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Hi! Thanks so much for opening up the conversation here! Some thoughts we had when doing advocacy work in this area is to identity other social issues that may disproportionately impact the LGBTQIA+ groups & then integrate them in service projects. For example, in Tanzania if economic insecurity and access to health services may be impacting the LGBTQIA+ community members, instead of centering a project around the community itself, we try to design a service program that would provide support without putting a label that may put communities at risk. Happy to share more ideas on this! Best, Lauren

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Self assessment prompts for student leaders

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Self assessment prompts for student leaders

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1. What did you learn from your most recent service learning activity? Did you learn any new skills or knowledge? Did you gain any new insights or perspectives?

2. What challenges are you facing during your service learning activity, and how did you overcome them? Did you encounter any obstacles or barriers, and if so, how did you work to overcome them?

3. How is your service learning activity impact the community or organization you served? Did you make a difference? If so, how?

4. What skills are you developing or strengthening through your service learning activity? Did you improve your communication, teamwork, leadership, or other skills?

5. How has your service learning activity change your perspective or worldview? Did it challenge any assumptions or beliefs you had?

6. What aspects of your service learning activity are you enjoy the most, and why? What aspects did you find most challenging, and why?

7. What areas do you feel you could improve in future service learning activities? Are there any skills or knowledge areas you need to work on? Are there any areas where you could take on a greater leadership role or make a bigger impact?

8. How do you plan to use what you are learning in your service learning activity in future activities? What goals do you have for your future service learning activities?

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Our DEIJ committee held a community day for support staff and their families last year, but it wasn't as transformative as hoped. This year we have planned to don one community day for ALL staff and families. I want my kids to hang out with the support staff kids, for example. Then I get to know them better - that is more equitable. Hoping this makes a difference to relationship building and to participation.

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This is a practical resource for resource for taking part in, learning about, facilitating, developing
and spreading the Empathy Circle practice.

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A Thinking Routine for considering the 'hidden stories' and multiple layers of meaning in texts and situations.

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AISL - The primary student council engages all students to contribute and share their ideas on how to improve different areas of their school life. so. ideas are collected from all grade levels and action taken. It gives them a voice and platform to be heard. In addition, they take the lead in our assemblies with regard to recognizing students' monthly birthdays and information they may want to share with their peers.

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Rebecca - Like Humans of New York: Create a gallery with photos of all members of the community and post and share. Include students in creating these stories. This would be a great service learning or CAS opportunity for students.

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https://weand.me/

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Chad Littlefield is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of (www.weand.me)-an organization whose mission is to help leaders, educators, and events make connection easy . calls Chad a "global expert on asking questions that build team trust and connection."

He is a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and creator of the , which is now being used to create conversations that matter on campuses and companies in over 80 countries around the world. Chad and his late partner are the authors of Ask Powerful Questions and How to Make Virtual Engagement Easy.-both #1 Amazon Bestsellers.

You can connect with Chad through his free resources and weekly videos right here.

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Chad Littlefield - Author, Speaker, and Mentor

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We and Me, Inc. creates experiences and tools that build trust, strengthen relationships, and unify your team. Are you ready to elevate your organization?

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ALL staff (cleaners, cafeteria staff, gardeners, EVERYONE)

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ALL staff (cleaners, cafeteria staff, gardeners, EVERYONE)

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It's key for teachers to know everyone on the local staff, particularly people who clean their classrooms and others they interact with regularly. It's key to know names and identities.

Ramadevi: schedule specific meetings that include support staff and celebrate birthdays once a month including support staff. Include support staff in parent coffees, too.

LeeAnne: create posters with names and key information of support staff. Post in areas where they work or in a common area.

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Andrea used to use games with her staff to foster a sense of belonging with her staff. Good idea!

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Abi is starting a Belonging Group at her school. Great idea!

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At ICS-Addis, Rebecca had an afternoon of cultural orientation during her first month as a new teacher there and it was really powerful and good. They used a local company to run the session. How can more schools do this in a meaningful way?

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It's so good that Abi's position exists in her school and every school needs it!

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Abi is the JEDI lead for HR at her school. One challenge is helping the local staff feel comfortable expressing themselves. They tend to get drowned out by the voices of the expat staff. How can we create a safe space for local staff to open up and share?

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Could we use some staff meetings to host story circles?

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Rebecca - have conversations about our local staff around the campus, share stories about childhood.
- Start from the inside
- Mining local knowledge instead of researching externally - using local teachers
Joyce
- HS school club has been, simba wakati - asking a member of local staff every week and publishing in the weekly news letter.

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UNESCO Story Circles for deep listening & intercultural understanding

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UNESCO Story Circles for deep listening & intercultural understanding

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https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000370336

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https://narrative4.com/

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Narrative 4 offers educators creative tools to teach compassion and develop strong student leaders in the classroom and community.

Through our Story Exchange, Artists Network, Learning Resources, and Civic Engagement projects, Narrative 4 is creating a global network of changemakers.
We're thrilled to share NBC's TODAY show segment on N4!

Adolescent loneliness has increased in 36 countries worldwide and doubled in English-speaking countries.1

Stories combat loneliness and motivate youth to make positive changes in their communities.

We create connections and combat isolation through the power of art, education, and action

What we do
Help students and teachers build authentic connections

Where we work
Classrooms, student clubs,
after-school programs, and more

How we help
Story Exchanges, professional development, curriculum tools, and more

I helped launch Narrative 4 seven years ago in Chicago. It was hard to know where it would go, how fast it would grow, and how much it would be needed. But I believe then as I do now in the power of stories to shape and change the world.
Sting, N4 Music Chair

Narrative 4 is not here to change your mind. N4 tells us, 'You can hold on to the integrity of your beliefs and understand somebody else's at the same time.
Mary Slone, Educator, United States

There you are, laid bare, no mask, no finery,
just your story as simple or complicated as it may be.
What this Story Exchange taught me is that pain is universal, so is love.
Winnie Ahupa, National Story Exchange Participant, N4 Nigeria

Narrative 4 on NBC's TODAY Show

We are thrilled to share TODAY's segment on N4! TODAY co-host, Craig Melvin, visited N4 during our November 2022 Field...

