Social action projects for children

TeachPeaceNow

The Six Step Process Toward Social Action Projects

1. TELL STORIES & FIND A FOCUS: Have students tell stories about their concerns about their neighborhood, school, or nation, or read the poem "If I were in charge of the world" by Judith Viorst in the book If I Were In Charge of the World"

Story starter ideas:

If you were the boss of the playground, [the school, the world, etc.] what would you do to make it a better place?
I would like ___________to stop.
I think ____________ should change.

Collect the stories and then as a class decide what social action project they could work on.

2. BRAINSTORM: Think of ways to begin to solve the problem.

3. SELECT COURSE OF ACTION: From the brainstormed list select those that are “doable” Figure out what resources such as time, energy, money, will be needed.

4. STRATEGIZE: Figure out how to obtain the resources needed. How can money be raised? Can we do it without money?

5. ACTION PLAN: Create a plan in which actions and timeline is created. Be sure everyone volunteers to do something. Instead of deadlines have “birthlines”

6. IMPLEMENTATION: Facilitate the students in carrying out their plan. Document their work and celebrate their accomplishments.

Selecting Activism Activities

Be on the look out for unfair practices
Listen to what the students talk about. What is bothering them? What do they care about?
Think about your own comfort level. Select an issue you are passionate about and willing to take risks over.
Consider parents comfort. How do you inform them of your plans?
Try it out. If it works, fine. If not, try again with a different choice.

Activism means taking risks.

"We can’t teach more than we are."
(Anti-Bias Curriculum Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force, p. 82)

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