Earth Force – Environmental Action Civics
Environmental Action Civics addresses local environmental issues through civic engagement.
US-based Earth Force uses Environmental Action Civics. Students share power with adults, practice democratic decision-making, and address local environmental problems using civics.
This group of young women was united by their passion to make their public spaces safer for the whole community of Stratford (London). They were fed-up with having to avoid particular places because of the fear of experiencing violence, harassment and unwanted attention. Others had experienced the same behavior's in their neighborhoods and on their way to school. Designed by young people, Pop Path creates joyful murals and informative campaigns that bring a sense of community. It also equips members of the community with the information and practical tools to deal with the negative impact of harassment.
Keeping it Wild is a programmed bringing together the youth and conservation sectors to provide opportunities for young people to engage with and protect the capital’s wild spaces, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. London Youth is part of a consortium of organizations led by London Wildlife Trust delivering a three-year programmer, encouraging young people to reflect on natural spaces, learn about protecting wildlife and then take part in developing and delivering a project or creative campaign to raise awareness and encourage practical conservation in local communities. This is a tried-and-tested methodology and there are some case study videos.
Young Food Ambassadors came together to launch their very own Right2Food Charter, calling on the Government to listen to their stories and those of millions of other young people across the UK who were living with increased levels of hunger and food poverty. They delivered their Right2Food Charter to 10 Downing Street with Dame Emma Thompson who is also supporting their advocacy. Since then, they have joined forces with Marcus Rashford’s #EndChildFoodPoverty campaign to make sure no child in the UK goes hungry.
Girls across Britain were having to skip school when on their periods because they couldn't afford menstrual products — with many using wads of tissue, newspaper, or even socks and old clothes instead.
So, Amika George launched her #FreePeriods campaign to tackle period poverty. A joint legal campaign was launched with the Red Box Project, urging the U.K. Government to comply with its legal obligations to ensure equal access to education for all children, irrespective of their sex. The Government committed funding for free period products in schools in England, mirroring similar commitments already made in Scotland and Wales.
The following curriculum guide provide links to integrate the topic of Healthy Habits within the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1. It can be read to obtain an overview of the connections made with the National Curriculum. It can also inform the planning of activities that will teach social action skills or inform future social action planning.
A girls-led project (11-14 years) in the US to engage their peers in physical activity using a design thinking process to examine barriers and motivators to getting girls physically active. Part of a two-site pilot, called “Power Up for 30 Middle School Girls Physical Activity Project”. In a pre-survey, only 40% of girls said physical activity was fun, compared to 100% at the end. 80% of girls said, “I get embarrassed doing physical activity in front of others” before the programme. At the end, no participant agreed with this phrase.
Refers to activities that young people do to make a positive difference to others while developing key skills and attributes and having fun. YSA can take place in various contexts (i.e. at home, schools, youth clubs etc) and can include volunteering, fundraising, campaigning or supporting peers. We believe social action can play an essential role: in young lives, the success of a school, the local community or more.
Our Resource Hub aims to act as a Youth Social Action search engine, offering tailored results to inspire and guide. The hub hosts a wide variety of resources, including our own Youth Social Action Toolkit, case studies, research reports, and helpful resources from other reputable organisations in the sector.
Our Resource Hub aims to act as a Youth Social Action search engine, offering tailored results to inspire and guide. The hub hosts a wide variety of resources, including our own Youth Social Action Toolkit, case studies, research reports, and helpful resources from other reputable organisations in the sector.
To find appropriate resources, use the filter feature to select the relevant options. You can filter by key stage (1-5), YSA theme (e.g. poverty), or a particular skill (e.g. communication). You can also filter by resource owner (Ormiston Trust or external organisation) and resource type, such as lesson plans. If you know what you are looking for, you can use the search bar.
To save or download resources, please sign up for a free account. In your user area, you can organise your saved items for quick and easy access. On the resource results page, you can save or download multiple resource quickly by using the tickbox feature.
Our Youth Social Action Toolkit has been carefully developed by industry professionals with input from young people to guide school leaders, support staff, and young people through a Youth Social Action project. Our curriculum guides clearly outline how YSA can be integrated into the curriculum of schools with limited time.
We don’t gatekeep – by sharing our sector knowledge and resources, we aim to enrich the lives of all young people by fostering skills development, improving agency and wellbeing, and promoting active citizenship.
The first step of the YSA process is to be inspired by an issue you care about! Check out our inspirational case studies on what you could do!
The second step of the YSA process is to explore your options! You‘ll need to research the issue that inspired you to take action to understand how you can help.
Ready to start planning your project? Access our Youth Social Action Toolkit here.
The third step of the YSA process is to plan your project! Lucky for you, we have a Project Planning Template for that.
The fourth step of the YSA process is to carry out your plan! This is when the physical activities involved like fundraising, campaigning, and volunteering kick off.
The fifth and final step of the YSA process is to reflect! Looking back at your plan, did you achieve your aims? What went well and what didn’t go so well? Can you sustain your project? Or did you take steps to ensure further projects aren’t needed?