Community Organising in Schools and Colleges
THIS 5-PART, ONLINE, TRAINING IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEADERS, COVERING THE FOLLOWING:
- Module 1: Building Power
- Module 2: Planning and Strategy
- Module 3: Taking Action
- Module 4: Planning Ahead
- Module 5: Evaluation as a Tool for Leadership Development
Why is this programme needed?
Communities are increasingly under pressure. The many issues faced by our young people and their families aren’t getting any better. People, more than often, feel powerless when it comes to influencing decisions which can benefit them and their communities. This leads, in turn, to a mistrust in democracy.
Our answer to this:
Through the method of Community Organising we enable local leaders to develop their voice and come together with the power and strategy to make real change.
Aims of this training:
- Get a clearer understanding of what community organising is and what it can look like in a school/college
- Develop a clear understanding of how a cycle of action can be developed with a school/college
- Get a clearer understanding of how a school/college can play an active role in its local citizens alliance
I gained a lot from these sessions and feel clear about how I can put things into practice. I’m left with a stronger appreciation for the fact that we all have access to power, especially if we set out to build relationships in our schools and communities effectively by organising around shared interests.
Natasha Boyce, RE teacher, LiFE Multi-Academy Trust, Leicester & Leicestershire Citizens
This training has given us much to think about and implement. In our roles, we are used to sharing our own personal story to build rapport with the pupils and parents we support. Learning about how story-telling can also be a technique to build relationships through which we can build powerful teams that act effectively for social change was particularly enlightening. Thank you for this brilliant opportunity!
Claire Crow and Tina Simbo, Link Workers at North East Wellbeing, Tyne & Wear Citizens
Autumn Term Training (2024)
Dates: Wednesdays, starting on Wednesday 6 November 2024 and finishing on Wednesday 4 December.
Times: 4:00-5:30pm
Registration process: After registering onto your preferred cohort, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link you will need to access for each session. Please save this in your online calendar.
Summer Term Training (2025)
Dates: Wednesdays, starting on Wednesday 4 June 2025 and finishing on Wednesday 2 July 2025.
Times: 4:00-5:30pm
Registration process: After registering onto your preferred cohort, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link you will need to access for each session. Please save this in your online calendar.
Frequently Asked Question
What costs are involved?
Organisations that are in dues-paying membership with Citizens UK can access this training for free.
Schools and other educational institutions that are thinking about becoming a member of Citizens UK may also access this programme, at a cost of £200. Please, do get in touch to discuss.
How does this training programme differ from other training offered by Citizens UK?
We recognise that due to the pressure that schools are under, it can be very difficult to send staff on our Regional (3-day) or National (6-day) residential training courses, or on our non-residential training days run locally by your Citizens Chapter.
This training is meant to be more accessible to education leaders. However, it doesn't replace the more in-depth training which you are encouraged to enrol in at a later stage!
Contact: please contact your local Community Organiser to discuss how our Schools and Colleges Programme fits within your membership plans and those of your local Citizens alliance.
Community Organising resources for Schools and Colleges
The quality of the relationship between the school and the other major stakeholder in a child’s life – the parents – are often considered in passing by the inspection regime. The relationships with the neighbouring institutions never considered and the context of the child’s life and learning experience a political football. Citizens UK has tried to remain true to the original vision of building and sustaining ‘the polis’...which includes schools, to ‘teach the art of politics in action’.
Neil Jameson CBE, Founder of Citizens UK
Hungry For Change
Brand new book featuring case studies from across Citizens UK...
Too often we think and rely on our government to instigate change and address harsh inequalities in the lives of everyday citizens; those of poverty and lack of access to adequate housing all of which impact the educational experiences of young people – and we are often disappointed as we are left to our own devices. The projects in this book have shown that Citizens UK is a force for good, one that works from the ground up, taking into consideration the perspective of those most affected by inequalities and to ensure their needs are met.
Professor Kalwant Bhopal, Professor of Education and Social Justice & Director of the Centre for Research in Race & Education, University of Birmingham
