Citizenship and legal rights education: engaging youth

1. Citizenship and legal rights education: engaging youth Libby Tudball Monash Faculty of Education

2. Get students engaged: • In issues that matter to them.... Start personal, and local, then go national and global • Group brainstorms: what are your personal concerns? Community concerns? Worries about the world? • Share ideas: put thoughts on post it notes or coloured strips to de-identify the students. Get them to write short incidents, situations or comments • Works out ways for taking action...and use their ideas...eg create brochures or online resources or web posts • Use social media..and community orgs ..local and beyond...that students can jump onto • eg amnesty http://www.amnesty.org.au/ • or http://socialmediaweek.org • Get in touch with or go into community organisations..and see what young people can do..volunteer..they can make a difference

3. Other big ideas: • Get students involved in authentic and purposeful learning that has value beyond school: • ‘My rights’..fair wages and conditions, workplace law, right to vote, the dole, Centrelink, • See Australian Youth Forum http://www.youth.gov.au/ayf/Pages/Default.aspx • ‘My responsibilities’..family, peers, the law, civic and citizenship..voting.. but also making a difference , eg service, volunteering, and see RUMadhttp://www.rumad.org.au/ • -Making a difference in your own community

4. FYA • FYA believes that all young people have the courage, imagination and will to shape their education and create social change. We provide a national platform of respect and opportunity for the best ideas and actions that young Australians have to offer. • http://www.fya.org.au/

5. What is ruMAD? http://www.rumad.org.au/ • ruMAD? is a dynamic mix of education, action, advocacy and events. • Think of ruMAD? as a toolkit that enables young people to lead social change and become active citizens. It is focused on values and led by students but benefits the whole community. • Why is ruMAD? important? • “The learning framework underpinning ruMAD? reflects current thinking about developing student leadership. At the educational core of this program is a student-centred approach. And it is now widely accepted that connecting student-led learning to the community benefits both the learner and the community. By being flexible, ruMAD? is also adaptable across varying curriculum and learning environments.” Dr. Lucas Walsh, Director of Research, FYA “[ruMAD?] • students learn that they are important today, for what they can do, for the dreams and hopes they hold, and for the changes they can bring about.” Roger Holdsworth, Senior Research Associate, UniMelb AYRC

6. Issues that matter to young people • Other young people and their needs: health and wellbeing, issues, mental issues, sexuality • Sustainability: green revolution..see the work at CERES • See http://www.ceres.org.au/ • Volunteers and employment.. • http://www.ceres.org.au/volunteer

7. Some key points form research • Some theorists you can look at: • Roger Holdsworth Uni Melb ‘Student action teams’ • Larry Saha’s work on student activism • Suzanne Mellor, What’s the Point?

8. The civics and citizenship education angle.. • http://www.curriculum.edu.au/cce/ • Search this site to find all sorts of resoruces for students, teachers, parents and the community on civics and citizenship education

9. Participation matters... • Australian Student Participation Resource & Information Network • - a loose alliance of organisations and individuals within Australia who provide support to primary and secondary students' active participation in school governance and curriculum. • http://www.asprinworld.com/student_action_teams

10. Student action teams • http://www.asprinworld.com/student_action_teams/resources_for_student_action_teams

11. Resources for teaching and engaging and assessing • See the Global education website: • http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/116 • Good luck, Libby Tudball • Libby.tudball@monash.edu