A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY WW.UCSU.ME/ECOSCHOOLS
DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY
The Project. The Eco Warriors programme is a sustainability themed, student-led volunteering project which has been developed by the University of Cumbria’s Students Union (UCSU) with support from the National Union of Students (NUS). It aims to support schools in the University’s locality to engage their pupils in wildlife, growing, their local environment and sustainability whilst simultaneously developing the experience, knowledge and skills of University of Cumbria (UoC) students. In addition, it is hoped the project will enhance the positive reputation of University of Cumbria students, and the value of the volunteering projects they undertake within the local community. Eco warrior schools is unique in its adaptability. Working closely with the school and class teachers, Eco Warrior schools works to find curriculum relevant topics that can be enhanced with practical workshops and activities.
Sustainability“Meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”
4
What’s in it for us…? This project has many benefits for all involved, and for sustainability as a cause. To name a few:
FOR SCHOOLS & THEIR STUDENTS… - Improved facilities to engage pupils in sustainability related experiences - Helps gain/maintain eco-schools status - Provides extra resources and support to promote environmental stewardship and global citizenship to pupils - Gives children opportunity to see what studying at university is about - Enhances learning & gives practical sustainability experience
FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS… - Training to gain a wealth of skills and knowledge – team skills, communication, professional skills, project management etc. - Practical experience to practice these skills - Improved CV and employability - Increased understanding of new working environments
FOR THE COMMUNITY… - Students and schools working together in partnership - Stronger links between community organisations and the university
FOR THE UNIVERSITY… - Potential research opportunities and lecture content - Real life scenarios that link to the curriculum - Opportunities for students to develop employability skills - Building community bridges locally around each campus 5
Aims. 1. To give UCSU Students positive experience and opportunities in Local schools 2. To create a sustainable knowledge base within the student body 3. Influence peer groups and future career paths to be more sustainable 4. To create a network of sustainability knowledge involving Students, University, Schools, Pupils and Teachers. 5. To create positive links between UCSU and the community 6. To enhance the student experience with CV building opportunities
Objectives. 1. Create relationships with local schools a. Use premade connections and relationships with schools. Look into working with new schools 2. Recruit student volunteers to participate in the project 3. Train students in sustainability, project management, workshop design & delivery 4. Coordinate with schools to determine age group, number of students, time frames, project theme etc. 5. Design, research and develop workshops to deliver in schools 6. Successfully deliver workshops within schools 7. Gain Feedback via surveys with volunteers, schools and pupils
Step one. Engage with a school. Making a positive impression with a school from the very beginning is essential for building a strong and profitable relationship. This is a great opportunity to enhance existing relationships and make new ones! Whether it be with a school that a volunteer has already worked with, a school that Eco Warriors have already visited or a new school entirely. A great way of making initial contact is to send a physical letter, they’re so rare these days that they tend to catch people’s attention, where emails can fall by the wayside. If you already have contact details of an environmental lead, or class teacher at a school, a phone call can work just as well. It is worthwhile making contact with the intended school at least 2 months before you would like to deliver a project, to give you time to prepare the remainder of the project, this also gives you time to adapt to feedback. 6
An example of letter text
UCSU University of Cumbria Fusehill street Carlisle Cumbria CA12HH
Dear …. I am writing to you to discover whether one of our new projects would be of interest to your institution. At the University of Cumbria Students’ Union (UCSU) as part of our award winning sustainability programme EcoUCSU we have developed a Student led Volunteering opportunity, Eco Warrior Schools. Throughout this program we aim to work alongside schools in the local community, to deliver sustainability themed workshops, free of charge, to primary school children. We hope to engage children (and staff) in the sustainability movement from a young age by providing them with necessary facilities and knowledge to aid skill development, which they can then utilise in their adult lives. Examples of such skills can range from the ability to grow their own food to upcycling their old clothes and belongings. Ultimately, the project aims to empower children to become eco-power rangers! The project supports UCSU Volunteers to design, develop and deliver flexible, active project days within local schools, such as establishing garden spaces, wildlife patches and delivering themed workshops. All activities are tailored to your institution’s individual requirements and the curriculum relevant to the pupils. In previous years, this project has helped schools work towards criteria for national award schemes, such as ‘Eco Schools’ and RHS School Gardening, and gain fantastic awards! In the event that your institution is already engaged with these schemes, or would be interested in doing so in the future, then our project can significantly boost both your application and projects through their framework by providing a ‘hands on’, active approach to sustainability. This opportunity will not only be of huge benefit to both your school and pupils but will also provide teacher training students and students from other disciplines from UoC with essential voluntary opportunities, namely to train within the area of sustainability and learn new and different ways to deliver sustainability within a classroom environment. In addition to providing your pupils with a new skills set this project also aims to raise the aspirations of children by helping them to network with university students, which in turn will give them an insight into university life and the many opportunities available. We would be very interested in coming to meet with you to discuss the project further and how it can be of benefit to your institution. Please contact ****** on **** We look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely,
7
Step two.
