Citizenship champions
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Bradford College
Post-16 Citizenship activity at Bradford College
Bradford College Citizenship Project focuses on the active nature of the subject. We encourage our students to learn through real life experiences and activities, through organising events and involvement in local, national and international campaigns. Some of the activities we have organised since the beginning of the academic year are as follows:
Campaign Against Climate Change
Young environmental activists from different Level 3 courses were encouraged by the Citizenship team to take part in a campaign to raise awareness of climate issues in local areas and the wider world through meetings and film showing events. As a result, students booked a coach from Bradford to London to attend a 10,000 - strong national demonstration on the 3 December 2005. In order to raise funds, students organised a sponsored walk to Penyghent. Following the demonstration, students gave a presentation to their fellow students at Bradford College, which can be viewed on the national Campaign Against Climate Change website.
European Social Forum
Eleven students from Level 3 courses, AS Citizenship and AS World Development, and three staff attended this extraordinary political gathering where people from across Europe will come together. The ESF aims to mobilise ordinary citizens to take an active part in their local community in order to influence national and international politics. Our students will have the chance to meet their European counterparts and exchange views on many political issues, such as identity and the European Union; racism and Islamophobia in the 21st century in Europe; the welfare state and its provision within the European union; the war in Iraq and the anti war movement in Europe; Citizenship and the role of active citizens in European politics. Our students have found this event very useful in helping them to learn more about their European counterparts and European politics. Each year students return with a better understanding of their own identity within Europe and a sense of belonging, which is reflected in their behaviour when they return. Young people from Bradford College gave a presentation for their colleagues after this year’s event in order to share their experiences.
Active Global Citizenship
As part of our active citizenship study, our students decided to tackle a global issue. The chosen topic was universal education for all children in Africa. Through their research they agreed to work on Kenya. First we made contact with a primary school in Kisumi in Kenya. We also gathered information about the Kenyan education system and the problems they are facing. This projects involves two stages:
1. Raising awareness of problems in Kenya in the college and wider community in Bradford. The young people organised fund raising events to raise awareness of the political and social problems in Kenya and money for our sister school in Kenya.
2. Trip to Kisumi to help Rachier School students and staff. Young people and staff from Bradford travelled to Kisumi in June to deliver the funds raised and see the situation first hand.
Citizenship coordinator's top tips for setting up post-16 citizenship activity:
- Enthusiastic and subject specialist staff are crucial for post-16 Citizenship projects in college based projects. You have to have a good team to promote projects to staff and learners. You will also need to get your senior management team behind you.
- Involvement of learners is important for high performance and achievement of the project itself. Let learners lead the project and decide what activity they would like to be involved in. The tutor's job should be facilitating and giving guidance through the activity.
- To encourage learners, organise training days with an outside speaker/consultant preferably outside the college environment, and get involved in local/national campaigns in which learners can meet new people and their peers from different parts of the country or world.
- Above all, be active yourself and don't be afraid to try new ways of teaching, follow some of your learners' suggestions.
How this organisation could help you:
We would welcome any colleagues to our college to find out about our project and also would provide a presentation by our Citizenship Ambassadors either in their school/college or in our college. We would also be happy to share our resources.
Contact information
Name of citizenship coordinator: Umit K.Yildiz
Citizenship coordinator’s telephone:
01274 433160
Citizenship coordinator’s email:
u.yildiz@bradfordcollege.ac.uk
Organisation website:
www.bilk.ac.uk
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