Red Cross Blogs

Learn the latest with Newsthink

By Mark Cox
November 16, 2011 at 5:16 pm

Newsthink, our collection of news-related activities, is emailed to over 4,000 educators every fortnight to use in class, in assembly and in youth work settings. It is part of a wider collection of teaching resources the British Red Cross produces including Positive Images, Operation Amphibian, Life. Live it and Justice & Fairness.

The latest newsthink went out on 9 November and the team is now planning the next edition, firstly by looking for video, audio or photos that are likely to work in the classroom.

We then make sure the chosen approach fits with British Red Cross fundamental principles, particularly impartiality and neutrality. We never become involved in political, religious, racial or any other sort of ideological controversy.

Build resilience

Steering this course is not easy. Sometimes whole topics have to be avoided. That means that teachers will sometimes find us unexpectedly silent on a major news event. The upside of that is that educators can be reassured that the materials are not biased, slanted or pushing a particular line. The only line we promote is that of humanitarian education, which is centrally concerned with saving lives and reducing suffering, not religion or politics.

Our materials increase young people’s confidence, ability and willingness to help themselves and others in a crisis. If we can do that we can help communities and the people in them to be more resilient.

Our recent winter weather activities invited students to imagine they are trapped in a car in heavy snow. Who would they text and what would they say? What do they wish they had with them? People are often urged to check on elderly neighbours in bad weather, but what does that involve saying and doing? What help could you offer? What if the neighbour was determinedly independent, or anxious, or unaware of the situation? Students then practise and prepare by role-playing the scenario.

Sign up now

All our online materials are free. That is not because we don’t think they are valuable. On the contrary, we think they stand up well against any commercially available materials. But we want them to be used, so we don’t want price to discourage anyone.

We spend money on education – about 0.4 per cent of total British Red Cross spending – because we believe that, like all charities, we have a duty to explain what we do by setting out our values and principles. We also have a commitment to share what we know, helping others learn and develop from the understanding of the world that comes from our work.

To find out more, browse our education materials in the teaching resources section of the website and sign up to receive newsthink free every fortnight.

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Tags: educational resources, Humanitarian Education, peer education, young people

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