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Creating opportunities for students to take action - comments from teachers

21 February 2008, 02:10PM

Equipping students to take action

  • Once students are aware of an issue, we need to provide them with a pathway they can utilise to affect change. Students often don't know where to go or how to start and need resources to encourage them.

  • We need to provide examples of other students who have made positive changes

  • Empowerment is essential. Most young people DO care AND want to see change, but feel ignored and marginalised. When no one listens why should they care? They need to see a tangible result of their efforts, that they have had an impact in some way [students need] background knowledge AND the ability to make a difference in their own way otherwise it can seem overwhelming

Creating a climate for students to make a difference

  • Students need a sense that problems are not insurmountable, that individuals can make a difference, that small and large actions can help to create change, that what happens throughout the world does matter, and that they can help to effect changes and improvements.

  • [Students need] examples of how small actions can actually make a difference - they turn off if the issue is overwhelming

  • The truth of what happens to young people like them, how they work to change things, especially creative, clever, effective action. The power of non-violent methods- stories of what they have achieved. How ordinary, "little" people have shown extraordinary courage and persistence. Pictures, symbols and short quotes which may be elaborated on in class but are powerful, so easy to recall on your own. Links to the use of concepts, facts and catchphrases in popular culture, like The Simpsons (odd, but it helps). A small, initially short-term action project which is planned, carried out, evaluated with feedback from outside the classroom and acknowledged by something lasting, like documentation in a magazine or a plaque, poster, artwork which they will see every day. Communicating with students in other schools about issues.

What works

  • I found that when students could be involved in doing something positive - be it letter writing or fundraising or awareness-raising then the commitment increased immediately.

  • Discussion, debates, give them the facts, allow students to have a say even if their facts are wrong. Make it relevant and controversial, explain that doing a little can achieve a lot. Empower them.

  • Actually giving the students specific tasks that they can do to change the world.

The way we look at human rights and social change

  • Firstly persons must believe that their current apathy actually contributes to the problems. Then actions have to be attainable, something they understand they can really achieve.

  • We can all have an effect on others in our daily dealings and have choices to do so.

  • They need to get to the point where they believe making whatever difference they can is a difference worth making.

  • Recognition that the world can only go in one of three directions - get worse, stay the same or get better. What do students want as a future?