A student’s guide to United World Schools
United World Schools brings educational opportunity to those who would otherwise have none. Our efforts are part of a global mission to teach the unreached, supporting children and communities in remote and marginalised communities. We believe all children deserve the chance to go to school and gain an education. And if you believe in taking action to support this, you are a global citizen. Can you tell me more about UWS? Since 2009, over ten thousand previously out-of-school children afflicted by poverty have been reached via43 UWS Schools in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal. Basic reading, writing and counting skills can transform their lives. Can you tell me more about active global citizenship? A global citizen cares passionately about others and the world they live in, taking action to support causes they believe in.
The badge is just one way we recognise and reward active global citizens who believe in making a difference and who support the UWS movement. Together with our network of Partner Schools, we help transform the lives of thousands of some of the poorest children in the world. Global citizenship is about far more than just fundraising: it is an opportunity for you to take a lead, be active and join a movement that touches the lives of all those involved.
UWS sees a Global Citizen as someone who:
I s aware of the wider world H as a sense of their role as a world citizen R espects and values diversity W ants to tackle social injustice B elieves that all children and young people have a right to an education T akes action to make the world more equitable L ives and promotes a sustainable way of life
1. Select your badge. You may wish to start at bronze level and work up, or go straight for gold! 2. Plan your activities and what evidence you will collect, based on the Learn, Share & Act framework. 3. Share, compare and improve your ideas by working with classmates, teachers and others completing the badge.
4. Self-assess your evidence against the criteria provided 5. Present your evidence to your teacher when you feel all criteria are met. If they agree, send it off to the UWS team. 6. If successful, receive your certificate and badge! If you have areas to develop, review your progress with your teachers and friends, then resubmit your updated evidence.
Bronze Global Citizenship Badge
UWS
For anyone interested in
UWS
E nhanced commitment through
supporting a school
the UWS Silver Award
No age limit, typically
T ypically for 11-16 year olds,
achieved in 2-3 days
Gold Global Citizenship Badge
Silver Global Citizenship Badge
15 – 30 hours over 6+ months
UWS
Platinum Global Citizenship Badge
UWS
Demonstrates ongoing excellence and
For the ultimate UWS ambassadors
commitment through the Gold Award 14 years +, typically achieved over 12 months or more
16 years +, links to career and higher
and champions education pathways
UWS This means I...
Example Evidence
Learn
...know and understand global values
A project; piece of writing; speech; classroom display; poster
Share
…talk and write about global values with my school community
A presentation in class or assembly; school newsletter article; plan and tell students about an event or challenge
Act
…am an active participant in UWS events in school
Photos and write up from a personal or team sponsored challenge
“ My name is Jo, I’m 10, and I have been working for my Bronze Award. Our teacher showed us a video from the UWS website about what life is like in a village in Cambodia. Then we learned about the school that we are linked with – UWS Chai Thom School. The children are very poor but now they can read and write. We did a project about life in the village. We wanted to help them so we told our parents and friends about the school and did a sponsored hop around the football pitch called “Leg Up for UWS” to raise money for the children at Chai Dor. Our target was to each raise £5. I raised £11.40. We had our picture from the day in the local newspaper too. ”
UWS This means I...
Example Evidence
Learn
...connect personal and global values. ...relate knowledge and understanding of global values to personal experiences and ambitions. e.g. Why global values are important to me…
An essay; cross-curricular project; pieces of artwork; produces a video; creates a blog; develops a school display
Share
...communicate and demonstrate my commitment to global values and my UWS partner school
Membership of the Cambodia Committee; present in a year level assembly or workshop; active supporter of school events
Act
...participate actively in year group and school wide fund-raising events
Sponsored sports challenge; bake sale; performance in a music concert
“ Hi, I’m Radika, and I’ve just been presented with my UWS Silver Badge. To qualify, I had to show three things: my knowledge and understanding of global citizenship; how I had shared my knowledge and understanding and how I’d put myknowledge into practice. Learning: In our humanities lessons, we learned about how different life is in developing countries and I wrote a blog on my project about life in a rural village in Cambodia — I used information on the UWS website, the Facebook page and my research on Cambodia to plan my blog. I’ve shared a link to my blog on our VLE so that year 7 next year can use it for their projects. I also arranged a Skype call with one the UWS Cambodia team to find out more.
Sharing: Some of us in our class gave an assembly to the rest of our year about the UWS school in Cambodia we support. I took part in the role play and set up the video for the assembly. Acting: I helped our class raisemoney for Jong school in Cambodia. Two of us made cakes and flapjacks at home for the cake sale and sold them during the school charity week. We raised £75. I also sang in the school music show which raised £300, of which 50% was for UWS (the rest went to a local charity). ”
UWS This means I...
