- How did you get buy in for First Give across the school and the class teachers delivering the programme?
First Give is a brilliant skills development programme which engages learners and develops them into enterprising and confident contributors. It also covers careers experience as students need to pitch their ideas and work in teams.
The resources provided by First Give are high quality and easy to follow, so staff and students feel instantly engaged.
There is such a buzz around the school when learners are planning and organising their social action events to raise awareness for their chosen social issues and charities. The whole community is involved, and the learners really benefit from developing relationships with the charities whilst gaining a deeper understanding of and empathy for the social issues. Once the school sees this in action, there is never any doubt about running the programme again!
- What tips and suggestions do you have for other Lead Teachers?
The First Give team are very supportive, and I encourage anyone to ask questions if they are unsure of any part of the programme. The contact with the charities really enhances the learners’ experiences, so I would suggest you encourage learners to search for local charities who are more likely to be able to visit.
Involve everyone – governors, your Leadership Team, the local press, parents! This programme provides fantastic opportunities to promote your school.
Allow the learners freedom to organise their social action and to develop their creativity and planning skills. This allows them to take ownership and experience contextual learning. They also enjoy it!
Use social media! First Give will retweet and support you. It is a great way of recording the good work we do in our institutions. Use the Finals as a huge celebration of the work that the whole year group has done! Invite all staff involved if you can, your charities and guests.
We have trialled the programme in the Summer and the Autumn Term. I would 100% recommend starting with it in September. Students are fresh after the Summer Break and are fully engaged! It sets the standard for a great year ahead!
- What challenges did you face coordinating First Give and how did you overcome them?
Some challenges you may face could be timing issues or even timetabling issues. I put dates on to our agreed Whole School Calendar at the start of every year to make First Give happen! Meetings can now be held virtually, which may also save time.
Students can get nervous, particularly the finalists, but the Presentation Skills Workshop (PSW) is excellent and helps to calm them, and it provides techniques to help them feel more confident and prepared. Another challenge may be funding the programme; we hold raffles and bake sales to raise the funds. The support our local community receives, the skills developed and experience gained, as well as the publicity the school gets from this programme, makes it well worth the cost!
- How did you support students to complete meaningful social action projects?
This year was our best year yet for our social action! There was a competitive atmosphere around our learners which encouraged more creative thinking and action taking. Promotion of the activities and involvement from younger year groups has helped us to develop and improve the programme every year. The social action events were so much fun that all staff were happy to be involved!