Article * Ethical ELA, Aug 15, 2021

Using Storytelling for Trauma-Informed Pedagogy During COVID and Beyond

Dr. Leslie Burns explores how narrative strategies support students' need for community and connection.

Video * YouTube, Sep 02, 2020

Synchronicity: A Celebration of Art, Empathy, and Action

Get to know Narrative 4 through the stories of our students, educators, and artists!

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Narrative 4 offers educators creative tools to teach compassion and develop strong student leaders in the classroom and community. Through our Story Exchange, Artists Network, Learning Resources, and Civic Engagement projects, Narrative 4 is creating a global network of changemakers. We're thrilled to share NBC's TODAY show segment on N4!

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Story books for young learners to promote equity and inclusion

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Story books for young learners to promote equity and inclusion

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https://selspace.ca/diversity-and-inclusion/

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Diversity and Inclusion Read Alouds and Resources | SELspace

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Social Emotional Learning read alouds related to Diversity and Inclusion. Many have the YouTube links to videos where the book is read.

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A Kid-Friendly Approach to Equity and Inclusion (ES)

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A Kid-Friendly Approach to Equity and Inclusion (ES)

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https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/a-kid-friendly-approach-to-equity-and-inclusion

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Racism can be a challenging subject to discuss for many adults.

And sometimes that discomfort and apprehension can lead to closed doors. To missed opportunities to have uncomfortable conversations.

But the thing is, young kids have questions and feelings about antiracism. They might not be discussing intersectionality, but many are interested in fairness, feeling good and friendship.

And that's why kid-friendly approaches to these concepts are helpful.

They meet little ones at their level, and attempt to show them the good that comes from acceptance and embracing people no matter how they look.

Gary the Unicorn, Janaye Upshaw and Tony Kim met up with a lot of curious kids who had big questions of their own in the CBC Kids special Proud to Be Me.

Maybe you watched it and that's how you got here.

You will be able to rewatch segments below whenever you need to. Or perhaps it might be useful to recommend them to a friend or a classroom teacher. But in addition to the great conversations with kids, I wanted to share some companion pieces for adults that are all over the CBC Parents site.

We work with writers from across Canada every week, and many take the time to share their personal stories. These narratives intersect race, gender, sexuality and parenting, and do so to acknowledge and amplify the varied experiences of parents who are parenting in this country.

What Is Equity?

Gary and Janaye discuss equity by playing a game of basketball. Gary is short and can't reach the basket, but Janaye is tall and can. Before the game has started, there is a clear disadvantage.

But Janaye recommends an alternative to help even the playing field. Using her height as support, Janaye offers to lift Gary up. This way, the game is fair and everyone gets to enjoy it.

Tony tackles the subject similarly, but he frames the conversation around wearing glasses.

What does fairness mean to parents?

Well, that's a big question. And it varies.

For some Black parents, it could mean wanting to live in a world where they don't have a complicated relationship with the police.

Or feeling confident sending their kids to school, and not have their educators show up in Blackface.

For some Muslim parents, what fairness could look like is not feeling like fingers are pointed at them and their family when something bad happens in the news.

It could mean longing to feel safe when you're an Asian parent going out with your biracial children.

Maybe it's just having the opportunity to not live in fear that you or your children could be next.

While people will view fairness differently, contextualized by their own experiences, the goal is simple: no one is at a disadvantage because of how they look. Or their gender. Or their sexuality. Or their disability.

What Is Race?

Tony, Gary and Janaye discuss race in a very kid-friendly way. Basically, they all look at each other and observe their differences. They aren't confronted or bogged down by ideology, it's just something that's apparent. And they celebrate each other for their differences.

Maybe some families don't live in diverse neighbourhoods, or don't attend diverse schools. So perhaps this kind of early exploration may sound unlikely for you. But that's why shows and books featuring people of colour are excellent ways to expose children to the diversity they will undoubtedly be exposed to as they grow up.

Khairoon Abbas wrote for CBC Parents, "The stark reality is that racism is alive and well in our country where many Canadians are foreign-born. Most of us foreign-born Canadians have lived in the country for many years and this is our home, just like it is home for everyone else."

While Canada can feel like a beacon of multiculturalism, the experience of many immigrants paints a different picture.

This is why examining our relationships to race, and whether they are roadblocks to kindness, is important to reflect on. It's essential to read these stories to not just learn that this is still a very real problem that parents and families face, but to acknowledge anything in ourselves that might be contributing to the problem.

It's not easy.

But it's good to ask: are you willing to do the necessary work? How many of us could benefit from that work?

Being Proud Of Our Differences

Tony, Janaye and Gary want us all to celebrate ourselves. To be proud of our differences. To strive for fairness. And they do that in a way most kids can get on board with: song and dance.

It sounds like an easy concept.

Be nice to one another. Don't discriminate against people because of how they look.

But it's hard to not take note of the times our world doesn't stack up with those statements above.﻿

No one is born racist. It is learned. That can't really be contested. And one way to combat another generation or ten of the same ol' thing is exposing kids to the beauty of our differences, and not stigmatizing them.

Maybe then we can be proud of ourselves. And each other.

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A Kid-Friendly Approach To Equity and Inclusion - And Stories From Equity-Seeking Parents | CBC Parents

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Racism can be a challenging subject to discuss for many adults. And sometimes that discomfort and apprehension can lead to closed doors. To missed opportunities to have uncomfortable conversations. But the thing is, young kids have questions and feelings about antiracism. They might not be discussing intersectionality, but many are interested in fairness, feeling good and friendship.

