Innovative workshops are a hit in the classroom
Innovative, interactive workshops tackling a number of issues affecting young people are being delivered by Warwickshire County Council’s Positive about Young People programme.
Earlier this year, a pilot project called ‘Your Streets, Your Schools’ was offered to a small number of schools encouraging year six students to creatively develop positive messages - through music, dance, drama, art of lyric-based activities - highlighting the consequences of becoming involved in gangs.
The two-and-a-half hour sessions raised awareness of what a gang is, identified why young people joined gangs, investigated the choices they have, and how to avoid or get out of a gang.
Due to the projects success, the workshops are being developed with the addition of another topic for schools to choose from, bullying.
Other tailored subjects will also be available covering anti-social behaviour, knife crime, 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.
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.
“Students and teachers have given us lots of positive feedback in the pilot and the subsequent demand for workshops has been fantastic, so we’re really excited about the development of the programme and the way it has been received so far.”
Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “Young people have really embraced this exciting project and it is very pleasing that hundreds of students will benefit from the workshops across the county.”
To find out more about Warwickshire County Council’s Positive about Young People programme or for details of the nearest activity session to you, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/payp.