Emscote Infant School
and
All Saints' C of E Junior School
Courageous Advocacy
What is Courageous Advocacy?
Courageous advocacy is not as simple as fundraising or thinking about others, although these are, of course, still important!
Courageous advocacy is the act of speaking out about an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard. Speaking out can take a great deal of courage!
Becoming a courageous advocate for change therefore, must involve you really understanding the issues involved.
It moves beyond simply knowing, to actually doing and saying something about it.
Courageous advocacy takes action! It means challenging injustice and personally make change in ourselves, in our relationships and in our local and global community.
It is our role as members of a Church of England school to:
“speak up for others who cannot speak up for themselves” (Proverbs 31.8)
Examples of courageous Advocacy in our school:
- Children are encouraged to consider how acts of courageous advocacy can support the Christian mission and vision of ‘God’s Kingdom’
- Our curriculum is used as a means of developing global citizenship – global issues are woven in foundation subjects – Opportunities for enhancing aspiration and courageous advocacy are planned from the outset. For example: deforestation, cost of human development on the environment.
- For many years, all of our children have participated in the annual Send my Friend campaign. This has now been linked with the Support of Goal 4 – Quality education for all. Campaign letters and activities are completed and sent to our MP and to Downing Street; replies have been received. Children develop a greater awareness and understanding of issues which influence access to education across the world. They become ‘courageous advocates’ through their involvement in campaigning
- Collective worship and associated lessons look at past, present and future injustices around the world, along with those who have or currently act and speak out as courageous advocates.
- All children were involved in work towards Eco Green Flag accreditation. One aspect of this was the creation of Eco Bricks which were used to build a planter in the school grounds. Eco focus is linked to global goals, participation in Zero Waste and Talking Rubbish campaigns linked with Bo in Sierra Leone. Children became keenly aware of the impact of single-use and non-recyclable plastics. This impacted the wider community via families creating eco bricks.
