For the Attention of Headteachers, Faculty Heads and All Teachers:
We are aware that creativity is high on the agenda and is part of many School Improvement Plans for the upcoming academic year. For the first time creativity is embedded in HGIOS 4 quality indicators. We hope that this initiative is an easy way to progress creative learning in your school community with maximum impact, at the same time creating a positive and inclusive experience for pupils.
Invitation to All Schools:
We invite all schools in Scotland to be a part of our Dare to Dream campaign 2016. The campaign is an outreach initiative from this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival and will run from September to November.
“Discover the stories of the past and dream the stories of the future. What are the stories of your local place? What stories would you tell to the world today, from the future of your dreams? Everything created must first be imagined: explore the possible and Dare to Dream!”
By taking part, your school will be contributing to a Scotland-wide initiative inviting and creating space for children to imagine their personal and collective futures, which in turn will build confidence to begin to make these aspirations and ambitions a reality.
The principles of creative learning, active learning and inclusion are embedded in this project. Through dreaming, the liberating power of the imagination is open to everyone – neither language nor disability are barriers to participation. The campaign is relevant to the entire school and to every subject area. Activities will also help meet outcomes in both Literacy and Health and Wellbeing.
In an ever-changing world, we believe that it is vital that children are educated about their role and the value they have in shaping a vibrant and sustainable future. By setting learning in the context of your local school and focusing on issues relevant to your pupils, our #DareToDream campaign provides a great opportunity for you to encourage children to think about their right to participate, empowering and enabling them to become active citizens, both locally and globally. We provide the context for learning and suggest tasks and activities, but there is no limit on where this engaging topic could be taken in the classroom.
How to Take Part:
We have made it as simple as possible for teachers to take part, with the options for engaging in more depth should the individual teacher so wish. In a secondary school context, we have suggested a simple activity that could take place in registration class.
Our info for teachers can be found on our website under the tab ‘For Teachers.’ This includes a schools’ toolkit and information about how to book a storyteller if you wish.
We have also worked in partnership with heritage organisations , mental health organisations, artists and storytellers to create simple resources for you to use. All additional learning resources will be available on our website when we launch our campaign to the public, the week beginning *Monday 22nd Aug.* Resources will also be available on GLOW.
If you are interested, please register your name, contact, school and postcode by clicking the link below. We will send you an update with links to all resources and materials.
Showcase your school online:
We will run a #DareToDream social media campaign for the duration of the main International Festival, from the 21st – 31st November. During this period we will make visible all contributions via our online platform. This is an opportunity to showcase your own school’s contribution with the wider community should you so wish in the form of a blog, video, photographs or otherwise.
As part of our social media campaign, we will have a special #DareToDream Day on Thursday 28th October. On this day, we will encourage every creative citizen in Scotland to share a dream for the future on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the campaign hashtag. Our aim is to make visible Scotland’s collective imagination for all to see!
