Events and courageous testimonies never cease to remind us that, despite progress, it's still vitally important to provide girls and young women (and boys and young men too, of course!) with powerful and positive role models. So we've developed some exciting new programmes to help you celebrate International Women's Day (March 8th)!

International Women's Day Poetry Workshop

Celebrates the power of women working together, remembering their achievements through verse - and we have three particular collectives in mind. Following an experiential exploration of the group's achievements, we'll lead pupils through a process allowing them to create - and perform - their own celebratory poems. We have a range of poetic approaches to work with, from Soundscapes to Clerihews, and from Personification Poems to Cinquaines - and we'll help you to choose one that best suits your needs.

We've selected three collectives to look at, each of which has had lasting impacts - but please let us know if you have another!

The Dagenham Sewing Machinists took action when they realised they were being paid substantially less than their male colleagues. Their successful refusal to accept discrimination was an important step on the road to equal pay.

Founded by Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, The Peace People sought to understand the causes of division in Northern Ireland - then tackle those causes and heal society. Within six months of its institution, violence had dropped by an astonishing 70%.

The plans to cut down 2,500 trees in the Reni Forest in North East India would have led to ecological disaster - and whole communities being uprooted. Consisting of local women, The Chipko Movement successfully challenged this through a process of direct but non-violent action - providing a template for community protest across the planet.

Suitable For: KS2 to KS4 - and beyond!

Duration: one hour - half a day per workshop (maximum of thirty pupils at a time)

Exploring: the power of collective approaches; positive women role models; the causes, course and effects of social and political change.

 

 

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

This workshop allows your pupils to meet a woman who has changed the course of history, welcoming her into your school. Your time-travelling visitor will take part in a Question and Answer session - then lead children through a range of drama activities to explore her life and achievements. And she'll be happy to make a surprise appearance at a whole-school assembly, too!

We've persuaded a whole host of these influential women to come out of retirement - so just ask if there's someone in particular that you think your pupils might like to meet. And, to get your thinking going, here are just a few of the possibilities ...

  • Mrs Pankhurst - the driving force behind the Suffragette Movement ...
  • Rosalind Franklin ... the unsung heroine of the unravelling of DNA ...
  • Kitty Wilkinson - whose public health exploits helped rid the UK of cholera ...
  • Amy Johnson - one of the world's first women pilots.

Suitable For: KS1 to KS4 - and beyond!

Duration: one hour - half a day per workshop (maximum of thirty pupils at a time)

Exploring: positive women role models; the causes, course and effects of social and political change.

 

Science

We were very honoured when the Royal Institute invited us to run workshops for aspiring young women scientists and engineers - and  we're delighted to make this available again for International Women's Day. Promoting such scientific values as experimentation, precision and collaboration - and actively celebrating the achievements of women in the STEM fields, The Trading Game is a fast-paced (and noisy!) activity that, like all great science, produces order from seeming chaos!

Suitable For: KS2 to KS4 - and beyond!

Duration: one hour - half a day per workshop (maximum of sixty pupils at a time)

Exploring: accuracy and precision; tessellation; collaborative approaches; responding to change; the achievements of women scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

 

Find out more about International Women's Day here

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