On Tuesday 11th July, we were delighted to get all of our campaign champions together, with members of the Send My Friend to School coalition, to hear about the fantastic campaigning they have been doing in their schools and local communities. We were very inspired to hear from the champions, who have been campaigning with passion, resilience and creativity to make sure that every child, everywhere has access to a quality and inclusive education in times of emergencies.
Students joined us virtually from across the country to share their amazing campaigning stories with colleagues from charities and teacher unions from the coalition, and we all left feeling very motivated by their fantastic work.
Creative campaigning and local action
Students from all schools have been running assemblies, workshops, and lessons in local primary schools on the Education in Emergencies campaign, and inviting their local MPs into the schools to hear why they’re asking the UK Government to Let My Friends Learn. They have also made creative photo stunts to raise awareness of the campaign, as well as spreading the word on social media, and writing blog posts and articles in local and national newspapers.
The champions have also been taking part in this year’s creative campaign action, by sending puzzle pieces with issues and solutions to global education to MPs and decision-makers. Elise and Emily from Upton High even got out into their local community, bringing a petition to a car boot sale and gaining over over 100 signatures in support of the campaign, which they brought with them to the Send My Friend to School Policy launch event back in March.
Elise and Emily gaining signatures in support of global education at a local car boot sale
Izzy and Julia from Bishop Justus School in Bromley and Layla and Jaida from Bishop Challoner school in London have also taken ownership of our mini campaign ‘Building Foundations’ – where they have been raising awareness of the importance of foundational learning during emergencies, running workshops with year 6 and 7 students, and meeting with their local MPs to talk about the issue
Students at Croxley Danes school took part in Send My Friend to Schools first ever ‘Policy Through Poetry’ Workshop, where our campaign champions and their peers in years 8 – 12, learnt about our Young Person’s policy report, and took it into their own hands, by creating art work and poetry about the report, which they presented to their local MP Gagan Mohindra, to ask him to take action for children whose education has been interrupted by emergencies. Mia at Harringey Learning Partnership designing this fantastic illustrated response to the report, to inspire other young people to do the same.
Mia’s illustration for the Young Person’s policy report
Taking the messages to Parliament
Sophie and Sadie from the Commonwheel school took part in a roundtable meeting alongside Plan International Youth 4EiE and Global Partnership for Education with Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrat party to ask him to commit to a manifesto pledge on funding global education, and contributing to an open letter to all party leaders. Meanwhile, Mariya and Olivia from Merstham Park went with their local MP Crispin Blunt to Westminster, to talk about the campaign, and ask him to take action.
Sophie, Sadie and youth leaders with Sir Ed Davey MP handing in their open letter about global education
Mia and Amario, from HLP and Beth and Tilly from Folkstone attended the East Africa Hunger Lobby- you can read more about their experiences here. Jamie and Catriona from William Howard School in Cumbria organised a visit with their MP Neil Hudson, and talked to him about the campaign and the devastating cuts to the ODA budget, with Commonweal School inviting both their Conservative MP and Labour candidate into the school this week to present their work and ask them to take the messages back to Parliament.
Jaimie, Cat and students at William Howard with local MP Dr Neil Hudson
After we heard from our campaign champions, we did some co-creation, thinking about who we needed to influence, and coming up with creative ideas to engage different audiences in the campaign.
It was hugely inspiring to hear what our campaign champions have been up to, and a reminder of the power of youth voice. We cannot wait to see what they do next, and look forward to the Party Conferences, and Parliamentary Action Day that will happen in the Autumn!
Send My Friend to School brings together thousands of children across the UK to speak up for the right to education.