Make a Difference Challenge Annual Licence (Resources Package)
An annual licence and resources to enable you to deliver the Make a Difference Challenge programme in your school.
Watch PromoAs well as enabling you to deliver the Make a Difference Challenge programme to structure your social action projects throughout your primary school, your annual licence package includes the following:
- Make a Difference Challenge teacher training (for account holder) normally priced at £50;
- A set of lesson plans to support your delivery;
- Resources and activities to inspire and guide you and your pupils;
- A certificate for your school to display, and a digital badge;
- Case studies of Make a Difference Challenges from across the country;
- Certificates to recognise your pupils' achievements when they complete their challenge;
- Membership to the Make a Difference Challenge Facebook group where you can share ideas with like-minded teachers;
- A digital scrapbook where you can record and showcase your progress through the challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Make a Difference Challenge?
The Make a Difference Challenge is a child-led social action programme brought to you by the national charity Young Citizens to empower some of our youngest citizens. It provides them with an opportunity to identify and research a social or environmental issue that they feel passionate about, then make a difference to this through awareness raising, fundraising or taking practical action.
Why social action?
Delivering social action projects in schools is a key part of character development education - teaching children key skills in resilience, empathy, a sense of justice, and an understanding of the needs of their communities. At Young Citizens we want every school child to have the opportunity to make their mark on the world, and to understand the importance of working together to improve it. Hence the Make a Difference Challenge - a framework for social action with primary aged children.
How do children and schools benefit?
Independent evaluation of the programme has shown it increases pupils' empathy, problem-solving and understanding of their community as well as helping them to develop a more positive outlook. Teachers report that less academic and harder-to-engage pupils particularly benefit from taking part as the project puts learning into a real-life context making it more meaningful for children. Many schools also find the programme helps them to deepen relationships with parents and the wider community, supporting community cohesion.
What is the Make a Difference Challenge Annual Licence?
It licenses you to deliver the Make a Difference Challenge programme throughout your school. Included in your package is the training that will guide you through delivering the Make a Difference Challenge. We also provide you with a range of resources and support to help you structure quality social action projects in your school.
Who is the licence for?
An Annual Licence gives you permission to deliver the Make a Difference Challenge throughout your school and share the resources included in your licence with other staff in your school. The training, however, is only for the named person on the licence, and your CPD certificate awarded on completion will reflect that.
Why should I use this framework rather than another one?
We believe the Make a Difference Challenge is unique because at its core is child-led learning. We want young children to feel supported and equipped to lead the process from start to finish - from effective decision making about what they want to take action to improve, to managing and evaluating what they have achieved at the end. We want children to realise they really are never too small to make a difference - and that they don't need adults to take the lead.
How long does a Make a Difference Challenge take?
The Make a Difference Challenge programme is most effective when run during lesson time as a cross-curricular class project. Typically, schools spend around 10-20 hours on project-related activities but these might take place in literacy lessons (e.g writing a letter to their MP would support persuasive writing) or other subjects.
Lessons can take place every week over a period of time, or be delivered through drop-down days over a few weeks, perhaps as an after-SATs project. Some schools run the project as an after-school club or with their School Council but it is important to ensure there is enough contact time with the group to develop an effective project.
I have other teachers in my school who might be interested, what do I do?
We highly recommend that any teacher who is involved in supporting or delivering the Make a Difference Challenge in your school is trained to deliver a quality social action project. Teachers from your school who would like to access the training should sign up for the Make a Difference Teacher Training. This is costed at £50 per person. The Annual Licence Package will cover all of you in terms of delivering the programme so there's no need for each of you to buy that separately, it's just the training you all need.
What happens at the end of my Annual Licence?
Your Annual Licence will be automatically renewed, using your original payment method, unless you contact us (at [email protected]) to cancel your subscription. Even if the price rises (which it may well do as we reach the end of our funding) your Annual Licence fee will stay the same as long as it remains uninterrupted.
If you do decide to not to renew your licence you will be required to cease all delivery of the Make a Difference Challenge in your school and you will no longer have access to the resources and associated support. Please see our Terms of Service on the Young Citizens Training homepage for more details.
Courses Included with purchase
Make a Difference Challenge Teacher Training
CPD certified training giving you the skills and knowledge you need to deliver the Make a Difference Challenge in your primary school.
Original price:
"The Make a Difference Challenge provides us with rich opportunities. Child-led learning becomes the focus with pupils developing their thinking, campaigning, team-building and leadership skills. It raises aspirations and increases their levels of emotional intelligence."
Rekha Bhakoo CBE, Headteacher, Newton Farm Nursery, Infant & Junior School
This is a very real and relevant project that actually has had an impact locally. It provides a context for pupil's learning and ties in seamlessly with our SMSC curriculum.
Tony Lavelle Headteacher, Calverley Parkside Primary School, Leeds
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