Your Streets Your Schools project proves a hit
An innovative, interactive workshop warning young people about the dangers of gang culture is proving a success in the classroom.
Delivered by Warwickshire County Council’s Positive about Young People programme, ‘Your Streets Your Schools’ aims to raise awareness of what a gang is, identify why people join gangs, investigate the choices young people have, the consequences of joining a gang and how to avoid or get out of a gang.
The two-and-a-half hour sessions encourage year 6 students to creatively develop a positive message that they can perform to their peers using music, dance, drama, art or lyric-based activities.
Workshops can also be adapted to cover a range of other topics such as anti-social behaviour, knife crime, bullying, substance misuse or racism; all designed to challenge or offer different views for students to consider.
Schools are then encouraged to further develop ideas collected during the sessions through PSHE and citizenship curriculum work, to help young people take ownership of a project that can be promoted in their local community.
A number of pilot sessions have already been delivered in 14 schools in Nuneaton, Rugby, Southam and Water Orton, receiving very positive feedback.
Michael Maguire, Head of Warwickshire County Council’s Positive about Young People programme, said: “Your Streets Your Schools is designed to challenge young people’s perceptions and get them to think about potential consequences to their actions, not just with gangs but a range of other issues.
“We simply introduce the initial scenario and offer some alternative views, and the students develop the positive messages, come up with the best way to deliver that and continue to build on that in the community.
“We’ve had some incredibly positive feedback from teachers and young people, and hope this will be a very useful tool for schools.”
Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “This is fantastic project encouraging young people to do something very positive for their school and community, and they should be very proud to take part.”
The High Sheriff of Warwickshire, Richard Hardy, has attended one of the pilot sessions, and said: “I found the whole session really uplifting and there is no doubt that the class got a huge amount out of the afternoon”.
To find out more information regarding Warwickshire County Council’s Positive about Young People programme, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/payp.