Children can be important agents of transformation in societies, if given the right tools, space and support from adults. In this webinar, we will discuss the power of children and young people to support each other and address pressing challenges in their communities and the wider world. We will look at the experiences of implementing participatory programmes in two different contexts, South Asia (in particular urban Pakistan) and Southeast Europe. Through this, we will begin to unpack the kind of impact that meaningful participation can have not just in schools and communities, but on children and young people themselves.
Part 1 - Cities for Children
“Partners in Learning” - Applying a Child to Child for learning during COVID-19
Seekho Sikhao Saathi - or “Partners in Learning” – was originally a unique response to school closures during COVID-19, for 1500 children in urban poverty in Pakistan to continue learning even without access to digital options. The programme was adapted from an evidence-based Child to Child model, in which older children (Big Partners or Baray Saathi) were trained to deliver playful learning sessions to younger children (Little Partners or Chotay Saathi) in safe ways, within their communities.
Cities for Children was able to track several levels of impact for the programme:
- Gains in literacy, numeracy and motor and socioemotional skills for Little Partners
- Socioemotional learning (SEL) gains for Big Partners
- Impact on community- and school-level perceptions around children’s agency and potential
In this webinar, we will be sharing more around results as well as lessons from implementation experience, when supporting children to become champions of education in their communities.
Speaker: Madeeha Ansari, Founder, Cities for Children
Madeeha Ansari is a Pakistani development professional having over 10 years’ experience with organizations across the spectrum, from community schools in Pakistan, to development organisations like Child to Child, to consultancy projects with the Malala Fund, UNICEF and Terre des Hommes. As Founder of Cities for Children, she has spearheaded the design and implementation of playful programmes for learning and wellbeing, particularly for children made vulnerable by mobility and urban poverty.
Madeeha completed her Masters as a Fulbright scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and earned her undergraduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is part of the Ashoka Changemaker Exchange community.
Part 2 - REsponding to VIolence against children in Schools and adjacent settings – REVIS project
Children to become social influencers on responding to peer violence through self-developed solutions
The ongoing REVIS project is aimed to prevent, combat and respond to peer violence among children through transforming social and gender norms and behaviours; to create space for children to challenge social and gender norms that lead to peer violence; and to make children develop solutions to the problem.
The project is implemented in Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia via a specific programme of activities, initiatives, campaigns with the involvement of 40 schools, 80 school staff and 1600 children and young people.
In this webinar you can listen to some country-specific experiences and results gained so far during the project implementation, supporting children and young people on the path of becoming influencers.
Speakers: REVIS Country Focal Points
The REVIS project is co-funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union (2014–2020).
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