constructing a useful site to get the message out about the Migration Conundrum and what it's trying to do, in the run up to our official launch during Refugee Week 2010 in June.
Big thanks to Elliot for taking this work on. We'll also be advertising for a developer post soon to take the site into the educational stratosphere! Watch this space for more!
With the support of four Citizenship teachers, the team at Barking Abbey now meet regularly on Mondays after school and have selected their key issue and idea to focus on: street safety and getting a more visible police presence on the streets.
Students and staff have established their core strategy to make this happen - by mapping community safety hotspots, reaching out and connecting to community allies, building their power together by researching which areas are most in need of a presence, developing their arguments and negotiating with the police to make it happen.
Students are busy creating surveys to begin this process next week. They're a great team and are excited about building their power by reaching out to other year groups, parents and wider into the community.
The Migration Conundrum - a toolkit for teachers to facilitate compelling learning about the controversial issue of migration, and then to take action around it - is moving forward and will be launched in June during Refugee Week, thanks to the work of our specialist 'Migration Conundrum Dream Team'.
A core group of teachers, migrants, consultants, students and London Citizens staff, the dream team have now got strategic, establishing a plan to get EVERY SCHOOL IN THE UK freely accessing the learning the Migration Conundrum Offers, working with Local Education Authorities other targeted power players.
March is the month of creativity - every member of the team is creating real life case studies and many are producing compelling learning activities to extend and enrich students learning. If you want to contribute either a case study or learning activity, please contact Carina Crawford-Rolt: Carina.Crawford-Rolt@cof.org.uk
A whopping 70 undergraduate students from local universities have applied to be London Citizens Money Mentors!
These Money Mentors will be trained by the Citizen Schools team, Credit Action and Money Saving Expert.com as peer facilitators to deliver our Money Mentors financial literacy programme to 4,000 young people in schools across London over four weeks this June and July.
With Jessica Jones, Money Mentors co-ordinator, and Ben Hammond, Citizen Schools Co-ordinator having shortlisted candidates today, the next step is interviews next Thursday. Jess and Ben were bowled over by the quality of the candidates applying - almost all to the letter showing experience of community action, work with young people and an interest in economic education...
An action shot of Jess Jones, Money Mentors co-ordinator, shortlisting Money Mentors applicants.
At some point in late April, just days before the election, it is increasingly possible that London Citizens member communities will have the opportunity to put their agenda for change direct to the three main political party leaders.
We want everyone to learn about and take part in this agenda, which has come about through London Citizens' meetings, local assemblies and the huge Assembly at the Barbican on 25th November 2009.
As a result the schools team is creating 8 learning opportunities for schools (and faith groups, youth groups etc) to investigate the agenda of...
A living wage Affordable housing Safer Streets No detention for children of people seeking sanctuary Putting 1% of the banking bail-out into mutual, local forms of lending Putting a cap on the amount of interest people can charge Tackling the real power players in London
Each learning opportunity will include 8 steps to help people make up their minds on the issue. If you're interested in working with me (Ben, Citizen Schools Co-ordinator) to develop resources on one (or more) of these, just get in touch with me now - ben@citizenschools.info. The finished resources will go out to over 250,000 Londoners (great for the CV)! We'll need to meet up for 1-2 hours within the next 2 weeks to get it done.
Recognising London Citizens as the capital's most powerful community alliance, the Greater London Assembly has invited London Citizens to spend a day at City Hall learning about its work and putting questions to its power players.
On Wednesday March 17th, 60 Citizens' leaders will get the chance to attend Mayor's Question Time, take part in talks by with Darren Johnson (Chair of the London Assembly), and Janet Hughes (Head of Scrutiny and Investigations), and put questions to these power players.
The Schools team has managed to secure 20 tickets for students from our member schools to attend. Attendees must be in year 9 or above (though ideally in the 6th form in order to travel independently), need to complete an application form and come to a short interview with Ben Hammond, Citizen Schools Co-ordinator, between 10am and 1pm on Saturday 13th March.
For an application form, teachers and students from member schools only should contact Ben Hammond via email: ben@citizenschools.info, or download directly from our online Citizen Schools Community. Completed applications need to be received by Friday 5th March to be considered for interview.