Meet with School and Coordinate dates. When meeting with a school initially, it is good to broadly introduce the project. Sustainability as a term can cover so many topics and themes that it is useful to allow conversation to flow without leading the school in a particular direction. Most topics will have an angle of sustainability involved that can be linked to.
Questions to ask. - Does the school currently run any environmental/sustainability schemes? E.g. Eco Schools or RHS Gardening Schools; or would they like to in future? (This project is great for helping with evidence & applications) - What is currently being studied in the curriculum in general, or in relation to the environment/sustainability? - What is the schools outlook on Sustainability? Is there a person that is respon sible for related activities? - Which year group could most benefit from this project? Could this fit into a Golden time-esk period? - Is there a particular subject they would like covering by the project? It’s helpful to be able to theme activity days. - How many sessions would they like? And with what year group/key stage? Don’t over commit yourself, it is often better to deliver less sessions well, than lots and not have time to prepare thoroughly - How many children will be involved? - Do Volunteers need DBS checks? Or will supervision be provided by teaching assistants? - When would they like project delivery? Dates and which term? - Date of your next meeting. - Do we have consent to take photographs? You need to disclose what you will be using the photos for before they give consent.
Ideal Outcomes
(not to worry at this stage if you don’t have exact dates set) PROJECT THEME POTENTIAL DATES FOR DELIVERY SIZE AND ABILITY OF GROUP POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP DOCUMENT CORRELATING ALL INFORMATION DATE OF NEXT MEETING 8
Step Three. Recruit Student Volunteers. Volunteers are an essential element of this project, without Volunteers the project cannot go ahead, so getting the recruitment element just right is essential. Students often want to know what they can get out of an opportunity, there’s plenty to choose from: - Transferable skills- team work, workshop delivery, presentation skills, design and development etc. - Valuable practical experience - Community links - CV builders - Experience working with children - In-house training - New knowledge – things like ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) and other environment/sustainability information - Positive personal experiences - New relationships
It is also great to be able to let them know exactly when they will be able to volunteer their time and for how long. Setting dates with schools as early as possible is great for getting Volunteers to commit to specific dates and times. Showing potential volunteers your enthusiasm for the project is essential, and giving them examples of what has been done previously can also help create excitement around the project. It is important to emphasise that it is not just a project for those interested in the environment or sustainability, but those who are interested in working with children, project management, and much more.. Ensure you get students names, email addresses and potentially a phone number (not essential) who are interested so you can get in touch with them again. You can use social media, web pages, physical promotion and any other method to interact with Students. We have found Google Doc forms useful for sign ups and taking down information. https://www.google.com/forms/about/ 9
Flyers with dates on are ideal for handing out at events and around campus.
Step Four. Train Volunteers. Ensuring all volunteers are all at the same knowledge level is essential for maintaining morale and confidence in delivery. A training session must be held with all volunteers wishing to take part in the project. This is to bring them up to speed on the basics of sustainability, and project management. Training slides are available already, and can be requested by contacting your SU contact (these can be edited to fit your specific project). Sustainability basics can also be found on our online module www.greenermindsmodule.co.uk
10
DBS Checks – most schools will want volunteers to be DBS checked (check with them what they require in your initial meetings). This means that their criminal record will need to be checked to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Volunteers can get a DBS check for free - your SU contact can help with this. https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview
Step Five. Make a spider diagram of ideas. By this point you should already have a theme given to you by the school you are planning to work with. You will also need to use the time scale, number of sessions (and how long), the ability of & number of children you will be working with. Its ideal at this stage to know how many volunteers you will have at each session too. Spend time talking through ideas big and small, find links between different ideas. Once you have given time to getting to grips with the theme, narrow down your ideas into feasible sessions, working them into basic lesson plans. Create a responsibilities list, and a resource list. Giving each member of the team a responsibility helps spread the work-load, and also keeps all team members engaged. (examples available from your SU contact)
Step 6.
Present ideas to school for feedback. Creating an effective document that summarises all your plans - resources and responsibilities included- for the group and school teachers to have is very effective and ensures all parties have the session information to refer back to. Organise a meeting with the school to gain feedback on your plans; 2-3 Volunteers is ideal for this form of presentation. Ensure that you all know the proposed project well in case the school have any unexpected questions! Take on board comments- make sure you fully understand the comments being made so you can adapt the project plans to better suit the school.
Step 7. Adapt & Risk assess projects. Risk assessing an activity is essential for raising awareness, both your own and others that are involved in the project, of the potential risks involved and how these can be minimised.
11
An example risk assessment can be gained from your SU contact, from previous projects. Try to explore all the elements of the project you are planning to deliver, think of all the possible risks that could develop, their severity and how they could be appeased, write all this down and send it to your SU contact to be checked and signed off. Send an approved copy to the school and all the volunteers involved to be aware of.
