“The pandemic indeed disrupted our programme. Our collection of plastic bottles was not disposed of as intended. Children’s donations await delivery to charity. Projects are stalled. But safety and well-being of our participants remain paramount, so we are contented with our current accomplishment. We continue to encourage participants to pursue IGCA activities at home and we are happy to report that our younger ones engaged with the global issue with the #StoptheSpreadCampaign and with the guidance of their social studies teachers created inspiring cards that were sent to the patients and medical workers. Samples can be viewed through this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Leayrs_zUMeX_wyFvcGzdAH7xt05kff9?usp=sharing.
Participants in high grades are writing their reflections, which we are waiting to determine their qualification for the awards.
We definitely have candidates for the awards for Bronze and Pre-Silver (we intend to propose this to recognize qualified achievers). But we plan to do the formal awarding when the school resumes, hopefully soon, in 2020, so we can do it in front of the school community with parents of the awardees, and perhaps with the local charity chosen by the awardees.
APG School wishes the other centres round the world safety and resiliency in this difficult time.”
The direct personal contact between individual students and individual Covid-19 patients or medical workers is an admirable way for students to become involved in the effort to combat the virus, without putting their own health at risk.
Participants in high grades are writing their reflections, which we are waiting to determine their qualification for the awards.
We definitely have candidates for the awards for Bronze and Pre-Silver (we intend to propose this to recognize qualified achievers). But we plan to do the formal awarding when the school resumes, hopefully soon, in 2020, so we can do it in front of the school community with parents of the awardees, and perhaps with the local charity chosen by the awardees.
APG School wishes the other centres round the world safety and resiliency in this difficult time.”
The direct personal contact between individual students and individual Covid-19 patients or medical workers is an admirable way for students to become involved in the effort to combat the virus, without putting their own health at risk.
▬Bronze level 50 ▬ Silver level 21 ▬Gold level 33
In total, Middle School at PWS has made a total of 1307 awards since it introduced the programme in 2013-14:
Bronze 814, Silver 360, Gold 133
Completion of the programme and the award process has been held up by school closure for Covid-19, and there will be additional awards later this year after students return to school.
In addition, there are awards that have been made since 2014 by Senior School, which counts its awards separately.
It is great to see the programme continuing strongly this year at PWS, where a large number of teachers are engaged in mentoring and supporting students.
Pathma is linking with organisations working in the same direction. As part of this initiative Pathma is promoting the development of compassionate young people through the IGCA.. Pathma draws on her experience at Pathways World School, Aravali, where she worked until recently.
Pathma says: “I would love to hear from any like-minded person and would be happy to receive other “Conversations” that I could post on the website too.”
Visit the Conversations on Compassion website at:
https://conversationsoncompassion.com/
Modified arrangements for IGCA Awards during the Covid-19 pandemic
Many schools have been closed or considerably scaled back during this continuing Covid-19 pandemic. This has disrupted external examinations, and examining bodies such as the International Baccalaureate and GCE A level examination boards have put in place exceptional arrangements. Students are receiving awards on the basis of work completed up to the time of school closure, and without external examinations.
A degree of flexibility also seems appropriate in making IGCA awards this year.
Some participants are continuing their Award activities on a limited scale during school closure, and will be able to resume their regular Award activities when schools return to fuller levels of activity.
However, there are some students, particularly those in their last year at the school, who will not be able to complete their IGCA programme before leaving the school. We do not have arrangements for individual participants to continue their participation in the IGCA. (IGCA participants must be undertaking activities at an IGCA centre, where they can receive mentoring, and, at silver and gold levels, engage in mentoring of other participants. Participants are also involved in the award process itself, recognising the development of fellow participants during the programme.) It does not seem fair to participants who are leaving school this year that they should fail to receive an IGCA award because of circumstances entirely beyond their control.
While it is important that the IGCA awards are made seems in a way that is credible and complies with the international framework, it does seem entirely appropriate that schools should exercise an appropriate level of flexibility this year in considering awards for such participants.
Schools make the IGCA awards themselves, and should exercise their own judgement in making exceptional awards.
You may wish to bear in mind:
1. length of participation in the programme. A minimum of six months’ participation is required for each level. A minimum of four months participation this year might be reasonable.
2. Final panel presentations, where participants describe and reflect on their IGCA journey to a panel of people from school and, perhaps, outside the school, may not be feasible. For gold level, a panel presentation is required. Schools may also use panel presentations for bronze or silver levels.
It seems reasonable to consider making awards this year without such panel presentations, where it is not possible to arrange them.
To emphasise again, schools are encouraged to use judgement in making awards this year to take into account the exceptional circumstances that mean that leaving students may not be able to complete the usual requirements. As always, you will wish to ensure that the credibility of the programme within the school is maintained.
Some global citizenship videos
The benefits of global citizenship
Global citizen video
A short and pithy video outlining the characteristics of global citizens. From the NGO Participate Learning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Jy2iPfVX8
What is global citizenship education?
A short video from UNESCO’s GCED (Global Citizenship Education) initiative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLZjZvu0qGU
Global citizenship reflections from Australian school students
In a YouTube trawl, I came across some very recent postings from a number of Australian students. They had a task of producing a video to record and reflect on an interview they conducted with someone with a different outlook or background who had made a stand on something they cared deeply about. The students comment very articulately on what they learned from the interview. Reflection is an aspect of global citizenship work that students and teachers find challenging. IGCA participants may find these videos give them some ideas or thoughts.
Remember that we have IGCA “Face to Face” materials for students to interview someone from a different background.
You can find them on the IGCA Ning site at:
http://igcaward.ning.com/forum/topics/face-to-face-interviews-developing-a-better-understanding-of
Polly Donovan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU7Q565GsEs
Pallavi Singh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wYKJgLMdyg&list=WL&index=17&t=0s
Thanh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JhpHHrrTtk
Vivien S.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ga-h1retys
Some teaching materials for lockdown
The following materials may be helpful for work with IGCA participants during school closures.
The Illegal Wildlife Trade
Materials from WWF UK for primary aged (to 11) and lower secondary (11-14) students.
https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools/illegal-wildlife-trade#resources
Plastics and recycling
A PowerPoint presentation (which could be viewed by students alone) and activities from the Young People’s Trust for the Environment.
Although relating to the UK context, most is relevant elsewhere.
https://ypte.org.uk/lesson-plans/food-packaging-and-recycling
Transform Our World has collated resources from a number of sources relevant to global citizenship.
https://www.transform-our-world.org/top-resources
As always, any news, views or ideas will be most welcome.
Stay safe, stay well.
All best wishes
Boyd