London Citizens is hosting a live broadcast of BBC Any Questions? On Friday 5th March. Our member schools have the opportunity to claim 5-10 tickets each.
Panellists include Ken Livingstone (former Mayor of London) and Ken Clarke MP.
It’s your chance to influence the national debate with questions focused on London Citizens priorities: street safety, fair wages, affordable housing, sanctuary for migrants, active citizenship in schools.
Where? London Muslim Centre, Whitechapel When? Friday 5th March; Doors Open 6.45pm
PLACES ARE LIMITED. For your FREE tickets exclusive to London Citizens members, teachers should contact: Josephine Mukanjira at London Citizens, on 0207 043 9881; email josephine.mukanjira@cof.org.uk. PRIORITY GOES TO EAST LONDON MEMBER SCHOOLS.
We are looking for both excellent learning activities to bring the issue of migration alive in UK classrooms, and interesting case studies of migrants to humanise and inform students' learning. All contributors will be credited and broadcast nationally when the resource is launched in June 2010:
If you're a teacher or student and have any learning activities which cover any of the following, please email ben@citizenschools.info with details:
Life in migrants' countries of origin The push/pull factors Migrants' journies The reactions on arrival - from immigration officials, the public, the media, UK government, charities, communities etc The lifestyles of migrants How migrants' cases are/have been/will be resolved
Here's an example of a learning activity - but we're looking for anything in length or activity type, so long as it's interesting and compelling...
If you know of someone who would like to be one of our case studies, please contact Carina Crawford-Rolt on Carina.Crawford-Rolt@cof.org.uk. We are looking for the following case studies in particular:
Migrants who live outside of London Migrants from other MEDC countries who now live in the UK Migrants from Europe Migrants who have emigrated from the UK
Here's an example of the type of format each case study will follow. Get in touch to talk about the next steps to create the real life case study!
London Citizens is hosting a very special audience and round table event with Professor Michael Sandel of Havard, author of "Justice - What's the right thing to do?', on Friday 26th February, 2.00pm to 4.00pm, at the London Muslim Centre, Whitechapel.
6th formers from its member schools are invited to claim their places at this prestigious event with the BBC Reith Lecturer 2009, lectures based on his hugely oversubscribed Harvard course "Justice".
London Citizens Member Schools can have between 5 and 10 tickets each - for parents, teachers, sixth formers or year 11s only, but places are going (really, really) fast! Contact josephine.makunjira@londoncitizens.org.uk to reserve your places today.
Please visit his website http://www.justiceharvard.org to view his lectures ahead of the event.
An alliance of 18 teachers, education consultants, ex immigration officers and migrant leaders came together last week in the first step to ensure that: No child is to leave education without an understanding of our past and present role of providing sanctuary and that they are given an opportunity to develop their own minds in the great migration debate.
"The Migration Conundrum" is an exciting new resource being produced by London CITIZENS, a partnership of our Schools team and Citizens for Sanctuary, a London Citizens campaign which aims to secure justice for people fleeing persecution and to rebuild public support for sanctuary. The resource aims to bring compelling, discursive and active teaching and learning around the issue to every classroom in the UK. We believe that every young person should be entitled to experience a high quality, evidence-based exploration of this issue.
The resource is designed in a flexible resource to teach this issue, but also associated issue to fit the curriculum. There are four key parts to draw from:
Real Lives - Case studies of some of our young leaders.
Activate - Ideas, activities and resources to bring the issue alive in the classroom.
You Can Tool Kit - A tool kit to help students make a difference and take action.
Evidence Bank - A bank of supporting facts, figures and evidence.
The team assembled to develop, trial and launch the resource offer a wealth of skills, experience and knowledge to the resource as well as painting a clear picture of the situation.
Jon, 27, fled Zimbabwe 2 year ago "It's a shame that the media tend to tell a negative story when it come to issues around sanctuary and immigration. This resource will help students understand what individuals really go through and who they can become whilst seeking sanctuary in the UK. It will encourage them to make up their own minds, and hopefully take some action."
The resource, is currently being trialled in 4 of our London schools and will be available for the start of the new year 2010/2011. If you would like to trial it in your school, please contact carina.crawford-rolt@cof.org.uk.
