SuperKind is a free, easy-to-use platform which offers a range of resources that can support students in planning and delivering their First Give social action projects.
The First Give Programme empowers students to take action in support of causes that they care about in order to drive positive change in their communities. Social action is a pivotal moment in the Programme, as students plan social action activities to support their chosen charity. We define social action as “practical action taken to make a positive change in society” and throughout the programme, students are equipped with the tools and knowledge that they need to plan and carry out innovative and impactful social action projects. Social action comes in many forms including raising awareness, campaigning, fundraising, and volunteering and we are continually inspired by the passion and creativity shown by young people as they make a tangible difference to their local communities by giving their time, money and skills to causes that they care about.
To support students with planning their social action projects, there are an array of resources available in the Coursebook and on the Teacher Hub (including a handy Class Social Action tracker for Lead Teachers). However, if you or your students need a little further inspiration, the SuperKind platform is a fantastic student-friendly resource that can aid your students on their social action journeys.
Fundraising Platform
The SuperKind fundraising platform is a safe and student-friendly tool that can be legally used by under-16s to set up their own fundraising pages. Students holding fundraisers, such as a sponsored walk, may find this useful for collecting donations from teachers, parents, and carers. Please note that teachers will be required to create a School Account so that they can monitor their students’ use of the platform.
If your students know they want to raise funds as part of their social action project, but need some extra guidance on how to make this unique, you might want to guide them to the A-Z of Fundraising page. Here they will find lots of interesting and creative ideas for how to raise money for their chosen charity.
Change-makers Page
In Lesson 3/4, students will work in their groups to plan their own social action project. If you are looking for some real-life examples of social action to inspire your students, the change-makers page includes over 50 case studies of young people who have made a genuine difference to causes that they care about.
You can read about Anjali, who has campaigned about the effects of air pollution; Joshua, who set up his own food distribution foundation; and Frasier who wrote a book to raise awareness about the refugee crisis.
Take Action Toolkits
Working in groups, students will plan out the practical steps they need to take in order to deliver their social action projects. If your students require some extra support with this, the Take Action Toolkits offer step-by-step guidance on how to carry out a variety of different social action projects including organising an event, starting a petition, and volunteering their time.
Additional Resources
The additional resources page contains lots of fantastic book, video and website recommendations linked to a range of social issues. These may be helpful additions to the Lesson 1 resources which guide students as they consider social issues impacting on their local communities, or even at the Final event, if you want to show an inspiring video to the audience while the judges deliberate.