Step 8. Gather resources. Make a list - although laughed at, they are essential for keeping on track! Volunteers are the most valuable resource in this project, so make sure you have commitment from Volunteers to specific sessions- you need to know how healthy your Adult:Child ratio will be. If you have commitment to different sessions, each volunteer can then be tasked to find resources. Determine whether you have any budget and how much, allocate said budget between sessions and resources. If you require funding from elsewhere, there are various funding pots that you can apply to within the University and Wider community. Speak with your SU contact about this and see if they can help you out.
Step 9. Deliver Workshops. This is the fun bit! Ensure you have all your resources ready, meet and brief your team of volunteers around an hour before delivery to ensure everyone knows what is happening, when, and the risks involved. Have fun, and enjoy the experience- use this as a learning opportunity, experiment with teaching techniques or observe others, this really is an opportunity for you to make the most of! Ensure you communicate well with the teaching staff throughout the project delivery, more often than not they are more than happy to help, provide a few resources or even get involved in the session too if you’re struggling for adults. Effective communication is key.
12
Step 10 Give yourself a pat on the back. After each session give yourself a pat on the back, by this stage in the project you have done an incredible amount of work and learnt a lot, so well done!! Give yourself a couple of days to think about the session, and meet with your team. Have a reflection session where you look at how the session went, how it may be improved etc. It is really important to reflect as much as possible after sessions, while the project is still running to get the most out of your own experience and to deliver quality sessions to the schools. Use this as a constructive session rather than a critical session to develop.
Step 11. Gain feedback. Ask the school for feedback, you can ask specific questions or request general feedback, this can be face to face or virtual, often people are more honest in online surveys – we have used Survey monkey in the past. Ask your SU contact if you can use the Student Union account!
13
Its always nice to get feedback from the children that took part- this can be done at the end of each session with a simple ‘Stand up if you enjoyed…’ activity. Some teachers may ask their classes to write you letters or cards- it is always worth asking for. Give each other feedback- peer feedback can be extremely useful, where you may think you came across terribly at some point, others may have seen it as brilliance. Let each other know what you think they were good at or what they can work on… but be kind!
Step 12... Nearly there!!
Coordinate plans for the next project. Make a plan for the next project before you all head off in your separate ways- which term will you do it in? Which school will you coordinate with? Is there an opportunity to work with the same school again? Who is going to be the Team coordinator to get you all together again? Get the cogs going sooner rather than later!
UCSU’s top tips for keeping Volunteers Engaged. Regular communication and contact – keep in touch, send updates and keep momentum and enthusiasm for the project going. Give individual Volunteers roles and responsibilities, this helps to give them a sense of belonging. Badges/lanyards/tshirts can also help with this. Meet regularly so people stay involved. If meetings are few and far between it is easy to forget. Communicate the meeting discussions and outcomes to those who were unable to make it along. Make your volunteers feel valued and part of the team; such as listening to their ideas and involving volunteers in making decisions. Make volunteers feel appreciated – always say thank you after an activity. Encourage volunteers to work to their own skills sets and interests during the project. Some may be really good at organising, others may be really creative. Be enthusiastic yourself. Volunteers always feel more inspired if the people leading the group are enthusiastic too.
14
Resources available from your SU Contact. PLEASE USE THESE RESOURCES TO BEST BENEFIT YOURSELVES. YOU CAN EDIT THEM TO FIT YOUR PROJECT AND STYLE. - INITIAL CONTACT LETTER - PHOTO CONSENT LETTER - EXAMPLE RISK ASSESSMENT (WHICH CAN BE EDITED) - TRAINING SLIDES - LOGOS - WORKSHOP OUTLINES - PLANNING TOOLS - BLANK PROJECT PLANS - EXAMPLE PROJECT PLANS - EXAMPLE SCHOOL BRIEF - EXAMPLE STUDENT ROLE PROFILE - EXAMPLE SIGN UP SHEET - CERTIFICATE TEMPLATE. - LANYARDS
15
Useful contacts. UCSU general enquiries – student.union@cumbria.ac.uk Kati Brown (Volunteer Facilitator) – kati.brown@cumbria.ac.uk Emma Egglestone (Student opportunities Manager) – emma.egglestone@cumbria.ac.uk Robert Ward (Student Groups Facilitator) – Robert.ward@cumbria.ac.uk Jeanne Gate (Events and Merchendise) Jen does a lot of the Fresher’s week organisation- if you would like a table, or to be at the fresher’s fairs to advertise an opportunity contact her. Jeanne.gate@cumbria.ac.uk Adam Lewis (Research and Communcations Facilitator) – Adam can help you with feedback surveys, social media posts and many more communications related tasks. Adam.lewis@cumbria.ac.uk
Schools contacts. Bowerham Primary school, Lancaster Heather Dawson (Year 1 class teacher) hdawson@bowerham.lancs.sch.uk Carolyn Pottinger (Reception teacher & Eco coordinator for school) cpottinger@bowerham.lancs.sch.uk