regulars

on-going support to help the school reach this target.

For the workshop to take place, the school only has to provide a projector, as well as paper and coloured pens. The workshop begins with a presentation, which describes to the students what day-to-day life is like for children and their families who live in the poorest and most deprived communities in Africa, in particular in Ghana and Uganda (where we work). During the second part of the workshop, students have a chance to get creative, and make games and books that will be used in the charity’s play schemes to teach young children key numeracy and literacy skills.

The Imagine Life Elsewhere workshop helps students understand what life is like for poor children living in villages in Ghana and Uganda, and the role that education can play in creating a brighter future for them. By making books and games, students are directly involved in improving the lives of these communities. During the workshop, students tend to react in a very thoughtful way, are engaged and are eager to contribute their thoughts. They particularly enjoy the creative part of the workshop, as it provides them with a platform to make a practical difference to the lives of the children at our play schemes.

For international schools and their students, taking part in this kind of workshop helps students to learn about a specific topic related to a charity’s work and to get involved in small projects themselves. More and more charities are offering to lead workshops at primary and secondary schools, and teachers and school leaders increasingly understand the value these workshops can bring to the classroom.

Alison Naftalin is Founder and Chief Executive of Lively Minds Email: alison@livelyminds.org

Forthcoming Conferences

September 30-October 1: EARCOS-CIS Institute on Higher Education Admission and Guidance, Bangkok, Thailand. October 6-9: IB AEM Conference, Barcelona, Spain. October 7-9: COBIS Student Leadership Weekend, Madrid, Spain. October 16-19: AISA Educators Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa. October 27-29: EARCOS Leadership Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. October 28-29: COBIS/King’s Group Student Leadership Weekend, Madrid. November 4-7: FOBISIA Heads and Senior Leaders Conference, Bangkok, Thailand. November 18-19: ECIS Educators Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark.