Community links
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Education for citizenship should motivate young people to be active and responsible members of their local, national and global communities.
This involves building bridges between schools or early years settings and their communities to help young people develop knowledge and understanding of, and respect and care for, the wider world.
Bringing the community into the school
Schools are valuable community resources and much can be done to break down barriers between school and community by providing community access to educational, meeting and leisure facilities. In some areas schools go beyond this to provide classes and support systems for adults and families.
In Scotland the development of Integrated Community Schools has given fresh impetus to collaboration between teachers and other professionals, including social workers, community education workers and health professionals, working in a single team to meet the needs of the individual child.
Working with external contributors
QCA: Working with external contributors
Links with the wider community can raise legal and ethical issues for schools. This booklet offers guidance for schools planning to develop, maintain and review activities to support the curriculum involving work with external contributors. The guidance is set within an English context but provides lots of useful information and advice. A Scottish version is currently under development.
Young people learning within the community
Local communities are an important resource for learning, and can offer contexts within which authentic environmental and social issues can be explored. Included here are some activities which young people can get involved in.
Volunteering
There are a number of organisations and campaigns that offer volunteering opportunities for young people. Giving Nation is a government-backed initiative which aims to help young people appreciate the power of giving and the importance of charities. Giving Nation encourages transferable campaigning and fundraising skills. Visit the website for more information.
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) Scotland is a UK charity dedicated to giving everyone the opportunity to play an active part in their community through volunteering, training, education and the media.
ProjectScotland was set up to connect young Scots with volunteering opportunities.Young people aged between 16 and 25 have the opportunity to sign up to a volunteering placement of their choice lasting anything from three to 12 months. To ensure access to young people from all backgrounds, ProjectScotland volunteers are offered an allowance and travel expenses. Their website offers further information to young people, teachers, parents, placement providers and supporters.
Browse our full list of citizenship award schemes for information on a variety of schemes and initiatives.
Campaigning
Encouraging young people to become actively involved in campaiging is a real introduction to citizenship but has to be done with care.
Sustrans, the national transport charity, has a successful record of encouraging young people to have their say on safe routes to school through its project Safe Routes to Schools and its European network Schoolway.net.
Investigation
Local investigations build on young people's curiosity about the way the world works and help develop the enquiry skills required for 5-14 environmental studies and Standard Grade social subjects in real contexts. These skills are encouraged by young people's involvement in journalism, for instance through organisations such as Children's Express.
Global links
Information and communications technology (ICT) and international travel have made enquiry-based global education more feasible and accessible to schools. The Department for International Development (DFID) provides advice on school linking on its Global Dimension website.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund works with schools in Scotland to raise awareness of the underlying causes of poverty, and encourages young people to campaign for a fairer world. Its Global Citizenship award recognises imaginative work. Past winners include Our Lady's High School in Motherwell, which has developed an active link with the Kamwokya community in Uganda over four years involving correspondence, visits, fundraising and curriculum development.
Imaginary communities and simulations
Simulations allow young people to reflect on what communities are for, and what's needed for community building. TAG Theatre Company's Sense of Community project is a particularly effective example.