Global Citizenship

February 20th, 2012

Fairtrade fortnight

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags: Tags: Fairtrade
 : Categories africa, citizenship, commonwealth, health and wellbeing, international, religious and moral education

Fairtrade Fortnight starts on 27th February 2012 and runs until 11th March. As usual, hundreds of Scottish schools and community groups will be involved in local efforts to change attitudes and behaviour and establish Scotland as a Fairtrade nation.

The Fairtrade Foundation’s campaign focus this year is ‘Take a Step in 2012′. Their website provides background information about the inequalities of world trade, the difference a fair deal for producers can make, and some ideas for action. An interactive map displays some of the local projects and events taking part.

Many charities will be contributing to the overall campaign in their own ways, offering extra opportunities for schools and learners to engage with Fairtrade. For example, Tradecraft is encouraging local people to host a Big Brew event in their own area, and provides resources for schools and organisers to help them set things up.

Oxfam has resources which enable teachers to cover the issue of Trade as part of their Global Citizenship teaching. The SCIAF Youth website also has material to support young people thinking about this key issue.

If your school comes up with an innovative way of promoting fairtrade, let us know. globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk

February 9th, 2012

Falkirk Council DGC Showcase and open day at Bo’ness Academy

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, europe, events, modern languages, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, Uncategorized, china, citizenship, curriculum areas, early years, europe, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, international, languages, leadership, mathematics, modern languages, primary schools, religious and moral education, sciences, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

Falkirk Council global citizenship showcase and school open day

Venue: Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk

9:30am – 3.00pm

Thursday 1^st March 2012

Theme:  International Education

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders an exciting opportunity to visit Bo’ness Academy and attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase Event.

Bo’ness Academy is an inspiring example of a school that has used international education as a vehicle to engage the whole school in global citizenship activities. Through the Comenius Programme and other well established links the school has developed a rich international programme connecting it to countries across the world including: The Gambia, The Netherlands, China, France, Germany and The Czech Republic.

A focus of the event will be to identify and share the practical lessons and ideas that have helped the school move forward on its journey including: 

• Making global citizenship a key priority in the school and a focus for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
• Using international links to explore important issues in a global context and to create engaging, meaningful and challenging learning experiences
• Developing strong international partnerships which can be sustained and which have made an impact on every learner.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the Head Teacher, International Coordinator, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms and school. Time will also be set aside for participants to reflect and share their own experiences.

Following the open day event, participants will also have the opportunity to attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase event which will also be taking place in Bo’ness Academy from 4pm – 6pm. This will feature exhibitions and displays from leading organisations such as Eco-Schools Scotland and the British Council and will showcase innovative global citizenship practice from many Falkirk schools.

How to book

To book, please contact Megan Farr, Policy Officer, Falkirk Council. Email: megan.farr@falkirk.gov.uk or Tel. 01324 506671.

Places for the open day section of the event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

Download programme for Bo’ness Academy Open Day >>

January 30th, 2012

Holocaust remembrance in Scotland

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags: Tags: holocaust education
 : Categories citizenship, international, religious and moral education, social studies

Last week we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day 2012 with events all over the country in communities and schools. This annual occasion is an opportunity to remember those who died in the Holocaust of World War 2 and in the genocides since, and to challenge the prejudice and discrimination which can lead to such horrors.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust  (HMDT) takes a lead in facilitating such commemoration, and it picked the theme of ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ for its 2012 campaign. It created education resources and material to help local organisers such as teachers and librarians to create activities which increased public participation.

Each year in Scotland one local authority hosts a national event. In 2012 Dundee City Council took the lead, working with partners such as the Scottish Inter Faith Council, HMDT, and the Anne Frank Trust. The event included participation by John Swinney MSP on behalf of Scottish Government, a local disabled dance group, students from Dundee schools, and visiting speakers from Denmark, Japan and Canada. A unique element of the evening was focused around ‘Inside Hana’s Suitcase’, the story of one victim of the Nazis, her family and how a suitcase stimulated learning about the Holocaust in many countries.

Two Grove Academy students presented personal views of the impact of their participation in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme managed by the  Holocaust Education Trust. The Scottish Government recently confirmed that it will continue its support for this programme for another year, enabling more Scottish school students to learn from the experience.

In East Renfrewshire students from all the local secondary schools were involved in a commemorative event at Eastwood Theatre, covered by one of  the local newspapers.