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https://share.transistor.fm/s/d7ffa077

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In this two-part story, Larry, Itu, Chinwe and Anna join me on the podcast from the International School of Dakar in Senegal. These four student leaders, following stories of discrimination and inequality from their school community being posted anonymously on social media in June 2020, and in Larry's case even earlier than this, chose to stand up and take positive action for change. Working collaboratively with trusted teachers and the school administration, these students are doing everything from leading professional development workshops for teachers to promote allyship and ensure that their community is a place where diversity is celebrated, to making sure that the health curriculum includes LGBTQ+ sexuality. They have even shared their work at international conferences. Nothing about us without us is for us is their slogan letting us know students deserve a voice in their own education and when given the opportunity students can transform the culture of a school community. This is a journey and it is only just beginning, but the impact they have had so far is something to celebrate and hopefully inspire other communities to follow their lead.

Show Notes

If you would like to connect and collaborate with the students from the International School of Dakar and the amazing student-led social justice work that is happening there, please contact Dr. Nneka Johnson at nnekaj@faculty.isd.sn or on Twitter @NnekaJ_EDU

What is Empathy to Impact ?

Dive into the voices & stories of students who own their learning & impact their communities. Brought to you by Inspire Citizens.

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Nothing About Us Without Us Is For Us - Part 1

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In this two-part story, Larry, Itu, Chinwe and Anna join me on the podcast from the International School of Dakar in Senegal. These four student leaders, following stories of discrimination and inequality from their school community being posted anonymously on social media in June 2020, and in Larry's case even earlier than this, chose to stand up and take positive action for change.

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Counselors are the only LGBTQ+ support for kids right now in Ethiopian and Tanzanian schools. 

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Counselors are the only LGBTQ+ support for kids right now in Ethiopian and Tanzanian schools. 

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Some schools in Tanzania are still expelling LGBTQ+ students. :(

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Admin buy-in to support service learning will allow service learning programs to be more robust and then we can address these specific areas. 

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Admin buy-in to support service learning will allow service learning programs to be more robust and then we can address these specific areas. 

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Language - defining the difference between service and service learning is key. 

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Language - defining the difference between service and service learning is key. 

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A start is to begin with the IB curriculum and open up conversations about curricular service learning.

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Tanzania - LGBTQ+ discussions are not allowed. Rama's school wants to get into international/IB curriculum, and LGBTQ+ inclusion is major challenge (inclusion in this realm is not possible at this point in her school).

Gender equality: girls are leading clubs. Student council has acknowledged the need for girls as leaders. Clubs have action goals and service (like beach cleanups and plastic-free campaigns and Safe Soil project).

National Tanzanian curriculum. Some social studies and science standards involve aspects of action. No discussion yet of embedded curricular service learning. Community service is happening.

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ICS cannot do anything with LGBTQ+ inclusion because of Ethiopian laws.   :(

There's a school group (GirlUp) that tackles gender equality as a CCA. Just had a huge fundraising event (Focus on Service) with a football tournament raising $7000 USD. One of the things for gender equality was that the teams were co-ed and the GirlUp club really represented and made sure the girls could participate equally. GirlUp is raising awareness of gender equality on campus. Just started last semester.

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DEIJ initiatives this past year and Bethany has been working to merge that work with service learning (rather than keeping the two things siloed). Students presented at the last PD meeting to the whole staff about DEIJ ideas. To understand Tanzanian culture better, DEIJ and service need to be connected.

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Resources needed to reflect critical practices for service learning and global citizenship: maybe the Service Learning Design Team could work on this?

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https://www.fletcherhowellconsulting.com/

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Education & training
Incorporating social responsibility into everyday teaching pedagogy, school ethos, and service experiences. Workshops and consulting for teachers, parents and students.

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Incorporating social responsibility into everyday teaching pedagogy, school ethos, and service experiences. Workshops and consulting for teachers, parents and students.

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We need more support for schools to move programs into a critical space.

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Several service groups are rooted in DEIJ (social reckoning and more student voice around important topics). Students can share their service learning work related to DEIJ and DEIB/Community. One group wants to amplify social justice through art and educate the community through zines and specific topics/themes.

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Get her perspective on this for countries in Africa. Yess!

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Staff is split into different task forces (community, well-being and international that includes service learning, global citizenship and DEIJ). Having conversations about how we can be more critical in our practices and open up spaces to invite multiple perspectives. Planning an audit of all programs. Diverse staff at ICS, which is amazing and opens up resources and mindsets.

Talking about how to understand indigenous knowledge systems and bring these into the student learning experience.

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Social equity club (co-curricular and student-led; have invited Amnesty Int to present at a HS assembly). Meets once a month. All students welcome. Meets with school leadership.

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 Current and Potential Service Learning Units

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 Current and Potential Service Learning Units

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Year level | Subject(s) | Unit title | SoI | Summary
8 | I&S and English | Gender Equality | Gender Equality can be encouraged as a result of purposefully creating and sharing cause and consequence PSAs to create a positive change. | Students critically analyse Public Service Announcements (PSA), studied the use of film techniques, and research Human Rights as part of a Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies Interdisciplinary Unit. They work in groups to produce their own PSA and a Process Journal in which they record all work, discoveries during their research, and finally, the process of producing and presenting the PSA.
8 | 8I&S | Education in Malawi | Individuals can take action in order to improve quality education in Malawi to make a positive change within their communities. | Students use the service learning cycle to investigate a local school in Malawi. Students identify the needs of the school to create practical solutions to their need. Students evaluate existing actions and then design and create the products and deliver them to the school. After the process, students evaluate the effectiveness of their product and suggest improvements for the coming year group.
9 | III&S | Industrial Revolution  |

11 | I&S | Sustainable Food Production | To create a sustainable future we must consider the local and global interactions of population, consumption and the environment to make informed decisions about the impact of our food choices. | Students learn about current methods of food production, utilising the ‘Green Revolution’. The need for sustainable food production is derived from the analysis of population pyramids, the climate, the economy and the theories of Malthus and Boserup for the correlation between food production and population. Students utilise this knowledge to develop their critical thinking skills by analysing the creation of famines in Asia. Students then use these skills to identify problems in Malawi and aided by a field visit to local experts, developed a practical solution to their identified problem. The solution is derived from following the service learning cycle.
11 | Design | Civil Society | Modern technologies help groups and individual communicate ideas and issues. | The students choose and utilize a medium of communication to address an identified need or important issue within the community.

