Sample Schedule

"Community Choices" (a one-day simulation)

Involves students (aged 16+) engaged in role play focused on the development of palm oil plantations on land previously covered by rainforest in Kalimantan on the Indonesian island of Borneo.  Activities are carried out both indoors and outdoors.

The Indonesian groups:

Indigenous people, plantation workers, plantation owners/managers, local government officials, local branch of environmental/social justice NGO.  Why use groups based in Indonesia?  The aim of Community Choices is to engage hearts as well as minds and to bring home the effects (of our choices) on people in other countries.  So we use role play - which is more effective than, say, a PowerPoint or research alone.  Students take on the roles of stakeholders, from indigenous people to plantation owners, from local government officials to environmental campaigners.

Pre-event work:

Research by the students, eg on "what I know", "what I can find out" (via a few, given websites) and "what I want to know" about palm oil, biomass/renewables, and sustainability.  It is recognised that not all students will do this.

Outline of the day:

If you would like  a more detailed schedule for the day please click Schedule for CC activity. 

 9.30 am       Arrivals

9.45 am       Morning Session:

                   includes introductions, icebreaker activity, allocation of groups, and information collection

11.20 am     10 minute break.

11.35 am     Activities at group bases

12 noon       Group presentations

12.30 pm     LUNCH TIME

1.10 pm       Afternoon Session:

                   includes co-operation activity, forum, 'public meeting', voting 

3 pm            Evaluations

3.30 pm       Thank you and goodbye

Follow-up work:

In liaison with school/college (eg using Philosophy for Children sessions to explore issues more deeply; investigating how students can be empowered to make changes that they choose to make; using assemblies or work with younger pupils).