189: We Are Next - Community Campaign with Mark White

At the start of 2020, Your Town launched a community campaign called We Are Next, a national campaign to get the next generation moving and more connected with health, fitness and their community.We Are Next have reached over 1600 kids across 10 schools, in two different towns in Hertfordshire. The original idea was to visit a further 90 schools reaching over 4000 kids across the UK; the restrictions in place due to COVID-19 have resulted in We Are Next adapting their original plan.We Are Next and The Ocado Foundation have created a Key Stage 2 lesson plan, activities and tools, which are all available to download online for FREE. The aim is to help educate children about the importance of health, wellbeing and exercise and the role that community plays in all three.They delved into some stats around fitness, health and wellness and discovered that less than 25% of children aged 9-11 are active for 60 mins a day, that only 1 in 12 young people eat 5 portions of fruit/veg a day and that 1 in 10 young people sometimes feel lonely.Knowing that teachers and parents alike, face challenges every day educating and raising the next generation to be healthy, happy and valuable members of their local community. Providing these resources for free, to use in primary schools or at home, they hope will encourage children to think about where they are from, their local town and its importance.2020 has been a difficult year and the significance of community has been emphasised, more so than ever. We Are Next and The Ocado Foundation are passionate about the next generation and creating opportunities for them. Despite adapting their strategy, their mission remains the same; to ensure children feel inspired and better connected to where they live and the communities they are from.To download the FREE lesson plan and worksheets, visit www.wearenext.ukInstagram: @yourtownukTwitter: @yourtownFacebook: @yourtowncicIf you would like to support the Education on Fire GoFundMe campaign to create a valuable resource for our children based on the wisdom of our inspiring guests please click below.https://uk.gofundme.com/f/education-on-fire-book-fundraiserShow SponsorThe National Association for Primary Education has an online conference on 8th March 2021 entitled:TOWARDS A BALANCED AND BROADLY-BASED CURRICULUMVirtual Conference – Monday 8th March 2021, 4.15pm-6.45pmThe Conference, embracing a theme which has always been central to debate about children’s entitlements, has been highlighted by OfSTED as critical in curriculum development and its central importance has been further accentuated by the pressures under which primary schools are working in the post-lockdown phase as they prioritise what is perceived as essential in educational recovery.The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children’s education may be perceived as a justification for narrowing the curriculum at the expense of the arts and the humanities, but this conference will explore the case for preserving young children’s entitlement to as rich and diverse a curriculum as possible. Dr. Eaude’s keynote lecture will set the scene, highlighting some key issues and considering some lessons to be learnt from the period of lockdown. The subsequent presentations will focus on classroom practice, providing a spotlight on innovations which have been implemented in school and offering guidance for the future.All are most welcome at this event, including teachers, teacher assistants, governors and students and it’s our hope that the conference will play its part in bringing together a range of stakeholders in primary education, all with a commitment to enhancing children’s entitlement to a balanced and broadly-based curriculum.To book or find out more https://nape.org.uk/conference