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Dear
Members and Supporters This newsletter reports on a number of exciting
initiatives – new funding and partnerships, a pilot project at Gagebrook
Primary School, a school human rights award, school support options, youth
conferences and free professional learning. There are also suggestions for taking
action and a selection of upcoming social justice events in Tasmania. For more information about what we’ve been
up to visit A Fairer World and
download our 2007
Annual Report or the 2007 ruMAD?
Handbook. We value your feedback and need your support so
please contact us with your suggestions. If
you’ve not yet got around to paying this year’s membership,
download and send in the membership
form from our website. Best wishes This newsletter can also be
downloaded from A
Fairer World. If you do not wish to receive
this e-news in future please let us know by return email. |
In this issue
ruMAD? news
Other Centre
news
Action
From the Events Diary
|
ruMAD? news
Philanthropic
support for ruMAD?
Some of you may not realise that
all our programs are dependent on grants and donations. Things have been lean
lately which is why the announcement of Grant Round 16 of the Tasmanian Community Fund
(TCF) was a special day for ruMAD? - we were one of only 51 successful
applications from 977! The grant
will ensure that the program continues for the next 2 years and also allow us
to begin implementation of an ambitious sustainability plan. TCF has supported ruMAD? with a number
of grants since the Program started in Tasmania and we are very grateful for
their continued confidence in its value. Without generous donations from Rotary Club of Hobart
and Vodafone Australia Foundation, ruMAD? would not have been
able to keep operating until the TCF grant came through – a big thanks
to these supporters. Read more
about the TCF grant round (Gagebrook Primary is featured) Pilot project at Gagebrook Primary
School
A special ruMAD? Project is
unfolding at Gagebrook Primary School this year. We have a formal
agreement with the school for the implementation of ruMAD? in all grades. This
is supported by Gagebrook teacher Steve Robinson, for whom we are providing
relief one day each week to focus on the program and assist other teachers.
The trial has been made possible by a grant from the Tasmanian Community
Fund. Read more about ruMAD? at Gagebrook Primary School MAD activities on the web
Are you
looking for MAD ideas? If
you’ve been doing MAD activities send us your story to add to our web
pages. Read about MAD activities at Tasmanian schools or other schools around Australia 2008 ruMAD? Youth
Action Conferences – REGISTER NOW
Are your
students making a difference? Is your school registered for ruMAD? or
registering in 2009? Do you have students passionate about making a
difference? Contact us about this
year’s Youth Action Conferences. North:
Tuesday October 14th hosted by Launceston College at the College South:
Monday October 27th hosted by Gagebrook Primary at the Brighton
Civic Centre Read
more about the Conferences or contact us for more
information School support
options – NEW INITIATIVE
Is your
school interested in implementing ruMAD? but concerned about the time and
resource commitments? Did you know
that we are funding a teacher one day a week at Gagebrook Primary School?
Contact us to find out how we can support your school to implement ruMAD? ruMAD? can
help schools improve: ·
student engagement; ·
attitudes to learning; ·
literacy and numeracy; and ·
Tasmanian Curriculum reporting
outcomes. It does this through: ·
individually tailored school
programs; ·
connections to national programs; ·
resources and support (materials,
training, sponsorship); and ·
partnerships with community and business. Read more about ruMAD? at Gagebrook Primary and contact us for more
information Professional
learning – BOOK NOW
Are you hoping
to do something MAD in term 3 or perhaps in 2009? Contact us to book a 45
minute introductory ruMAD? session for your school: these session are
currently free if four or more teachers attend. Full professional learning sessions
are also available. Contact us for more information
Do you have your
MAD Day Kit?
Contact us
for an electronic version of this document packed with teaching ideas and
resources for making a difference with your students. Competitions,
awards & funding
Not all
teachers like to use extrinsic motivators, but awards and competitions can be
useful for public recognition of MAD activities and a way to expand possibilities
for making a difference. These are just a sample: ·
The Government’s National
Solar Schools Program started on JULY 1. Grants of up to $50,000 are
available to help schools take practical action to tackle climate change and
conserve precious water supplies. ·
Women's Weekly Environmental
Heroes: $10,000 every month
for an Australian youth project (by schools, community, social and sporting
groups) that helps the environment. Closes November 25. ·
Youth Change Maker grants provide funding of up to $10,000 for 12-25 year olds who have
identified an issue in their communities and have a plan to create positive
change. ·
Shoot Nations asks young people (11-24) to enter 3 images that capture: "How
is climate change affecting your life?"; "Act now - be the
change!"; and "Your World in the future". Winners to be exhibited at World Youth
Congress in August. Closes July 31. Visit our awards and competitions web page for details of
these and others Contact
us to find out more about funding opportunities |
Other news
Partnership with the Education
Department
The Minister for Education and the Centre will
soon sign-off on a Memorandum of Understanding that formalises the
Department’s support for our work and endorses ruMAD? as “a best
practice framework for education in values and responsible citizenship”. Human Rights Week School Award
Each year a
small number of Tasmanians are recognised for the outstanding contribution
they have made to human rights. This year, for the first time, there will be
a dedicated award for a school. The Centre will be administering this award
in conjunction with the Human Rights Week Organising Committee. Details of
criteria and eligibility will be announced soon. We are also
pleased to be hosting the web pages for Human Rights Week in Tasmania where
you can find information about the week, the awards and recent award winners. Visit the new Human Rights Week in Tasmania web pages School workshops on child rights and animal
rights
Feedback from schools that have participated in these workshops has
been fantastic:
·
In May, representatives from Bahay Tuluyan (BT)
visited Tasmania as part of “Kids’ View 2008: justice, dignity
and respect for all children”.