Example Evidence
Learn
...have knowledge and understanding of global values e.g. I can say how our school puts global values into practice.
A comparative analysis essay; opinion piece; GCSE/iGCSE case study; IB case study; links to CAS
Share
...make the case for global values in school and how that benefits our partner school
Presentations to local primary schools; video blog; whole school assembly; chair the Cambodia Committee; design marketing materials for events; coordinates social media campaigns, mentor students completing their Bronze Award
Act
...lead a personal fund-raising initiative and fund-raising activities in school
Co-ordinate a fashion show or concert; runs a UWS T-shirt campaign; charity event at parents’ day; runs music or sports gala
“ Hi, I’m Alun. Gaining my UWS Gold Global Citizenship Badge was one of my personal development goals which I set with my tutor at the start of the year. My first project was to write a piece for the school magazine about multiculturalism and the importance of fellow students’ engagement with different cultures in the 21st Century. The piece was published as part of our Global Citizenship Awareness Week in October. Later in the year, as part of my supporting role on the UWS committee, I led an assembly in a local primary school on the importance of education, using our UWS Cambodia School as a case study.
I also mentored some of the students in the primary school to achieve a Bronze badge. We agreed with the School Chaplain that 50% of the Christmas carol donations would be for our UWS Partner School. In the summer we also organised and ran the fancy dress Charity Mile during sports day, where each student paid a pound to enter. It was also important to me to make a personal pledge to UWS, so I persuaded my family to use thegivingmachine.org to generate small donations each time we shop online. We do a lot of our food shopping online, and over the year this raised £65 forUWS. ”
UWS This means I...
Example Evidence
Learn
...evaluate and analyse the UWS model and school partnership and compare to similar interventions. ...consider a range of economic, political, social and cultural aspects of educational interventions
A-Level Geography case study; in-field research project; EPQ Level 1; IB Extended Essay; dissertation or thesis; analysis of the impact of your UWS school partnership.
Share
...make the case for and champion my UWS school and global values both in and beyond school
Newspaper/magazine article; present at a community event; actively engage school alumni; leads a campaign; mentors younger student
Act
...make a termly or annual personal fundraising pledge and lead fund-raising activities in and beyond school.
Runs school silent auction involving local businesses; co-ordinate whole school involvement in a local fun run; joins school visit to run project in partner school.
“ Hi, I’m Vandana. As a member of the team who visited my school’s UWS Partner School in Cambodia, achieving the Platinum Global Citizenship Badge was a priority for me in Year 12. Gaining my UWS Platinum award was also personally important as this year I am completing my application for university for a course in International Development. The projects we ran in Cambodia gaveme first hand experience of working in poor and remote communities. My International Baccalaureate Extended Essay considered the impact of corruption on international development, and specifically considered theimpact it has on Cambodia and
the Cambodian education system. I was able to give specific examples of the difficulties corruption causes, and how NGOs work transparently in this context. The essay was uploaded and shared on the main UWS website and in one of their monthly newsletters. I also took on a leadership role with the UWS committee. As well as supporting other studentled events, and peer mentoring Year 7s with their Bronze Award, I was responsiblefor organising the t-shirt printing for the staff, students and local community memberswho took part in a 10K run in aid ofUWS. On the day of the run, I wore a small video camera and later produced and narrated a video which was shown in assemblies and
Learn | My Studies How and where will I learn more about global values, citizenship and our UWS Partner School?
Share | Collaboration and Communication How will I share global values and make the case for supporting our UWS Partner School?
Target Badge £ Bronze £ Silver £ Gold £ Platinum
Time Start date Assessment date (target)
Act | Getting involved What will I do personally and with others to support our Partner School?
Hint Start anywhere on the Learn / Share / Act framework, then add and improve your ideas as you go
Learn Summary of my activities (Please continue on a seperate page if neccesary)
Evidence submitted (Attach relevant photos, links or documents)
Sign off (Teacher initials)
Target Badge £ Bronze £ Silver £ Gold £ Platinum
Name School Teacher’s name
Share Summary of my activities (Please continue on a seperate page if neccesary)
Evidence submitted (Attach relevant photos, links or documents)
Sign off (Teacher initials)
Act Summary of my activities (Please continue on a seperate page if neccesary)
Evidence submitted (Attach relevant photos, links or documents)
Sign off (Teacher initials)
Target Badge £ Bronze £ Silver £ Gold £ Platinum
Name School Teacher’s name
Signed (Your name) Signed (Teacher’s name) UWS Team Review £ Badge awarded £ Not yet — feedback to be provided Signed (UWS Team) Date of signature
My notes, ideas, reflections and thoughts