Benefits
With global learning higher on the educational agenda than ever before, more schools are looking to GSF’s peer education model as an effective way of developing the Global Dimension and active global citizenship.
GSF Partner Schools and Independent Evaluations report that participation in GSF:
- Supports studies across many subjects, including Citizenship, Geography, RE and World Development.
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Contributes to the development of a wide range of personal, learning and thinking skills.
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Advances students' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.
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Develops students' confidence and self-esteem.
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Helps students in their university applications and informs their study and career choices.
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Increases political participation among students.
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Helps students appreciate their power to make a difference to global issues and gives them the confidence to do so.
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Promotes community cohesion.
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Strengthens partnerships with local primary and secondary schools.
A regular refrain in student feedback is the development of hitherto undiscovered skills, and this is backed by independent evaluations.
'It is evident that a number of transferable skills are being acquired by students involved in the GSF programme; most notably management and organisational skills, teaching and communication skills, as well as learning to take responsibility and being publicly accountable for their actions. Learning how to deal with the media is creating a generation of media-savvy young people.'
Independent Evaluation of GSF2009
And GSF’s focus on reasoned engagement and critical thinking on contemporary global issues is just the kind of thing that sets students apart from their peers when applying for university places and entering an increasingly competitive employment market.
Above all, students report a sense of empowerment – that they can make a difference on issues that matter to them.
'I learnt that small things can add up to a large change. To simply raise awareness of issues in a creative way can spark off creativity in others and give them confidence to make a difference themselves.'
I learnt that everyone can make a difference no matter what your background.
The evaluation report on the immediate impact of the GSF2010 National Conference provides further evidence of GSF's remarkable capacity to inform, inpsire and empower students in their engagement with global issues. The full report is now available to download. An executive summary is also available.
