Schools Work

http://www.corrymeela.org/What_we_do/schools.html

The schools work of the Corrymeela Community is very closely associated with our youth, family and community work, in our way of working with the various groups who come to us. In terms of the residential work, there are a number of possibilities:

The Joint Fieldwork Model - Teachers familiar with the centre come and lead the fieldwork sessions themselves and the centre staff act as hosts, with some backup for evening activities.

The Single Group Model - Teachers and students come together and learn more about themselves and one another within the school whilst also addressing how this work might progress with regard to meeting with different groups.  Sometimes this type of group could be from an integrated school or a special school, where they have a Catholic/Protestant mix.

The Large Cross Community Model - Teachers from primary schools usually, where in order to take one class from each school means that the numbers of children are larger.

The Cross Community and Cross Border Grammar or Secondary School model - Teachers with sixth formers or fourth formers from their schools asking their questions of one another.

The Progressive Cross Community Model - Teachers with a three year plan for their work bringing the same students over three years, following up the work in class, and building on their work each time.

Student teachers from the different teacher training colleges carrying out joint training on EMU and the schools Community Relations Program. All school staff training, teaching and other staff from their school training in mediation skills or dealing with conflict/sectarianism.

In terms of the community based work, there are also a number of possible ways of working:

One day preparation events - These events take place in the schools.  Their purpose is to prepare the students for their visit to the centre, and might include icebreakers, games, slide shows, puppet shows, hopes and fears and contract sessions.

Assembly events - Sometimes we are invited to present information about Corrymeela at an assembly in a school.  In many cases a group of students from the same school come to Corrymeela later on and this work helps them and the rest of the school to understand what they would be likely to be doing.

Classroom events - Sometimes more preparation is required particularly for schools that have very little history of cross community work.  In this case the same program is carried out in classrooms in each school.  Programs could include work on contracting, stereotypes, mediation and small group work. One

Day follow up events - These events take place in the schools. They form the basis of a follow up to a residential for teachers and students who wish to have some support to communicate what they have learnt together during their residential to the rest of their year group.

Support work - In this case the work is supporting a teacher in a school who wants to do some work on affirmation or sectarianism.  This program often includes work with puppets.

One week initiatives - One of the volunteer staff as their initiative, spending a week in a school with the teacher working with classes as a follow up to a residential. These programs, staff and resources offer a range of systematic support to school groups, including networking with other practitioners, as schools seek to understand the vision, aims, objectives and progression of their work in the whole area of Education for Mutual Understanding and peace building.