Bahay Tuluyan is a centre for abused and exploited street children in
the Philippines and bases its work on the United Nation’s Convention on
the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). 14 schools in the north and south were able
to attend workshops which included moving performances by two young people
who have spent much of their lives with Bahay Tuluyan. A fundraiser was also
organised with the assistance of the local Filipino community and $2,000 raised
to help fund a new home for BT.
·
Those who have attended ruMAD? Conferences
in the past will know Emma Haswell (as will others who have followed the
battery hen debate). Emma has set up Brightside Farm Sanctuary at Cygnet to raise awareness of
the plight of factory farmed animals. Emma and animal friends have been
running workshops at a number of MAD schools in the north.
Contact us for more information on these workshops Schools’ Justice Action
Network
The Justice
Action Network is a collection of students and teachers from schools in
Hobart who work together on justice issues. The network has existed for more than
10 years and was previously known as the Amnesty Schools Network. Their most
recent action was a protest against information censorship in China and on
September 3 they will host their second Justice Action Day, a conference
based on the Millennium Development Goals. Read more about the Justice Action Network and Justice Action
Day MacKillop College sets an example
in school sustainability
MacKillop has
set an example for other schools on what can be done to reduce our footprint
on earth, integrate sustainability into all aspects of the curriculum and
save money! Their story is now in our new School Action section of A Fairer
World. Visit the School Action pages of the website Social Educators Association of
Australia (SEAA)
TCGL is the Tasmanian representative for the
SEAA, a national organisation of people with a common interest in promoting
and improving the quality of learning about society. Members include primary,
secondary and tertiary educators, curriculum developers, professional
associations and community groups.
Benefits of membership include: ·
The Social Educator: a journal with up-to-date
articles and news about social education; ·
Occasional publication of papers on a central theme; ·
Information and special rates for National and State conferences and
connections; and ·
International links with social educators through conferences and
journals. In January
2008, SEAA ran its biennial National conference, Making a difference:
Multidimensional citizenship in a changing world. Extracts from the conference are
featured in the latest copy of the Social
Educator which is available in our library. The SEAA website currently has
downloadable curriculum units on the Beijing Olympics and Timor Leste. Visit the
SEAA web page or contact us Meet the
Committee Members
In 2008 we
welcomed a number of new Committee members this year. Biographies of all 18
can be found on our website, A Fairer
World. Read about all the Committee Members Membership
rewards
All
memberships of the Centre expired on March 31. If you have since renewed your
membership thank you for supporting our work. If you haven’t yet got
around to paying, the following will remind you of the benefits, which
include: ·
borrowing rights and use of the Resource Centre library; ·
staff to assist in research and information gathering; ·
news bulletins and coming events alerts; ·
education programs, professional development and curriculum support; ·
a wide network of people and organisations working for social justice;
and ·
meeting space, internet access and campaign support. Of course,
you might join just because you want to support our work in empowering people
to take action for social justice, peace and a sustainable world future. Visit the About Us page
to find out more or the Membership
page to download a brochure or membership form On-line resources
for teachers & students
Have
you visited our web pages recently? On A Fairer
World Youth the Fair Trade and Diversity
pages have been recently updated with
plenty of media links.
There’s also a new
School Action section,
currently with 3 pages: ·
Tasmanian
schools’ Justice
Action Network which is currently planning for Justice
Action Day. ·
Details of
the fantastic sustainability program happening at MacKillop
College. ·
Coming soon
will be details of the new Human Rights School Award. Other sites of interest to teachers include: ·
Human Rights: China, the Olympics & Human Rights, a middle years resource from
Amnesty International Australia. ·
Diversity: Foundation House teaching resources to download on
refugee issues;
Step One, with practical guides to
developing anti-racism procedures. ·
Child Rights: World Vision’s resources for teachers; Progress of the World’s Children from the UN. ·
Other: The
Girl Who Silenced the UN for 5 Minutes, inspirational speech by a 12 year
old; UN
Data a
searchable database of global statistics; Youth
Media Exchange: a site for young people to discuss, share and create digital media for
social change. ·
Educational games: Third World
Farmer; Peace Doves; CO2FX; Climate Challenge. And… ·
Free Rice: rice grains are donated to the UN
World Food Program as you improve your vocabulary. ·
Green
Watch:
for free energy saving light bulbs and to take action on your CO2 use. New resources in the library
What's Going On? is a brilliant series of 10 half hour videos
hosted by "stars", each on a global issue related to children;
poverty, homelessness, child soldiers, child labour, landmines, refugees,
HIV/AIDS, intolerance, girls education, and one on Australian Aboriginal
youth. These 10 DVDs are now available for loan – preview them at Teachers TV (wmv version) and view or
download the lesson plans from the United Nations. International
Development Schools Resource Kit, Australian Volunteers International: teaching
booklet, CD with videos, posters focussing on AVI’s youth volunteering
program; primary & secondary. Magazines & journals: We receive a large range of
journals and magazines - electronic and printed. Articles from these can be
forwarded to members. Examples include: ·
The Social Educator, journal of the Social
Educators’ Association of Australia. The latest edition is titled,
“Making a difference: Multidimensional citizenship education in a
changing world”. ·
Connect, an Australian journal for
teachers supporting student participation (eg. student action teams, youth
voice, councils) with case studies and latest research. ·
Global Issues, from the NZ Global Education
Centre, on a different theme each quarter. ·
Human Rights Defender, Amnesty International’s
magazine with articles on the human rights situation around the world. Contact us for more information For more information on
any of these items or to send events for inclusion on our on-line Events
Diary
contact: Tasmanian
Centre for Global Learning, 4 Battery Square, Battery Point, Tas, 7004, |
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