SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIPS CONFERENCE
‘ It ’ s important to remember to empower our students and follow their vision also .’
‘ Collaboration is the secret weapon for success – no one has all the answers !’
‘ Collaboration in partnerships is important ; moving away from providing charity to enabling positive and sustainable change .’
These were just a few of the learnings from the service and partnerships conference we organised in May , which brought together teachers from across the country to explore the question ‘ How can we best engage students in inclusive and sustainable school and community partnerships work ?’ The day involved over 30 teachers and students sharing case studies of practice , with a keynote from Jon Alexander , author of Citizens .
These were some reflections from two Sevenoaks School students who spoke to the gathered educators :
‘ The conference created an atmosphere of strong communication and collaboration . I could tell the presenters were genuinely interested in what they spoke about , and I think that is an essential part of being a service leader . This devotion and belief in what they are doing is incredibly inspirational , and now I really aspire to spread my own message about service too ! It ’ s important to pay attention to how we can improve today ’ s world . Perhaps the best way to do so is to combine forces , because we become stronger together – through belief , voice and action .’
Andrea Olsen , Lower Sixth
‘ Expecting a large group of intimidating adults , I was surprised to find myself in a room of welcoming teachers , keen to learn how they can trigger change through service . We explained various aspects of the EduLit programme and what we do to create a collaborative impact on the education provided through EduSpots ’ network across rural Ghana . Ultimately , what was important for me was communicating how we emphasise community representation and collaboration . EduLit is about team effort rather than an ‘ us versus them ’ or British versus Ghanaian relationship .’
Delaney Kim , Lower Sixth
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