The Abuja Peace Clubs (Part Three)

Engaging Students in Peace Work: What’s Next?

Using tools that engage students’ creativity is crucial for ensuring their active participation and encouraging self-reflection. This project successfully achieved that goal, fostering an environment where students felt more open to engage with the process.

Empowering Students Through Peace Clubs

The Peace Clubs provided a platform for students to present their monthly activities during whole school assemblies. This experience significantly boosted their self-confidence and empowerment. Many students expressed that it gave them a voice and made them feel heard by their peers.

Challenges Faced

One area of disappointment was the failure to obtain “Ethics Approval.” This prevented the presentation of students’ comments and activities, including photos and videos, despite numerous examples of excellent work.

Next Steps

Both teachers and students reported significant benefits from participating in the Peace Clubs. The project demonstrated that secondary school students are eager to engage in peace work when it is presented in an accessible manner. Sharing their experiences in whole school assemblies was particularly empowering for the students.The teacher leading the Peace Clubs gained valuable insights into their relationships with students, colleagues, and the wider community. The skills they were teaching their students also became transferable skills for themselves.

1. Continued Funding and Expansion

   The Peace Clubs were set to continue in two senior secondary schools from September 2023 to December 2023. This period allowed for the development of tools to evaluate the project’s impact more fully. Additionally, selected Peace Club students were trained as Peer Mediators and Conflict Coaches in their schools.

    

2.  

   Expanding Peace Work Accessibility

   A second project aims to make peace work more accessible to a larger number of students and teachers in senior secondary schools in Abuja and across the country. This involves training Art, English Language, and Civics teachers to embed peace work into their subjects. Consequently, all students in participating schools will receive peace education through these subjects.

3. Establishing a Dedicated Website

• Resource Creation and Access

After obtaining Ethics Approval, a dedicated website will be established. This website will feature short, usable lesson plans and other resources for teachers to incorporate peace work into their lessons. Schools will also be able to upload their peace-related activities, and there will be a blog for students to access.

• Student Engagement and Competitions

The website will be a work in progress, accessible to students, with several competitions held to encourage their participation. Their work will be uploaded onto the website, fostering a sense of community and recognition.

• Website Administration and Security

A dedicated administrator will ensure the website’s security and smooth operation. Currently, funding is being sought to support this project and make peace work more accessible to a broader audience.