Read some examples of how your colleagues see the Olympic Truce working in practice and have been using the ‘Get Set for the Olympic Truce’ resources.
Could you use sport in your school or community to bring people together? See what other schools are doing to get ideas for your own project.
Swanlea School
The Olympic Truce and the world in one place
Swanlea School is in Tower Hamlets, one of the Host Boroughs of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Students have been learning about the Olympic Truce and doing film, art and presentation workshops to consider what the Olympic Truce means to them and how they can promote sport in their community.
Check out their Olympic Truce-inspired short film, working with Film Nation: Shorts, exploring the ideals of the Olympic Truce within a multicultural community.
Students have also been designing mood boards and looking at symbols that they think reflect the Olympic Truce. Swanlea school is hosting the media launch of the London 2012 Olympic Truce programme on International Day of Peace, 21 September 2011.
St Mary’s Grammar School, Northern Ireland
Friendship
Inspired by the Olympic ideal, the project established and developed links between schools in the Magherafelt area to create a celebration of friendship between the students.
An Olympic Group was formed in collaboration with other schools in the Magherafelt area. Students meet together regularly for a range of events encouraging personal development and improved citizenship. Activities have included taster sessions of Olympic sports, meeting former Olympic athletes and designing T-shirts.
With the help of PEACE funding from Magherafelt District Council, the group went on an outdoor residential trip. By exploring the themes of age, gender, race, disability and religion, the students gained deeper understanding about the issues of prejudice, discrimination and diversity.
Students have been inspired not only by the Games but also by opportunities to socialise and work with their peers from the Protestant community.
Liverpool Community College
Diversity
The project involves a range of activities and events to actively promote diversity throughout the college, including a yearly football tournament to support the Anthony Walker Foundation and ‘kick racism out of football’.
Students have also been involved in a project aimed at regenerating parts of Liverpool and also to help build a positive image of students in the local community.
Brightside, a student-led lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group holds weekly drop in sessions for students and has organised activities based around sports and the Values.
Diversity week involved a wide range of events:
- BSL workshops
- International women’s day celebrations
- Sessions led by members of Refugee Action
- Inspirational guest speakers
“The stories from the guest speakers at the diversity celebration show really touched me, it showed me that it doesn’t matter what situation you are in, you can always succeed.”
Wanstead High School
Promoting fairness and justice
A group of students attended an international humanitarian law (IHL) conference which encourages students to view conflict situations in their own lives and further afield from a humanitarian perspective. Focused on fairness and justice, students participated in practical activities and applied new knowledge and skills to real life scenarios.
International awareness is also promoted through links with schools overseas giving student’s direct opportunities to learn about life in other countries. Links with a Ugandan school have recently been established. Students are sharing diaries as a means of understanding differences and similarities in daily school routines and to encourage new friendships.
The students are also involved with ‘Get Set for the Olympic Truce’, and are planning activities for sharing their knowledge and ideas with others.
St John’s RC Comprehensive School, Kent
After the recent launch of Get Set goes global, St John’s RC Comprehensive have been linked with a school in Hong Kong as part of the London 2012 School Linking Programme. The school has elected some student ambassadors who will focus on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will be leading assemblies promoting the Olympic Truce and explaining what it means to them
They have also sent the Get Set for the Olympic Truce resources to every member of staff to use if they wish within their subject. All students taking part in sporting activities will be encouraged to shake hands before and after events to further promote the theme.
Southfields Community College, Wandsworth
The school won the opportunity to send some students on a tour of the Olympic Park. The students were nominated based on criteria linked to the Values: the students have to say which Value their friend showed and how they have shown it. The 10 ‘best’ nominations went on the tour and became the London 2012 Presentation Team for the school. The students recorded images and videos and took notes for them to give a firsthand report of their time on the Olympic Park Tour.
The London 2012 Presentation Team has a programme of contacting local primary schools to meet them and teach them about the Olympic and Paralympic Values and encourage them to join the network, so that they are receiving all of the rewards and benefits that they should be.
Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Kent
The schools has created a Truce Wall which has images and symbols representing peace as well as some letters to Jeremy Gilley, the founder of Peace One Day, asking about his campaign for a global truce. They have also been using the Get Set for the Olympic Truce resources, so that the whole school starts thinking about how the idea of the Olympic Truce can impact daily lives as well as encourage everyone to think about a global peace.
Hayes School, Bromley, London
The school has also started to think about creating their very own Truce Wall, within their school. They held a conference for all of the schools in their local area and they began to work on their wall. Students were encouraged to write down what the Olympic Truce means to them and how they can use it within their school. They then had to decorate and sign their paper, before adding it to the wall for others to sign too.
Wellsway School, Bath and North East Somerset
The school has been making the most of the Get Set for the Olympic Truce resources. Each tutor group within the school has created their own Truce poster suggesting ideas about how they could combat conflict within their local community. They are also planning to hold a joint sports day with the other local secondary school in their area. This is a first for both of the schools and has only happened due to the inspiration of the London 2012 Games.
