Ideas for school staff
Published byThey way school staff relate to young people sends strong messages about the way youth are valued. Youth Week is a chance to highlight or launch activities and practices that empower students. You can also use Youth Week to show the community the amazing this young people and your school are doing.
Here are some ideas and links to information useful for schools wanting to support Youth Week.
See also the young people in schools section.
Ideas for supporting young people's involvement in their educationYouth participation in schools - includes practical ideas (PDF)
Making it happen ..: Strengthening youth development in schools (external link)
Setting up and supporting a school council (external link)
Ideas for supporting young people's involvement in their educationThe following are everyday activities that adults can do to support, empower, and involve students throughout the education system.
1. Have a real conversation with a student. Ask a student what they want to do find out how you can help make that happen.
2. Actively support student-led action in whatever way possible, including working with student's out-of-school to accomplish their goals in education.
3. Start a resource library at your school that will inspire students to make change. Include books, websites, and organisations working on democracy, social change, school improvement, and youth power.
4. Use active learning methods to teach students about education, including service learning and constructivism. Build on what they already know.
5. Develop a student-adult partnership programme in your school where students and educators can actually discuss school together.
6. Create a student action centre in your school for students to become involved in changing their school and communities.
7. Use participatory action research in your classroom for students to take action in your school.
8. Be an advocate for students at school meetings. Make sure students are at the table whenever your school is making choices about students.
9. Create classroom lesson plans that actively engage students in critical thinking about education and action that changes schools.
10. Make students concerns visible in your school by posting them in your classroom and sharing them at meetings where adults are. Find other information like this on the Sound Out website. Sound Out work to promote meaningful student involvement in school and are based in the USA:http://www.soundout.org/article.101.html