Great news from Emmanuel Gotora, London Citizens' CitySafe Youth Games Co-ordinator. Since we began promoting it two weeks ago, fourteen schools have met with Emmanuel and have signed up to take part in this fantastic sports and leadership development programme. There are now just 6 places left for schools in the five olympic boroughs for this programme. In the summer term this year, London Citizens, in partnership with MET-Track and London Youth, will hold inter-school leadership and sports development sessions for 10-20 students from each school in a borough, culminating in a 'City Safe Olympics' day for all participants across the 5 olympic boroughs. The aim? Safer streets and the breaking down of postcode barriers through inter-school collaboration, sport, leadership, and team-building. If you're interested, contact Emmanuel Gotora, City Safe Co-ordinator, via emmanuel.gotora@londoncitizens.org.uk / 07956 998909.
What's more, all of this is FREE to London Citizens' member schools!
In just two weeks, five schools have joined London Citizens' flagship 'Money Mentors' financial literacy programme. Designed to create a generation of young money mentors, literate and confident in budgeting, money saving and debt and able to share their expertise and skills with other students and families, the programme has seen Central Foundation Girls School, Hackney Free & Parochial School, Kingsbury High School (Brent), Langdon School (Newham) and Lampton School (Hounslow) join in just two weeks.
There are now just 10 places remaining from schools across London. Get in touch with London Citizens' Money Mentors co-ordinator Jessica Jones now to claim yours - jessica.jones@londoncitizens.org.uk / 07899 663123. Places are FREE for London Citizens member schools.
The Background... Our 'Money Mentors' programme sees undergraduate student finance experts leading day-long collapsed timetable days to teach money saving, budgeting and debt, and in the process create 'Money Mentors', who at the end of the day showcase their learning to parents and other invited community guests. The programme is being run in association with MoneySavingExpert.com and Credit Action, and places are going fast.
London Citizens member The John Roan School, Greenwich, have hit the front page of local council-run newspaper the Greenwich Times. Their Year 8 'Make a Difference Club' has been working with our Citizen Schools initiative, with students busy around school cutting it's carbon emissions by 10% in 2010... Congratulations to the school, and the particularly savvy students and Citizenship department for getting their message out across the whole borough!
London Citizens' Schools work in alliance with other organisations. In order to gain support and build their power, students from John Roan School in Greenwich have been presenting their idea to improve Westcombe Park Station to local primary schools who are also members of London Citizens in their borough.
The team at John Roan identified Westcombe Park Station as a problem when they conducted their local listening campaign. Poor lighting and a station underpass that needs tidying up make the majority of people who use the station feel unsafe. Primary school students at Halstow and St Alphege's listened to ideas for change and then contributed their views and ideas for improvements to the proposals. All students were keen to take part in designing a new underpass wall design and suggested a competition be held that involves all the local schools.
Students and staff gave unanimous support for the idea for change and will now negotiate with John Roan when they meet with South Eastern to put their demands forward.
Ella and Christina from John Roan acted as representatives for the team during the day and said "We enjoyed presenting to and involving other students. On our own we wouldn't be able to make this change but we're building positive power and getting stronger."
Next stop towards change: preparing for the negotiation with other members of the alliance, supported by their dedicated borough organiser, Sebastien Chapleau.
Students,teachers and Parent/Governors from London Citizens Member Hendon School (Barnet) got out on the streets today to begin their campaign to improve road safety around the school...
The school, situated off Golders Rise in Hendon, faces considerable traffic difficulties on a daily basis, and after selecting road safety as one of three top priorities to take action on, a team of year 8 students are leading the way in improving the situation, and ultimately getting the borough council to help. The team have identified parents, local residents, teachers, pupils and other users of Golders Rise as the key people to connect with, bring together and forge into an alliance for change.
Today it was time to begin connecting with local residents. Students established their aims, devised a survey to achieve those aims, created a petition to harness support, and role-played conversations and tactics. Then it was time to take the whole team onto the streets, connecting with residents along the road and listening to their views on the issue.
The team - conquoring both their nerves and the freezing temperatures - were amazing, persuading residents to give up time and support for the cause. Change at and around Hendon has definitely begun!
One of London Citizens member schools, Hackney Free & Parochial School, has so consistently impressed with its leadership programme - recently expanded to include year 10 and year 8 'community leaders' with training by Citizen Schools - that we felt it warrented it's own blog post.
