This document outlines an approach to promoting community cohesion through active citizenship education. It describes a 4-step method: 1) Ask students to question their communities, 2) Connect with local stakeholders, 3) Support students to take action to enact change, and 4) Enrich students' experiences. Examples are given of projects where students identified local safety issues, worked with councils and designers to improve areas, and debated topics with police and politicians. The goal is to give students leadership skills to enact positive change in their communities.

1. The Contribution of Active Citizenship Education to Community Cohesion Ben Hammond Lead Organiser, London Citizen Schools Alliance London Citizenship Advisor, ACT Former Citizenship Co-ordinator, Deptford Green School [email_address]

2. 1. AIM

3. Aim: to promote a form of Community Cohesion in which... ‘ Our Shared Future’ – Commission on Integration & Cohesion June 2007

4. Do + See/hear = LEARN

6. 2. METHOD

8. METHOD: 4 steps to community cohesion... ASK Enable students to question their communities and communicate opinions about them CONNECT Link with key local, national and global stakeholders Develop ‘Change Actions’, ways for all students to take action to change an aspect of the community they have identified. ENTITLE ENRICH Support young people who wish to take further action

9. Y7 Headstart Research : Your Voice; Your Action 1. At the beginning of year 7 you said that street safety was your biggest concern… Students in Year 7 are asked this question in their first ever Citizenship lesson, which is followed a few weeks later by a tour and investigation of local community safety ‘hotspots’.

10. Students vote for a local underpass as the hotspot which most concerns them. The Citizenship department engages the Council and The Landscape Partnership, an urban design company, to work with students to help improve the underpass.

11. Students visit the underpass and produce designs for how it could be changed. These feed into the official design process which culminates in 3 designs, which students ‘road test’ with users of the underpass.

12. One representative of each class is elected as an ‘underpass expert’ – they present the year group’s work to the council and lobby them to fund the new design. They succeed – and secure £500,000 of Transport for London funding.

13. Every student in the school is asked in a 1-question survey what they would like to study during our annual ‘week of voices’ – where students’ learning is focused on developing their ‘voices’ and the skills needed to articulate it powerfully

14. With students having chosen to learn about young people and crime, Lewisham Council, the Metropolitan Police in Lewisham, and broad London-wide campaign group the Enough! Coalition are engaged to work with students on the outcomes of the week.

15. Every student in the school takes part in projects based around young people and crime. Here, year 8 students make photo stories for the Young Mayor for Lewisham explaining what their opinions are on young people and crime – its affects, causes and solutions

16. 150 students, staff, parents, public sector representatives and and community groups The week culminates in the week of voices showcase, an event highlighting students’ learning and reflections on young people, crime and the media. It includes a young people’s debate with the MET police and council. The event is reported on by a team of student reporters.

17. In schools and colleges across London student leaders ask other students what they most want changed about their community...

18. Teams of student leaders from 20+ schools, colleges and youth groups attend a Young Delegate’s assembly, to work out a Young People’s Agenda for London... They debate, discuss, persuade, suggest and end up with 3 issues and 3 ideas for change...

23. Meanwhile, students go back to their schools to tell the school what has been decided at the Delegate’s assembly, and to motivate students to come to the big power players event...

24. Organisers contact the people responsible for the issues the young people want changed, and are invited to attend an Young Citizens’ Assembly to commit to working with the young people on their agenda...

25. The Young Citizens’ Assembly at the IndigO2 April 1 st 2009, 1pm to 3pm.

26. March 6 th Young Citizens’ Assembly 1500 young people – united together – to change London

29. 3. Outcomes

30. £500,000 to redesign a local safety hotspot

31. 1000 signatures to improve road safety for all around Deptford Green

32. Launch of the Lewisham Enough! Coalition – to make youth violence history

33. 15 students spending 3 hours questioning Total Oil’s Chief Executive on his investment policy in Burma

34. Over 75% of students voting in school council elections for the past 4 years

35. Where next? www.citizenschools.org.uk To download this powerpoint and see all the latest CitizenSchools news http://forum.citizenschools.org.uk Forum to share ideas, questions, discussions, resources www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk Professional subject association