This month, the Streetwise team kicked off the academic and calendar year with our first tour, visiting Leeds and Birmingham. Over three days, we delivered 25 sessions at The Zone, Leeds JFS, and King David Birmingham, engaging nearly 1,000 young people.
At The Zone, we met secondary-school students and explored some of the challenges faced by religious minority groups in the UK over the past year. These sessions provided a platform for sharing experiences and learning how to engage in constructive dialogue. We also discussed the difference between debate and dialogue, using a lively ‘tap in, tap out’ debate to reinforce the learning. The participants impressed us with their openness, passion, and thoughtful contributions, even tackling complex topics such as conflict.
At Leeds JFS, we delivered three core sessions—Relationships & Sexual Health, Online Safety, and Antisemitism—tailored to each year group from Year 7 to Year 11. A particular highlight was the launch of our updated RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) programme, focusing on Sexual Health. Year 7 and 8 sessions addressed puberty and myth-busting, while Year 9 tackled misinformation and critical engagement with Sexual Health. Meanwhile, Years 10 and 11 explored STIs and contraception in depth. By building on knowledge year by year, this programme equips students with accurate, age-appropriate information, helping to destigmatise the subject and enable informed choices. The students’ engagement and curiosity led to many meaningful discussions, and feedback from the school was overwhelmingly positive. We’re looking forward to returning next year!
At King David Birmingham, we started the day with an assembly on Anti-Bullying and Kindness before running e-safety workshops with each year group. The students were delightful, and their enthusiasm shone through in every session. A standout moment was the Year 6 workshop, where students became ‘Spam Detectives’, learning to identify fraudulent or misleading online adverts—a brilliant way to boost their digital awareness.
In late January, Streetwise, in partnership with Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination, delivered the second seminar of the 2024/25 Alan Senitt Upstanders Leadership Programme.
This session focused on the essential skills needed to run impactful projects, such as conflict management and budgeting. Participants also pitched their project ideas, which were nothing short of inspiring. Highlights included Yavneh College’s initiative to combat child poverty by organising events for local families, King Solomon’s proposal to film a documentary raising awareness of refugee experiences, and Watford Grammar School’s plan to create care packages for single pregnant women.
These innovative ideas underline the creativity and compassion of the students, and we can’t wait to see their projects come to life.
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