Dirt Is Good - a recipe for education for people and planet
As a trained primary teacher, I have always been interested in approaches to teaching and learning that help children to connect with others and the wider world. It’s both exciting and daunting that what we teach – and how we teach it – has the power to shape society.
Over the past two years, I’ve been managing the Dirt Is Good Schools programme – a double-award winning education programme empowering young people to take action on the social and environmental issues they care about. In partnership with an incredible team at Unilever and an international network of talented delivery partners, the programme has empowered over 47,000 young people to take action for a better world.
What does education that’s good for our lives and our planet look like? Here are four ingredients that we’ve drawn from Dirt Is Good.
1. Encourage connection with others
We are united in compassion. When young people are supported to collaborate with one another and work as a team, we’ve seen a double benefit. Not only do they feel valued and connected, but they feel more inclined to take action to care for people and nature. Through the Dirt Is Good Schools programme we’ve seen young people connecting with one another to inspire positive action across their local communities, their countries and globally.
2. Embrace mistakes as part of learning
Mistakes make learning possible. There is no guidebook for how we all navigate through our turbulent, unpredictable world. Through Dirt Is Good, we’ve instilled the message that all of us are on a journey, resulting in young people feeling able to try things, make mistakes and try again. There’s so much to be learnt from our mistakes and wrong turns. By embracing failures we can then celebrate the learnings we gain from them. Fantastic Dirt Is Good projects have emerged from students who have felt confident to try a new approach after overcoming unexpected hurdles.
3. Celebrate what makes us unique
When young people feel that their opinions and interests are valued, they are more inclined to contribute their ideas and get stuck in. One of the principles of the Dirt Is Good Schools programme is ‘we all have a role to play’. From knitting scarves for the homeless to promoting reading through a love of football, we’ve seen amazing innovation and creativity when young people have designed their projects for change. We need everyone and all types of skills to create a better world.
4. Work in partnership
Finally, delivering education that’s good for people and planet on a global scale wouldn’t be possible without an incredible network of partners. We’ve worked with Future Foundations in the UK, Kyklos in Chile and Jump! Foundation in Thailand – all of whom have shaped, adapted and delivered the Dirt Is Good Schools programme so that it meets the needs of the young people they work with. In an upcoming article we’ll share our partners’ perspectives on delivering a global programme, so watch this space!
Three years of Dirt Is Good has shown that education that’s good for our lives and our planet is taking place in and outside of schools around the world – on beaches, in gardens and in classrooms. At Global Action Plan, it is our hope that every child leaves school feeling equipped and excited to shape a better world. Sadly, not all young people have access to an education that makes them feel this way. With the support of schools, organisations and valued partners around the world, we’re determined to change that, and we welcome you to join us.
We’re keen to collaborate with partners who are interested in empowering young people through global education programmes. Email us at [email protected] to find out more.