School newsletter 2016 b

Gorta-Self Help Africa

Spring 2016

• Megan Swart and Rachel O’Connell from Carnew and Mallow on a visit to Uganda.

LET US WORK FOR YOU this year school visits, workshops & events Teachers - would you like to support your students to gain a deeper understanding of global justice, and play their part in achieving a fairer world?

If so, Gorta-Self Help Africa’s ‘Development Education’

programme can help. We provide free workshops and presentations in your classrooms - all you need to do is get in touch.

For 15 years we’ve been supporting schools across Ireland with interactive workshops, seminars, and learning activities on a range of topics, including global justice, fair trade, gender equality, poverty eradication and climate change. These are all designed

to improve student knowledge and understanding of the interdependent and unequal world in which we live.

Our experienced team of teachers are available in the coming year to deliver workshop modules to school groups – including Transition Year, and in a broad range of classroom subjects ranging from CSPE to Sciences, Geography to Religion and Art to Business Studies. To get in touch call: (01) 6778880.

CELEBRATING 10 Years of OUR SCIence for DEVelopment AWARD Last year we celebrated our 10th year issuing our Science for Development award at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, the winners Zoe and Megan from Oakgrove Integrated College won with an innovative seed storage box to help farmers save seeds from one harvest to the next.

YOung Brains Powering NEW solutions Gorta-Self Help Africa collaborate with WorldWise Global Schools, the Irish Government supported Development Education programme, to present the “Science for Development Award” at the annual BT Young Scientists Exhibition in Dublin, every Spring.

This is a special prize that is presented at the Young Scientists Expo to the student project that addresses a challenge affecting people in the Developing World.

Prize-winners receive a travel bursary sponsored by Irish Aid through Worldwise Global Schools, to travel on our annual schools’ study visit to Africa.

• Zoe McGirr and Megan Duffy from Oakgrove Integrated College.

• Zoe McGirr (14) and Megan Duffy (15) from Oakgrove Integrated College

Past winners include student projects that have devised fuelefficient cooking stoves, sought to purify water, preserve food, and have assisted rural poor farming communities to save their crop seed from one year to the next.

• 2014 winners Emily Lecky and Zoe Cheshire from Teacher Julie Dowd, talking to her students from St Lorcans Boys Ballyclare High School.

NS, on the day of their sale of work for SHA.

How you can help The work of Gorta-Self Help Africa’s Development Education team is to inform and encourage young people to become active, informed and engaged citizens.

As the voters and decision makers of the future it is vital that our students are involved and aware, and the ‘idealism of youth’ can be harnessed for the benefit of all.

We provide our workshops entirely free of charge. However, where possible we encourage schools to consider simple ways that you might be able to support our work: •

Nominate Gorta-Self Help Africa as a charity to support when you’re raising funds in school

•

Sharing information about our work where you can

•

Follow our activities on Facebook and Twitter and join a growing constituency of supporters.

Global Awareness - Gorta-Self Help Africa School Bulletin

We’d be happy to provide guidance and resources to help your students to craft suitable projects for the Expo, if you are interested.

School Clusters & Networks Gorta-Self Help Africa supports the creation of school clusters and networks to work together on Development Education related activities, and has supported schools in particular geographic areas to work together on differing projects, including Fairtrade, Climate Justice and other activities.

What is development education?

In Development Education we seek to raise awareness and understanding amongst students of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live.

We encourage young people to analyse, reflect and take action in a manner that can transform

the social, cultural, political and economic structures which affect their lives and the lives of others.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s decision-makers.

By providing information, we give them the power to bring positive change to our world.

School Study Visit + Climate Workshop Gorta-Self Help Africa is organising a schools’ study visit to Africa at half-term, in February of next year.

During the week long trip, students and teachers will take part in a range of field visits and other activities, and interact with their African peers on a number of activities.

To deepen the quality of engagement during the visit, next year’s school participants will also take part in a day-long workshop on climate change hosted by Gorta-Self Help Africa, and share experiences and stories with their counterparts from the Global South.

We’d love to have you along! If you’re interested in finding out how your school might get involved in this visit just get in touch.

• Emily Deverell, Fiona Graham, Alana Dillon. from Tullamore College visiting Gohatsion School, Ethiopia.

MIllennium Goals & Sustainable goals In the Autumn of this year the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) gave way to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - a global effort to end hunger and poverty within a generation.

But what is this charter about, what does it set out to

achieve and how is it going to meet its targets?

Gorta-Self Help Africa’s schools team was involved in collaborating with schools across the country on a series of books exploring the MDGs, and we will be back with new and engaging ways for schools to engage with the SDGs in the months ahead.

Get in touch if you’re interested in working with your students on the Sustainable Development Goals in the year to come.

Global Awareness - Gorta-Self Help Africa School Bulletin

our workshops Gorta-Self Help Africa’s expanded school team is available to deliver workshops in your classroom on a range of topics, including: Food Security, Gender Equality and Climate Change.

These workshops will normally be of two-class period duration and are aimed mainly at Transition Year students, but can be adapted for Religion, Geography, CSPE and a number of other subject areas at both Junior and Senior level. Our workshops aim to engage students through a variety of activities and themes and help them connect their lives and actions with the wider Global population – in particular with the poorest people on the planet – rural families across Africa.

1 - Ethical Trade, food & wealth

This workshop sets the scene for the inequality that exists in our world. Food, wealth and trade will all be explored and solutions examined. Students are encouraged to see themselves as both part of the problem and solution to global inequality.

2 - gender & sustainable agriculture

With a more specific look at the work of Gorta-Self Help Africa, this workshop examines the lives of rural farming families and the issues that have caused poverty. Gender, farming practices and market access are all explored.

3 - Climate change, climate justice Major global issues including Climate Change are examined, with the focus on actions students can take in their lives to create a better world through school, family and personal actions and campaigns.

4 - SCIENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT

A special workshop designed to support students with science projects that look at development challenges is also available.

This is designed specifically for classes and students who are interested in submitting projects to the annual ‘BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.’ To find out more contact us at the number or mail address below.

We would also be happy to facilitate school workshops that look at the new Sustainable Development Goals and other topics. All our workshops have an activity-based approach that will involve students in group work, role play, self-reflection, and engender mutual respect. An open space classroom is preferred and access to a data projector would be appreciated.

contact us If you would like to arrange a workshop - get your students involved in thinking about Africa, about gender inequality, climate change, farming & food production, fair trade, or about the efforts that are underway to eradicate hunger and poverty - why not get in touch?

Just drop a mail to: schools@selfhelpafrica.org, or call: (01) 6778880 and ask for Dorothy Jacob.

Meet the team

We have a great team of workshop facilitators, most of whom are former post-primary teachers delivering workshops, seminars and presentations in classrooms across Ireland. Our team include (pictured above, left to right): Patsy Toland (Leinster + North-West), Jim Kirwan (Wexford, Wicklow and Carlow), Michael Schwartz (Waterford + South-East), Sheila Gilbert (Cork + South-West), Noeleen Leahy (Kildare + Midlands), Dorothy Jacob (Leinster + Dublin) and Hugh Bergin (Dublin).

Re gis t er ed c har it y num b e r : 5 6 7 8

Kingsbridge House,

Useful links:

17-22 Parkgate Street,

selfhelpafrica.org

Dublin 8, Co. Dublin,

developmenteducation.ie

Tel. +353 (0)1 6778880

worldwiseschools.ie