4 PYP | TD - HWOO |
| Inquiry into Charity and its place in the community. |

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Each subject area identifies a unit that ties in service learning..

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Each subject area identifies a unit that ties in service learning..

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Current and Potential Service Learning Units

Year level | Subject(s) | Unit title | SoI | Summary
8 | I&S and English | Gender Equality | Gender Equality can be encouraged as a result of purposefully creating and sharing cause and consequence PSAs to create a positive change. | Students critically analyse Public Service Announcements (PSA), studied the use of film techniques, and research Human Rights as part of a Language and Literature and Individuals and Societies Interdisciplinary Unit. They work in groups to produce their own PSA and a Process Journal in which they record all work, discoveries during their research, and finally, the process of producing and presenting the PSA.
8 | 8I&S | Education in Malawi | Individuals can take action in order to improve quality education in Malawi to make a positive change within their communities. | Students use the service learning cycle to investigate a local school in Malawi. Students identify the needs of the school to create practical solutions to their need. Students evaluate existing actions and then design and create the products and deliver them to the school. After the process, students evaluate the effectiveness of their product and suggest improvements for the coming year group.
9 | III&S | Industrial Revolution  |

11 | I&S | Sustainable Food Production | To create a sustainable future we must consider the local and global interactions of population, consumption and the environment to make informed decisions about the impact of our food choices. | Students learn about current methods of food production, utilising the ‘Green Revolution’. The need for sustainable food production is derived from the analysis of population pyramids, the climate, the economy and the theories of Malthus and Boserup for the correlation between food production and population. Students utilise this knowledge to develop their critical thinking skills by analysing the creation of famines in Asia. Students then use these skills to identify problems in Malawi and aided by a field visit to local experts, developed a practical solution to their identified problem. The solution is derived from following the service learning cycle.
11 | Design | Civil Society | Modern technologies help groups and individual communicate ideas and issues. | The students choose and utilize a medium of communication to address an identified need or important issue within the community.

4 PYP | TD - HWOO |
| Inquiry into Charity and its place in the community. |

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Select an SDG and solve an issue related to that SDG ...

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Select an SDG and solve an issue related to that SDG ...

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fR780CbuHKN_nwfV0Z4Swo8taeCplEkb5pDEwR61sXc/edit?usp=sharing

Task is included within presentation...we used the time set aside for tutor time to ideate and create a pitch identifying an SDG then taking it through the Service learning cycle...

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Teach students the clear and compassionate language for this so they're empowered and have more voice in their learning journey.

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Learning walls: give students responsibility for this type of task. And give them time each week to respond to each other's questions about the learning. Value their discussions, give time for this.

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Start with an open question and have the students discuss, ideate, create a mural, etc. Use their ideas as the basis for the learning to follow.

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Using the Inspire Citizens' Empathy to Impact model can activate student voice and choice.

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3. Snapshot the unit using Empathy to Impact: Apply the tools, strategies, resources embedded in the Empathy to Impact framework to help identify a unit toolkit for facilitating understanding and thinking routines for such concepts as harmony with nature, humane technology, critical media literacy, data literacy, source analysis, interviewing, and so on.

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In designing learning experiences that embrace a world that is dynamic and ever-changing, Empathy to Impact sparks interdisciplinary teaching and learning that amplifies a deeper awareness of the meaningful connections which exist among disciplines, oneself, communities, nature, and our place in a c

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Can we we audit our curriculum to make sure we have content that is engaging our students in a relevant and timely way? This can amplify student voice and choice.

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Sometimes the curriculum is set and there isn't a lot of flexibility; creating space for service learning in the DP can be tricky. For Lang/Lit we can choose texts that might open up conversations. In the MYP, we can assess students on things students have chosen to do. There's more room for curricular student voice and choice here.

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Active, deep and compassionate listening

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Active, deep and compassionate listening

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This is the key for so many of our initiatives with student agency.

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At IST students are encouraged to partner with an NGO/organization to root their goals within established/identified needs. This can ground their action plans and allow the students to learn from and with a local organization.

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We need to get out of our school "bubbles" and we need to stop making assumptions about what our community partners need. This can strengthen the ability of our students to lead. They can listen to others' voices and also amplify their own.

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Using design thinking can equip students with the skills to discuss, ideate, etc. This needs to be explicitly taught so students can lead and also identify their passions and lead from there.

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Get Started with Design Thinking — Stanford d.school

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Design thinking is a methodology for creative problem solving. You can use it to inform your own teaching practice, or you can teach it to your students as a framework for real-world projects. The set of resources on this page offer experiences and lessons you can run with your students. This gives

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How can we use stories to build student voice, choice and agency?

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Learn how to create opportunities for your students, teachers, leaders & community partners to share stories, listen deeply and compassionately, and create safe and inclusive communities.

Story circles, story exchanges, story connections: embrace stories that change mindsets and build community.

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Learn how to create opportunities for your students, teachers, leaders & community partners to share stories, listen deeply and compassionately, and create safe and inclusive communities. Story circles, story exchanges, story connections: embrace stories that change mindsets and build community.