In Edinburgh the public library service launched its Ernest Levy archive at an event hosted by Portobello High School. Ernest Levy was a Holocaust survivor who made his home in East Renfrewshire and then dedicated a great deal of time to working with schools to spread a message of tolerance and respect.

November 18th, 2011

Crofting Connections

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: community, food, nature, news, research
 : Categories biodiversity, community, creativity, curriculum areas, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, homecoming, languages, mathematics, outdoor learning, primary schools, religious and moral education, renewables and climate change, sciences, scottish culture, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

Crofting Connections is a 3-year long educational project which started in August 2009. It aims to enable over 1,200 young people aged 5 to 16 living in remote rural communities throughout the Highlands & Islands to learn about crofting past, present and future.

It is funded by HLF, SNH, LEADER, HIE and the Craignish Trust.

Its key outcomes for young people are for an increased:

•  desire to live and work in their crofting communities.
• ability to keep crofting alive in the 21st century for the benefit of rural communities and the environment.
• development of Curriculum for Excellence‟ four capacities – successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
• understanding of the need for locally produced, environmentally-friendly and healthy food based on low carbon principles.

The lead partners in the project are Soil Association Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation. To read more about this exciting project an about the impact it has had on learning teaching then download the Interim Report (you will need a Glow password to access this link).

November 11th, 2011

Anti-bullying week, 14 – 18 November

kmayer

Comments: none Tags: Tags: action, conflict, debating, learner voice, rights, sectarianism
 : Categories citizenship, health and wellbeing, religious and moral education

Anti-Bullying Week is an annual event organised by respectme, Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service. The week aims to raise awareness of bullying in and out of school, and highlight ways of preventing and responding to it.

The 2011 Anti-Bullying Week focuses on cyber-bullying. The campaign theme is based around the notion that ‘the internet is a place, not a thing’. Its core message will inform and educate adults about the internet being a social place that children and young people go to, and will reinforce the responsibility adults have to take an active interest and make sure that online environments are as safe as the places they visit in the ‘real’ world.

For more ideas and resources visit our ‘Resources Calendar’

September 26th, 2011

The History of White People – opportunity for schools

mfarrell

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories CPD, africa, citizenship, international, religious and moral education, secondary schools, social studies, united states

The History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter

To mark Black History Month in the UK, a leading African American historian asks why white people became white.

Scottish schools offering Higher and Advanced Higher courses on Civil Rights in the US are being encouraged to attend and already around 50 pupils from schools across Scotland have signed up!

On October 11, Nell Irvin Painter, Professor Emerita at Princeton and Fulbright Visiting Professor in the UK will be giving a public lecture at the University of Edinburgh.  Prof. Painter is a leading expert on the history of race and race relations in the US and beyond. Her lecture is titled ‘The History of White People’ and historicises the concept of whiteness in western thought. This is a free, but ticketed event. 

Doors open at 5.30pm.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM (GMT)

Teviot Lecture Theatre

Doorway 5, Old Medical School

Teviot Place

EH8 9AG Edinburgh

United Kingdom

The University of Edinburgh

Register for this event now at :

http://edinburgh-university-72-rss.eventbrite.com

Please note:

This event may be photographed and/or recorded for promotional or recruitment materials for the University or University approved third parties.

For any further information contact: Anna Moslow, Anna.Moslow@ed.ac.uk or Frank Cogliano f.cogliano@ed.ac.uk

March 2nd, 2011

Fairtrade Fortnight – Show off your label

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: events, Fairtrade, rights
 : Categories africa, citizenship, international, religious and moral education, social studies, sustainable development

Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 runs from 28^th Feb to 13^th March.

This year the Fairtrade Foundation is asking the nation to show off about buying Fairtrade which offers 7.5 million people in the developing world a more secure future. The fun-filled fortnight has been launched just as figures reveal that Fairtrade sales amounted to over £1 billion in 2010, and increase of over 40% on the previous year.

You can show off Fairtrade any way you want. Take part in a bunting record attempt, hold a fashion show with your friends, or be loud and proud about how your school supports farmers and workers in developing countries.

So it is time to get inspired and get ready to Show Off Your Label.

Find out more about Fairtrade Fortnight >>

Get involved in the campaign to make Scotland a Fairtrade Nation >>

Become a Fairtrade school and embed issues about trade justice into your curriculum >>