RCE Tasmania - 2020

Location

Australia
See map: Google Maps
AU
Let’s Get Together - diversity education program for schools
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Let’s Get Together - diversity education program for schools
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Tasmania
Contributing organization(s) : 
A Fairer World
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Varunjani Jayaseelan
Organizational Affiliation: 
Facilitator for Education for Sustainability Tasmania
E-mail: 
efstas@slt.org.au
Format of project: 
manuscript
Language of project: 
english
Date of submission:
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Web link: 
http://www.afairerworld.org/lgt/
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Australia
Location(s): 
7004
Address of focal point institution for project: 
A Fairer World
4 Battery Square
Battery Point
TASMANIA 7004
Ecosystem(s):

Target Audience:
Higher, Primary, Secondary
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Tasmania is an island state in Australia, located 240 km to the south of the Australian continent. Tasmania has a unique natural heritage with almost 45% of Tasmania protected in reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. it is the most mountainous state in Australia with dense old growth temperate forest and a a high level of species endemicity.



The main populations hubs in Tasmania is in the states capital Hobart in the south and Launceston in the North, however 58% of the population live outside the capital city area. In recent years Tasmania's economy has been on the rise but it still has around 23.6% of the population, including 15.8% of children (15 and under) living in poverty. Tasmania also has a high unemployment rate, mostly prevalent in the West and North West of the State (20.3% unemployed youth)
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Regional and remote areas face challenges such as access to quality education, quality nutrition, personal issues such as social isolation, finding a job and access to health care.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Rationale: 
Let’s Get Together is designed for schools wanting to partner with their students and the wider community to create a more respectful school environment. The program addresses discrimination by building ‘diversity competence’ in students. It also motivates students to address bullying behaviors and become agents for change.

(from the website http://afairerworld.org/lgt/)
Objectives: 
Reduce instance of bullying and discrimination in schools.
Change behavior and building diversity competence – the knowledge, skills and values that foster empathy and a desire to create positive change.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Workshops run in schools follow the 8 Keys to Harmony principle. an eight step learning process for students to explore the underlying causes of bullying and other discriminatory behaviours and to create tangible outcomes for themselves and the school that improve the school environment.

Let’s Get Together is strengths-based, asking students what they, and others around them, can bring to creating a school environment where everyone feels safe and included. By using their own resources, they can experience the transformative power of making a difference.

(from the website http://afairerworld.org/lgt/)
Size of academic audience: 
Currently approx 500 per year at 5 schools.
Results: 
Reduce discrimination and bullying in school and workplaces.
Create a safe space for students to feel included.
e.g.: Rose Bay High School with the assistance of the program worked together to create a more respectful school environment. The "Chill Out Room' was a space for created for Grade 7 students to have one-on-one chats with the school nurse or chat in a group with other students about different ideas and problems they are facing. The idea for the room was proposed by a participating Year 7 student.
Lessons learned: 
Adapting to deliver in an online platform during COVID-19.
Key messages: 
The Lets Get Together program delivers diversity education workshops in schools to address discrimination and bullying through the power of personal storytelling. It is a library with a difference – the books are real, living people who have been trained to tell their stories. Human libraries are used around the world as a simple way to challenge stereotypes and build empathy. They do this by providing a comfortable space for people to speak with a ‘book’ who has encountered discrimination because of their culture, religion, refugee background, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Direct
Theme
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Indirect
Update: 
No