Almost half the entire school (over 300 students) now holds a position of leadership responsibility. These are wide ranging... from Student Prefects, Sports Prefects, Community Leaders, Peer Mentors, Peer Mediators, Healthy Living Mentors, School Tour Guides, Student Panels, Recycling Team & Eco Committee, Student Translators and Subject Leaders... the list is comprehensive!
And at Hackney Free this kind of student participation is not the huge burden in terms of training and administration many might expect - Rachel Kelly, Assistant Head in charge of Student Voice, explains that each team of student leaders has its own older students responsible for its co-ordination and leadership.
Combining with a school focus on promoting positive rewards for excellence, the leadership programme is a flagship example of how far the boundaries of students responsiblity for school life can be pushed. London Citizens is proud to be a part of these exciting developments at Hackney Free - long may it continue!
For more details, visit http://www.hackneyfree.hackney.sch.uk/school/student_voice/
Hackney Free & Parochial School, a London Citizens member, is focusing its' Citizen Schools team on recycling - persuading the council to support more street recycling facilities, in addition to the big recycling bins provided at supermarkets, for example.
Ben and Jess (our Hackney borough organiser) went into the school on Tuesday to establish plans to get the campaign up and running. Working with three excellent student leaders - Josie, Corey and Bruno - the team planned their strategy and took on key roles...
Using the fabulous ASMILEY planning method of 'Learning to Lead', the team crafted a clear, specific and measurable strategy, and will be working with London Citizens to make it happen in the run up to the Hackney Borough Accountability Assembly (where London Citizens' members in Hackney put their agenda for change to councilors and prospective councillors from the three main parties) on March 22nd.
13 students and staff from Barking Abbey School stayed behind after school on Monday to launch their Citizen Schools student team... 9 committed, articulate and confident year 7 pupils who are dedicated to improving their local community.
Over the next few weeks the group will be deciding which hot topic to focus on - policing or youth club facilities - and connecting to allies within the community to make real change happen. More updates from the students themselves soon...
On Friday the brilliant Citizen Schools team from Kingsbury High School came together for two hours of special training to take their ideas for community change to the next level.
Ben came into the school to help students sharpen their ideas - centred around an Expression Board (a space for students to get creative in, in a positive way), and a SundayFunday (the opportunity for young people to find out about the youth services on offer in the area), and a multicultural day (to celebrate the diversity of Brent).
Students went through an intensive Dragon's Den-style challenge, and then focused their efforts on finding those community allies who can help them make their ideas a reality - youth clubs, local community groups and council employees. With their next steps clearly identified, this is one Citizen Schools group who are going places! Well done to Head of Citizenship Joanne Robinson and Citizenship Teacher Thomas Owoo for supporting students' excellent progress!
Heard the one about the young person working together with the cleaners, the vicar, the imam, the Rabbi and schools of a different postcode, all to make a real difference to their neighbourhood?
No? Well this is what London Citizens is all about. And in East London today young people came together with leaders from across diverse communities, gathered together in Bryant Street Methodist Church hall because they all wanted the same thing: change. We had updates on key campaigns (like the living wage and strangers into citizens), and saw young people like Mohammed Abbas present on the progress he had made in leading City Safe in Waltham Forest Borough.
After that came the training - all about power and building public relationships; the one to ones - people getting to know diverse others and building power together; and the planning, ready for the general election to come and with it 'accountability assemblies' in certain boroughs, holding candidates for elected office to account on paying fair wages, creating safer streets, and creating affordable housing for local people.
Citizen Schools believe in education for active, responsible citizens. An initiative of the Citizens UK, Citizen Schools has four key dimensions:
the Alliance 50 London primary & secondary schools, sixth form colleges, youth groups and universities make up the Citizen Schools Alliance - like-minded member institutions of London Citizens, who work together with their communities as active citizens for change & the common good.
the Pathway Members can opt to take part in an intensive community organising pathway for their school - building the capacity to effect change, build community alliance, facilitate community cohesion and make learning more relevant and compelling.
the Community Our Citizen Schools online forum exists for educationalists, parents and young people to share ideas and resources, ask questions and raise the citizenship education bar.
the Award Our Citizen Schools Award is a great way for schools to recognise and broadcast the great work they are doing for active citizens around Citizenship education, student voice and community cohesion.
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