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Andrea attended Aaron's AISA conference sessions and was inspired to think about bringing authentic service learning to the elementary school, and to work with community partners. Identify units of inquiry right from the beginning and tap into the SDG goals. Aaron's workshop was a wonderful support for these ideas.

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Primary school learners engaged in this club are committed to conservation. They recently partnered with a local school and did some fundraising to take the grade 4 students to the elephant orphanage. They talked to the ranger and fed the baby elephants. It was so good to see the local students have access to this experience!

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In some classes at IST there is a lot of student voice and choice. More training on the PYP side for our program of inquiry (does it lend itself to action) would be a goa.

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Student Action Council at the elementary school (students use a design cycle to identify problems they face and would like to solve, then work in small groups). A lot of student voice here!

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Service component in each strand (direct and indirect service). For instance, some students knit inserts for people who have had mastectomies (Knitted Knockers). Some students create an arts workshop with a local organization. Student leadership is robust in this co-curricular realm. Small groups of 8-10 students and group leaders. Lots of opportunity for leadership.

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Foster realistic hope (or 'intelligent optimism') by sharing good news stories from around the world. Look for connections with curriculum and encourage students to learn about and engage with local initiatives that connect with these global issues. 

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Foster realistic hope (or 'intelligent optimism') by sharing good news stories from around the world. Look for connections with curriculum and encourage students to learn about and engage with local initiatives that connect with these global issues. 

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Excerpt: "Two inspiring river stories for you. In the Netherlands rewilding experts are undoing 500 years of engineering on the Meuse River, a project described as Europe’s largest river restoration. In Canada, indigenous communities are co-leading an effort with the government to restore the estuary of the Squamish River, "reopening its lungs, and bringing back the natural being of it.”

Three great ocean conservation stories too. The Republic of the Congo has created its first ever marine protected areas, covering 4,000 km2 off the West African coast, Albania has declared its Porto-Palermo Bay as a nature park, and after a decade of work Canada has unveiled a blueprint for a vast network of marine protected areas across the northern third of its West Coast."

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If we want to change the story of the human race in the 21st century, we have to change the stories we tell ourselves.

7 SEPTEMBER 2019 - 20 SEPTEMBER 2019

Coal shipments to the United States have fallen to their lowest since 1983 - and the dramatic reduction of coal in the country's energy mix has reduced deaths from air pollution and cut the cost of damages by more than $200 billion. Ars Technica

The number of cigarettes being smoked in the UK fell by nearly a quarter between 2011 and 2018 - meaning 1.4 billion fewer cigarettes smoked every year. Cancer UK

Saudi Arabia says women may now travel overseas, register births, marriage & divorce, receive family documents and be eligible as guardians to minors. Reuters

Indonesia has lifted the minimum legal age for marriage to 19. Previously, girls of 16 could be married (and there was no minimum age if parents requested it). Reuters

The United States' poverty rate has reached its lowest point since 2001. There were 1.4 million fewer people living in poverty in 2018 than in 2017. US Census

The Canadian government has lifted almost 900,000 people out of poverty since 2016, including 300,000 children. CBC

The Asian Development Bank says that Pakistan's extreme poverty rate fell from 28.6% of total population in 2001 to 3.9% in 2015. APP

California has banned the operation of private prisons - a major victory for criminal justice reform because it removes the profit motive from incarceration. Guardian

Four years after the WHO declared Delhi the world's most polluted city, the government has announced that pollution has dropped by 25%. Indian Express

A year ago, Chile began a campaign to ban plastic straws. Since then, 200 million fewer straws have been delivered to shops and restaurants. Emol

20 JULY 2019 - 10 AUGUST 2019

Electricity generation from coal power stations across Europe fell by nearly one fifth in the first half of 2019, the steepest decline ever recorded. New Scientist

In the second quarter of 2019 the Tesla Model 3 was not only the best selling car in its segment in the United States, but outsold all of its petrol and diesel powered equivalents combined. Elektrek

Last year, Japan saw its population decrease by over 444,000 people, the tenth straight year of declines, and the largest annual decrease since the end of World War Two. Mercatornet

Sri Lanka has been declared free of measles, the fourth country in south-east Asia to reach this milestone after Bhutan, Maldives and Timor-Leste. The country reported its last homegrown case of the virus in May 2016. WHO

Americans are becoming more tolerant. A major survey of attitudes towards sexuality, race, skin tone, age, disability and body weight has shown that explicit bias has decreased in all six categories since 2007; ranging from 49% (sexuality) to 15% (body weight). Implicit bias also decreased-33% for sexuality, 17% for race and 15% for skin tone. Scientific American

A decade ago, Scotland adopted a nationwide ban on indoor smoking. Over the next decade there was a 13% reduction in heart attacks for people over the age of 60. Reuters

Panama has become the first Central American nation to ban single-use plastic bags, joining more than 60 other countries that have passed total or partial bans, or introduced taxes to reduce their use. Reuters

Ethiopia has smashed the world record for tree planting. Led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, millions of Ethiopians planted more than 350 million trees in 12 hours on the 29th July. BBC

Since 1990, thanks to better protection and a decline in farming, France's wooded or forested areas have increased by nearly 7%. Forests now cover 31% of the country. Economist

The population of tigers is recovering in India. The tiger population has risen from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018, an increase of over one third. This is a major conservation success. BBC

4 MAY 2019 - 17 MAY 2019

Last year, more global coal capacity was closed than approved for the first time since the 19th century, and the UK just had its first coal-free week since 1882. BBC

Chile has reached its 2025 clean energy targets six years ahead of schedule, and says it's now on track for 70% electricity from renewables by 2030. BN Americas

