It might have been the day of England’s Semi-Final match against Denmark in the Euros, but the tension and excitement in the main hall at Ark Pioneer Academy was a result of a very different competition. Small groups of students huddled for their final rehearsals, and a live feed was set up for parents and charity representatives to watch the event unfold remotely.
Over the last two and half months, every student in Year 8 had taken part in the Academy’s first ever First Give programme. In spite of the challenges of the pandemic, lead teacher Mr McCarville and the Year 8 tutors had supported students to focus in on the social issues affecting their community. Every form had spoken with a representative from their chosen charity, and the social action completed ranged from sponsored silences to the planning of an awareness raising lesson delivered to all form groups at school.
As one of the lucky judges at this Final I can attest to the fact that every single class’s presentation was impressive for a number of reasons. There is so much that I could say about First Give here at Ark Pioneer. However, there were two stand out moments acknowledged by the judges with special commendations.
A burst bubble!
The night before the Final, every member of the class 8 Moore received a phone call from the Headteacher to advise them that their class bubble needed to isolate. They would not be able to attend school on the day of the Final.
In a display that demonstrates the tenacity, resilience and adaptability of schools and students this year, the presenting group from 8 Moore gathered online to rehearse delivering their presentation via a live video link up.
They weren’t in the room for the Final, but they made their presence known. The presenters were calm, professional and spoke powerfully about Redthread, a charity that supports young people to lead healthy, safe and happy lives.
A personal story
The other judges’ commendation was awarded to a student who spoke bravely about an issue that directly affected him and his own family. Seeing a young person stand up in front of 150 people and speak about their own personal experience in this way was truly inspiring. And perhaps more memorable than anything else at this Final was the year group’s reaction when the commendation was announced. A roar of appreciation and support rung out from the rest year group.
The impact of First Give
One of the most powerful elements of the First Give programme is the way that it creates the space and structure for young people to speak out about the social issues that they care about. We insist that schools work with an entire year group when delivering the programme, and we are keen to build long term partnerships with our schools. This way, every young person who goes through school has this opportunity. Every young person is given the chance to share what matters to them, and to take action to tackle these issues.
Ark Pioneer’s programme was a perfect example of how full year group engagement can increase the impact of First Give for students and the charities they support. Principal Aisling Ryan said:
“‘It was so important to us to give our pupils’ the chance to engage in social action early in their secondary education. We want every pupil to learn how we can support those who are vulnerable in our communities, modelling our school values of integrity and kindness. First Give brought out these Pioneer values and more, teaching pupils how to collaborate, organise and present their ideas.”
| With thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation for supporting First Give to deliver the programme with Ark Pioneer Academy in 2021. |