Recent Projects

DEC(SY) has been involved with a wide range of diverse projects. This is a small selection of some of our recent projects.

Southern Artists for Development

This is a three year project, funded by the Department for International Development (DfID).

DEC(SY) has seen strong evidence of school pupils changing preconceived ideas about Africa following sessions by African artists / educators from Ghana. Arts inputs such as drumming, dance, song, story and drama can engage pupils emotionally, physically and spiritually as well as intellectually.

This project raises the profile of development education within a whole-school community, often leading to stronger contacts with local minority groups and encouraging longer-term commitment such as school linking.

Find out more about the Southern Artists in the Services section.

Enabling Effective Support

This project involves the development of a new regional body - the Yorkshire and Humber Global Schools Association (YHGSA) - which is responsible for a regional strategy to try and ensure that every child in Yorkshire and The Humber is entitled to a global dimension in their education.

DEC(SY) has been actively involved in this work, through the resources and services, curriculum development and continual professional development commissions and sitting on the selection panel for the new YHGSA Coordinator.

EC Capacity Building

The EC Capacity Building Project complements the Enabling Effective Support project. It has enabled DEC(SY) to have more time to liaise with officers from the four South Yorkshire LEAs, the two local universities and many schools in order to promote the YHGSA and its initiatives.

Students from the University of Sheffield taking part in a training session at DECSY

Extended Visits

Drawing on experience from the Pakistan project, DEC(SY) has been working with Sheffield, Sandwell and Oldham LEA Ethnic Minority Achievement Services, supported by Sheffield Children's Fund to develop a workbook for children of Pakistani heritage who go on extended visits to Pakistan and 'Azad' Kashmir.

One of the aims of this curriculum-linked resource resulting from this work, which was published in October, is to encourage teachers and pupils to value and appreciate the global experience that may be reflected in their classrooms.

Following a launch event at Scotia Works the publication is being distributed to Sheffield schools with pupils of Pakistani heritage. A similar resource on Bangladesh is also available.

Strengthening Partnerships

The Strengthening Partnerships Project aims to strengthen DEC(SY)'s capacity to deliver development education by building more structured partnerships with other bodies involved in education and development issues.

Moving Here - The Refugee Experience

A new exhibition developed by Global Link is now available for booking by Sheffield and South Yorkshire schools. The exhibition allows school students to ‘experience’ stages of the asylum process, from scenes of conflict in people’s home country to arrival and settlement in Britain.

To help ensure that the students gain the maximum benefit from this, DECSY has been working with local teachers to develop educational materials for use before and after the visit to the exhibition.

For more information go to the EMAS Moving Here Exhibition web page.

Take Part Too Global Citizens Simulation

Take Part Too is a web-based project focusing on democracy, communication and negotiation.
Three school classes from three countries make up a Youth Council whose task is to study and take action on some of the big issues that are currently being debated in Europe.

The scenario begins with the EU Commission asking the Youth Council for advice. This request starts the process of cooperation and communication within the Youth Council community.

Participants from the three countries choose to work on one of three issues.

• If Europe is to avoid becoming a giant home for elderly persons, do we need to open our gates to
millions of new immigrants?
• How can we balance our need for security with our need for freedom?
• Can the planet and the human race survive if we carry on consuming at our present rate?

Over 50 secondary schools in England, Romania and Denmark have taken part in the pilot phase of Take Part Too. We have a vision of developing the project further and involving other countries, possibly leading to the setting up of a European or worldwide virtual Youth Council.

There are currently about one billion 12 to 18-year-olds in the world – about 1/6 of the world’s population - they are the present as well as the future. Politicians talk about the importance of listening to young people. Here is an opportunity to hear young people’s considered opinions, discussions and proposals.

So far the project has been financed by the EU (Socrates-Minerva) but the funding ended in 2006. We are now looking for partner organizations who would like to use and adapt Take Part Too to use with schools across Europe and the wider world.

Visit the website www.takeparttoo.org Download the flyer by clicking here
If you are interested in this idea please let us know!

Contact Rob at decsy

Ecological Footprints

This project, with a strong global focus, is based on the concept of the ecological footprint. It arose out of liaison with environmental educators from bodies such as the Earth Centre, Losehill Hall Peak Park Study Centre, and a range of groups involved in the Sheffield Envioronmental Education Network.

The Ecological Footprint, the area of land needed to sustain the resource consumption and waste discharge by a given population / person, can be used to demonstrate the unsustainable nature of consumption by countries of the 'north' and the impact this may be having on countries of the 'south'.

The project, which has obtained funding from a range of small trusts, has links with a larger national project coordinated by the Humanities Education Centre in Tower Hamlets. This link provides an excellent opportunity for sharing ideas and experiences.

The project works with three Sheffield schools (two primary and one special) and uses the ecological footprint concept as a framework for a range of inputs and school visits that make use of local expertise in education for sustainable development. An evaluator is conducting interviews and activities with groups of children to find out whether or not the project is having an influence on attitudes towards the global environment.

For more details visit the project website (this is now part of the DECSY website)

Mediation On the Line

This On the Line funded link, involving Channel 4, Oxfam and a range of other NGO's, has been established between a peer mediation programme working with Sheffield schools and an ActionAid peace education project based in Tamale which aims to support the overall peace and reconciliation process for Northern Ghana. Specifically the project involves the setting up of a pilot teacher/ development educator exchange between High Storrs school in Sheffield and Zebilla Junior Secondary school near Bawku.

High Storrs school is also part of "Dancing On-Line: Bringing the Spirit of Africa to Sheffield". Dancing On Line is a dance project looking at human rights, conflict resolution and peace through dance. The project was conceived by Dylan Quinn, based in Lancaster, England, and will link High Storrs school in Sheffield with schools in Ghana, West Africa.

Charity to Justice

Work with secondary school aged children which took place as part of the Sheffield International Weekend in November 2002 when year 10 pupils from four secondary schools explored the issue of international trade, justice and sustainable development through a simulation game.

One of the teachers questioned about the event said that she had been personally affected: 'We've decided to buy Fair Trade products at school and personally, in the future.' Pupils from one school became involved in buying and selling Fair Trade chocolate.

In all cases teachers inteviewed said that the pupils had expressed their enjoyment of the day. One teacher felt that the pupils became clear that the world trading system was unfair.

Is Food Costing the Earth

This is a partnership project with Leeds DEC and Groundwork in Dearne Valley and Leeds that involves developing and delivering classroom sessions on food and sustainability for Year 4 classes in two local primary schools. The work begins with an introduction to the concept of the Ecological footprint (Based on work from the recent 'Ecological Footprint Project').

This is followed by sessions on the source of food, food miles, Fairtrade, packaging , supermarkets and alternatives. Feedback to date from the pupils and their teachers has been very positive. The work is curriculum-linked to the National Curriculum and NLS/NNS.