The world's largest car supplier, Bosch, says it will be fully carbon neutral by 2020, making it the first major industrial company to take that step. Reuters

Big new dataset here, we've been waiting for this for a while. The proportion of people in extreme poverty has fallen from 36% in 1990 to 8.6% in 2018. Absolute numbers are down from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 610 million in 2018. ODI

The 2019 election in India is on track for the highest turnout in history, driven by unprecedented numbers of women voters, who may be the majority this year. Quartz

The number of people incarcerated in American prisons has declined again, to 1.48 million people, down from 1.61 million in 2009. Washington Post

New Global Burden of Disease Report says that between 1990 and 2017, deaths of kids and teenagers decreased by 51.7%, from 13.77 million to 6.64 million. CNN

The United Nations says that 187 countries have agreed to control the movement of plastic waste between national borders, in an effort to curb waste. CNN

Tanzania has become the latest country to implement a plastic ban. From the 1st June, no one will be allowed to produce, import, sell or use plastic bags. WWF

California, the United States' most productive agricultural state, has banned a widely used pesticide blamed for harming brain development in babies. Associated Press

Costa Rica has doubled its forest cover in the last 30 years; half its land surface is now covered with trees, a huge carbon sink and a big draw for tourists. NYT

25 JANUARY 2019 - 8 FEBRUARY 2019

9 NOVEMBER 2018 - 30 NOVEMBER 2018

A little perspective. Global suicide rates have dropped by 38% since 1994, saving 4 million lives, four times the number killed in combat during that time. Economist

Cigarette useamong Americans has dropped to its lowest level since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started collecting data in 1965. CNN

In the DRC, doctors are winning the war on sleeping sickness. At the turn of the century there were 30,000 cases. Last year, there were 1,100. Guardian

More ammo for fun conversations with population-obsessed baby boomers. The global fertility rate (average number of children a woman gives birth to) has halved since 1950. Half the world's countries are now below replacement levels. BBC

Scotland is the first country in the world to include teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights into its state schools curriculum. The Scotsman

Officials in South Korea are bulldozing the country's largest dog slaughterhouse. The reason? Years of campaigning by activists, and shifting tastes in millenials. BBC

The Republic of Congo has created its fifth national park, protecting western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants and other threatened wildlife. MongaBay

13 APRIL 2018 - 10 MAY 2018

30 MARCH 2018 - 12 APRIL 2018

Portugal generated enough renewable energy to power the entire country in March, and the government has also just suspended all fossil fuel subsidies. C'mon Australia. Quartz

More bad news for fossil fuels. New Zealand just banned new oil and gas exploration, and only half of the United States' coal plants earned enough to cover their costs last year.

Around the world, the number of people dying due to insufficient calorie or protein intake has fallen from almost half a million in the 1990s to roughly 300,000 today. OurWorldinData

The global media went into a frenzy over Cape Town's water shortages and Day Zero. Strangely, nobody is reporting how the Mother City successfully averted the crisis. apolitical

A cryptocurrency startup just funded all 35,647 open projects on public school crowd-funding platform DonorsChoose.org, reaching more than 16,500 schools in the US. Fast

A new report says that, thanks to shifting tastes amongst millenials, 70% of the world's population is reducing meat consumption or leaving meat off the table altogether. Forbes

Four years after imposing a 5p levy, the United Kingdom has used 9 billion fewer plastic bags, and the number being found on the seabed has plummeted. Independent

Colombia has been ordered by its courts to protect the Amazon, in Indonesia they're cleaning up the world's dirtiest river, and in Mumbai, turtles are returning to the beaches.

9 MARCH 2018 - 29 MARCH 2018

23 FEBRUARY 2018 - 8 MARCH 2018

There are now more than 100 cities around the world that get at least 70% of their electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, geothermal, solar and wind. CDP

Canada has just announced $3.1 billion in new funding for science, "the single largest investment in basic research in Canadian history." Nature

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which sends free books to children from birth until their start of school, has just delivered its 100 millionth book. Mashable

Since 2010, South Africa, the country with the world's largest concentration of people with HIV/AIDS, has halved the infection rate and decreased deaths by 29 percent. Borgen

Taiwan has announced a ban on single-use plastic items. Straws, cups and bags will be eliminated by 2030 and restaurants will face restrictions from 2019. Channel News Asia

Rome, one of Europe's most traffic-clogged cities, has announced plans to ban all diesel cars from its center by 2024. That follows similar, recent announcements from Milan and Turin

The Seychelles has created a new 130,000 square kilometre marine reserve in the Indian Ocean, protecting their waters from illegal fishing for generations to come. National Geographic

26 JANUARY 2018 - 8 FEBRUARY 2018

94% of net new electricity capacity in the United States came from renewables last year, and the country lowered its total emissions by 1%. Electrek

In 2017, for the first time, the EU generated more clean energy than coal (five years ago coal generated twice as much as renewables). Carbon Brief

China brought 12.89 million people out of poverty in 2017, dropping the rate to 3.1%. About 70 million rural people have climbed out of poverty since 2012. Channel News Asia

Despite rising air pollution, respiratory disease death rates in China have fallen by 70% since 1990. The reason? Rising incomes, cleaner cooking fuels, better healthcare. Twitter

India has announced plans to create the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme, covering more than 100 million of the country's poor. BBC

A massive new study on three quarters of all the cancer cases around the world from 2000 to 2014 has shown that survival rates are increasing in most countries. Jamaica Observer

A new report says democracy is more widespread than ever. Six in ten of the world's countries are now democratic - a post war record. Pew Research

13 JANUARY 2018 - 25 JANUARY 2018

10 NOVEMBER 2017 - 23 NOVEMBER 2017

The fossil fuels divestment stories are coming fast and thick now. Norway's sovereign wealth fund is officially out, and the global insurance industry has pulled $20 billion.

