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Views From Shropshire
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Current Projects
 
Past Projects
 
Developing a Cross-Cultural Curriculum

A one year project in which 3 secondary schools have been developing ways of working across Citizenship, History and Geography to enhance cultural aspects of the curriculum.  We have been working with 5 overseas trained teachers who are currently based in Birmingham. The participants have undertaken 3 placements in their allocated school. The project is supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. 

For more information please contact Sylvia:
Supported by:
 
Global Village Project
We are working with four village communities in Shropshire to enable them to celebrate events with a global dimension. In the first year of the project, Hinstock in North Shropshire held a Fairtrade Family Fun quiz, Maesbury held a Local and African Food and Culture Festival, and Farlow and Bitterley held events featuring Southern African gum boot dancing and African food. Preparations for next year’s events are now underway.
In the second year of the project, Hinstock had two events celebrating culture in the Balkans: Téa Hodžic Trio visited the village in January as an Arts Alive event and the Mladi Metalac women’s choir came in May 09. Farlow village celebrated the second Farlow Festival, a three day event in June celebrating food and trade, local and global, as well as community and school art. In Bitterley, the community came together to open the new community garden space and to christen the beautiful cob oven built by members of the community.
The villages of Maesbury and Maesbury Marsh held a Green Halloween event on 31st October with support from Bridges to add a global dimension to the traditional celebration.
This is the final year of a three year project funded by the ECCB and the Walker Trust.
For more information contact Alison:
alison@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Millennium Development Goal Countdown
This project links schools with community groups in their local area to contribute to local community cohesion as well as global change. Each school and community group will explore a global issue related to the Millennium Development Goals and then take action to make a difference to the issue they have been investigating.
The project started in Autumn 2009 and will run for three years to 2012. In 2009/10 we are working with clusters of schools in Bishop’s Castle, Oswestry and Telford & Wrekin, and in 2010/11 we will involve a fourth group of schools from the West Midlands. Following this we hope all the schools and groups involved will continue to support the Millennium Development Goals as the world counts down to their target date in 2015. Funded by the Department for International Development.
If you would like to find out more about this project, please get in touch with Nina Cowley (community) or Sylvia Ruxton (schools):
Nina@shropshirebridges.org.uk
Sylvia@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Picturing Our World
What’s your take on the major global issues of our time? This project uses photography to explore some of the major global issues, such as education, the environment or health, highlighted by the Millennium Development Goals.
We are working with Shropshire people and communities with direct connections overseas. The groups have been taking photographs to illustrate their story. The result is a series of exhibitions in Shropshire and overseas that we hope will enlighten the way we think about our world. 'Picturing Our World’ is a three year project core funded by the Department for International Development and sponsored by Fogarty and Co. Travel.
For more information download the project introduction document and contact Alison:
alison@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Through Your Eyes
How do you see the world? What if you could see the world through another person’s eyes…
This project will work with community and youth groups for a series of sessions exploring well-being and poverty at home and around the world. Groups will share learning with other participants through art forms such as drama, creative writing, photography or painting. If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved please download the introductory information to the right of this page. This is a three year project funded by the Department for International Development.
For more information contact Nina:
nina@shrosphirebridges.org.uk
 
 
Past Projects
 
Views from Shropshire (2006 – 2009)
What is it like coming to Shropshire from India in the 1960s? And what was it like be the first black family moving into the neighbourhood? These are some of the real life experiences collected from various ethnic minority groups in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, which have been developed into a book, exhibition and resource pack for schools and community groups.
Click here to view the ‘Views from Shropshire’ site and download resources. For more information on purchasing resources see our resources page. Funded by the Heritage Lottery.
For more information contact Mel:
admin@shropshirebridges.org.uk
Lottery funded
 
The G8 Challenge
g8 banner
A three year project working with Primary School teachers and 7 – 11 year olds to engage them with, and take action on, topical global issues with the help of local MPs and leaders. 8 schools in Shropshire have taken part in a schools G8 summits, with schools representing non G8 countries such as Ghana, Jamaica and China.
The summits have led onto action by school councils and a conference (June 2008) for project schools to share with themselves and other schools about how they have engaged with global issues such as poverty, malaria and energy efficiency. Guidance on how to develop pupil-led global action in school will be produced in the final year of the project.
 
Fairtrade School Status
Bridges is supporting schools across the West Midlands who are interested in, working towards or have obtained Fairtrade School Status. Fairtrade School Status is a scheme run by the Fairtrade Foundation.
For more information about the scheme visit:
www.fairtradeschools.net
Or email:
Sylvia@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Our Community, Our Environment
Three local schools and communities are addressing a global environmental issue that affects their area. Pupils will find out from their communities what people think and share this through an event. Members of the communities will then come together to prepare to take action on the global issue they have identified.
Funded by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.
For more information contact Sylvia:
Sylvia@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Global Food Chain (2007-2008)
Ever wondered where your food comes from? Or whether it is more ethical to buy locally produced or fair trade food? Three Shropshire Primary schools have investigated food issues affecting their school and local community via video diaries and local action. The Global Food Chain website is now available for all schools to use. Schools can upload their food issue videos and share their thoughts with other schools.
To find out more information on using the site, download the introduction sheet or contact:
admin@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Global Citizenship for Shropshire Schools
(2005-2008)
A project working intensively with three primary schools each year to help them bring the global dimension to the whole curriculum. Funded by Oxfam.
For details of the ‘World in Shropshire’ resource produced as a result of this project please see the resources section of our website.
For more information contact Sylvia:
Sylvia@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Tackling Controversial Issues (2007–2008)
Using Experiential Education to Tackle Controversial Global Citizenship Issues in Secondary Schools (2007–08).
This project explored the extent to which experiential education methodologies for tackling controversial issues add to the skills, values and attitudes associated with global citizenship.
We worked in partnership with Telford Learning Innovation Centre and secondary school citizenship departments in Telford and Wrekin. Funded by Oxfam.
For details of the online resource exploring the crisis in Darfur, and guidance on using experiential education methodologies, please visit the resource section of our website.
For more information contact Davina.
Davina@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
The Carbon Trading Game (2006 – 2008)
Bridges helped to develop an online pan-European carbon trading website that helps pupils consider solutions to Climate Change, in a project led by Field Studies Council and working with partners across Europe.
Funded by the European Union. For more information contact Davina:
Davina@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
Roots Music (2006 – 2007)
A project to use roots music such as Bangra as a starting point for exploring global issues and diversity. This project worked with secondary schools in Shropshire.
Funded by the Youth Music Action Zone. For more information contact Sylivia:
Sylvia@shropshirebridges.org.uk
Get in touch
Bridges, The Studios, Mansell Rd, Wellington Telford, TF1 1QQ
T.01952 255526 Email. info@shropshirebridges.org.uk
 
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