A new report from the EU says that between 1990 and 2016 the continent cut its carbon emissions by 23% while the economy grew by 53%. C'mon Australia. CleanTechnica

Thanks to government welfare policies, the child-poverty rate in the United States has reached an all time low, dropping to 15.6 percent in 2016. The Atlantic

According to the World Health Organisation, global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 53 million lives since 2000 and have reduced the TB mortality rate by 37%.

Two weeks ago, Germany's top court ruled that lawmakers must legally recognize a third gender from birth. This will make it the first European nation to pass this kind of law. CNN

Victoria is poised to become the first Australian state to legalise euthanasia, after historic laws passed the upper house yesterday. The Age

Hot on India's heels, the Italian parliament has voted to ban the use of all animals in circuses and traveling shows. It joins 40 other nations with similar bans in place. Inhabit

Bowing to overwhelming scientific evidence, and pressure from environmental groups, the UK government has agreed to an extended ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. BBC

And finally... we know everyone heard about it, but we're including it anyway. AUSTRALIA VOTED YES TO GAY MARRIAGE (and had a serious party to celebrate it). About bloody time. Welcome to the 21st century everyone!

29 SEPTEMBER 2017 - 12 OCTOBER 2017

1 SEPTEMBER 2017 - 28 SEPTEMBER 2017

The cost of solar plants in the United States has dropped by 30% in one year and in the United Kingdom, the price of offshore wind has dropped by half in less than two years.

France will pass legislation later this year to phase out all oil and gas exploration and production by 2040, becoming the first country to do so. Bloomberg

Women now occupy 23% of parliamentary seats around the world, up from 12% in 1997. The Middle East and North Africa have seen a fourfold increase in that time. World Bank

Heckler & Koch, the world's deadliest arms manufacturer, has announced it will end gun sales to countries falling short of corruption and democracy standards. Deutsche Welle

September has been a great month for the war on plastic. Kenya became the 9th country to ban plastic bags, then Western Australia announced a ban starting in 2018, and now Chile says it will be the first country in the Americas to ban plastic bags in coastal cities.

The Minamata Convention, the first global treaty on mercury pollution, was ratified six weeks ago, and 156 countries are meeting this week to discuss further action. Swiss Info

One of the world's largest marine parks has just been created off the coast of Easter Island, and will protect 142 species, including 27 threatened with extinction. Guardian

In more than 60 regions across the globe, more populations of large sea turtles are improving than declining, a big change from a decade or two ago. Nice. Associated Press

18 AUGUST 2017 - 31 AUGUST 2017

4 AUGUST 2017 - 17 AUGUST 2017

Following in China's footsteps, India is on track to double its solar installations this year, installing more in the first half of 2017 than in all of 2016. C'mon Australia. Clean Technica

JPMorgan Chase has just announced it will source 100% of its energy from renewables by 2020 and will facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025. PV Tech

Rhode Island has become the fourth state in the United States to make community college free, following similar initiatives in New York, Oregon and Tennessee. CNN

The World Health Organisation has declared Somalia polio free, after confirming there have been no new recorded cases in the last three years. Arab News

Nepal has passed a law criminalising an ancient Hindu practice called chhaupadi that banishes women from the home during menstruation and after childbirth. Al Jazeera

The British government has unveiled new plans to require compulsory CCTV cameras in all slaughterhouses, in order to enforce laws against animal cruelty. Guardian

A province in Pakistan has planted a billion trees in the last two years as part of an effort to restore forests and protect against natural disasters such as floods. Independent

In Germany, the total area of land under organic agriculture increased by 15% in 2016, reaching 3.09 million acres, or 7.5% of all arable land. Deutsche Welle

Inuit groups and the Canadian government just signed a deal to protect the 'Serengeti of the Arctic,' creating by far the largest marine reserve in the country's history. Globe & Mail

30 JUNE 2017 - 13 JULY 2017

16 JUNE 2017 - 29 JUNE 2017

Sweden's largest pension fund has divested all investments from six companies that violate the Paris Agreement, including Exxon, Gazprom and TransCanada. CleanTechnica

France will stop granting all licences for oil and gas exploration in a major transition towards clean energy being driven by the new Macron government. Independent

Since 2010, tobacco use by young people in India has fallen by 33%, and for high school students in the United States it's dropped by almost half since 2011.

Not that you'd know it from the evening news, but the homicide rate in Australia has dropped to one victim per 100,000 people, the lowest ever recorded. Guardian

The gender pay gap in the US has narrowed from 36% in 1980 to 17% in 2015. For young women the gap has narrowed even further, and now stands at 10%. Pew Research

Hot on the heels of Ireland's appointment of its first gay Prime Minister, Serbia has achieved a double first, with the appointment its first female and gay Prime Minister. BBC

Pakistan has started issuing passports with a separate gender category, X, for transgender citizens who don't identify as male or female. Vox

Five remote Pacific islands are once again safe havens for four of the world's rarest bird species following one of the most ambitious island restoration projects of all time. BirdLife

19 JANUARY 2017 - 1 FEBRUARY 2017

Since 1980 the US has been a beacon of freedom for refugees, taking in 2.5 million people. Not one of them has been responsible for an act of domestic terror. The Age

86% of children now receive the DTP3 vaccine. That means the number of vaccinated humans on the planet has risen from 1 to 6 billion in two decades. Our World in Data

Since 2008, the rate of violent crime in the US has been lower than at any point since 1976. And thanks to better education and contraception techniques, abortion rates have reached their lowest level since Roe vs. Wade in 1973.

Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, has committed to making all of its packaging fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Plastics News

Delhi has introduced a city-wide ban on disposable plastic, prohibiting the use of cutlery, bags and other plastic items amid concern over pollution of the sea and air. Independent

Brazil has pledged to rehabilitate 22 million hectares of forests, croplands and pastures, the largest restoration commitment ever made by a single nation. Pacific Standard

Deutsche Bank has $2 trillion in assets and is one of the coal industry's biggest financiers - and it's just announced it will stop financing all new coal projects. Ouch. Mining.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If we want to change the story of the human race in the 21st century, we have to change the stories we tell ourselves. Coal shipments to the United States have fallen to their lowest since 1983 - and the dramatic reduction of coal in the country's energy mix has reduced deaths from air pollution and cut the cost of damages by more than $200 billion.

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Guest speaker series to share stories from the field (be it organic farmers, sanitation experts, social entrepreneurs) and provide opportunities for students to develop a line of inquiry from sparks in these sessions.

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Guest speaker series to share stories from the field (be it organic farmers, sanitation experts, social entrepreneurs) and provide opportunities for students to develop a line of inquiry from sparks in these sessions.

# data[].attributes.headline
What are age appropriate SL engagement for the early years and lower elementary?

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What are age appropriate SL engagement for the early years and lower elementary?

# data[].attributes.headline
The school community needs to understand what Service LEARNING really is in order for the program to work.  However, this requires buy-in from decision makers that can make proper training happen!

# data[].attributes.subject
The school community needs to understand what Service LEARNING really is in order for the program to work.  However, this requires buy-in from decision makers that can make proper training happen!

# data[].attributes.headline
Curricular design sessions: identifying themes, units as entry points, big ideas, core skills

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Curricular design sessions: identifying themes, units as entry points, big ideas, core skills

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Provide the  right tools for student learning success

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Provide the  right tools for student learning success

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Take Action Today - Mandatory?  Voluntary?  What is best?

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Take Action Today - Mandatory?  Voluntary?  What is best?

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Still wondering what is best here.  Walking the tight rope in determining this at IST at the moment.  Used to be 'Take Action Tuesday' and was mandatory before the pandemic, now have more participation voluntarily from students, and not sure if making it mandatory again is best as it became a lot of 'ticking boxes'...

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How can we embed curricular service learning in such a busy school and program? (ISK)

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How can we embed curricular service learning in such a busy school and program? (ISK)

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Blocks in the schedule for clubs and graduation requirements for service (ISK)

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Blocks in the schedule for clubs and graduation requirements for service (ISK)

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Why do we continue to make assumptions of what our local communities need? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Why do we continue to make assumptions of what our local communities need? 

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Where are the primary teachers/SL coordinators? I just feel that most of the focus is on secondary and it is about time we embraced primary/early years too. Making it an authentic part of the students' learning will develop the action, reflective practices and commitment we want in our learners.

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Where are the primary teachers/SL coordinators? I just feel that most of the focus is on secondary and it is about time we embraced primary/early years too. Making it an authentic part of the students' learning will develop the action, reflective practices and commitment we want in our learners.

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Auditing curriculum to see where GC opportunities/ experiences arise across disciplines- then looking at how these could be used as a springboard for deep learning resulting in informed student action

# data[].attributes.subject
Auditing curriculum to see where GC opportunities/ experiences arise across disciplines- then looking at how these could be used as a springboard for deep learning resulting in informed student action

# data[].attributes.headline
I want to incorporate service into my unit on Colonization, Independence, and Development in Africa.  I am looking for examples of how I can incorporate service into this existing curriculum.  

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I want to incorporate service into my unit on Colonization, Independence, and Development in Africa.  I am looking for examples of how I can incorporate service into this existing curriculum.  

# data[].attributes.body
Developed a unit in Grade 7 last year where students met 3 different community partners and developed their understanding of Earth Science / Resource use as well as complete a service action of some kind that went well and hope to do this at least once in each grade eventually at IST.

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All teachers are expected to embed service learning into at least one unit

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All teachers are expected to embed service learning into at least one unit

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Making service mandatory for all students but having them make choices which service experiences they want to engage.

# data[].attributes.subject
Making service mandatory for all students but having them make choices which service experiences they want to engage.

# data[].attributes.headline
We talk so much about SL, but do we all have a common understanding of what it is. - looks like, feels like, sounds like?

# data[].attributes.subject
We talk so much about SL, but do we all have a common understanding of what it is. - looks like, feels like, sounds like?

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Support / Enthusiasm from Administration and other Teachers

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Support / Enthusiasm from Administration and other Teachers

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Grade 9/10 service learning program (ICS Addis)

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Grade 9/10 service learning program (ICS Addis)

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Wednesday after school activities are dedicated exclusively to Service Learning

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Champions: sharing curricular examples with colleagues (ICS-Addis)

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Champions: sharing curricular examples with colleagues (ICS-Addis)

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Fostering relationships using story telling as a means to develop meaningful partnerships, understandings and collaborations. (Open Arms Community School)

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Fostering relationships using story telling as a means to develop meaningful partnerships, understandings and collaborations. (Open Arms Community School)

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Creating a time within the schedule so that you have time to do this

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating a time within the schedule so that you have time to do this

# data[].attributes.headline
Good relationships with community partners

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Good relationships with community partners

# data[].attributes.body
My focus last year was re-establishing relationships with community partners of IST and this year started the service-learning program with a workshop that included representatives from the partners and I found this was really valuable for both student leaders and the partners.

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AP English Literature: complete service learning embedded into unit based on The Poisonwood Bible

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AP English Literature: complete service learning embedded into unit based on The Poisonwood Bible

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We have a strong service learning but through clubs. 

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We have a strong service learning but through clubs. 

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ICSAbidjan Grade 8 Service Learning Quarter Long Class

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ICSAbidjan Grade 8 Service Learning Quarter Long Class

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Embedding SL in the curriculum using conceptual lenses to link SL journey's.

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Embedding SL in the curriculum using conceptual lenses to link SL journey's.