BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND The Children’s High Level Group (CHLG) was co-founded by Baroness Emma Nicholson and J K Rowling  in 2005 and is currently working in a range of countries across Europe. The CHLG mission is to work with, and at the invitation of, National Governments and Ministries, in the fields of Children's Health, Education and Welfare. The main educational programme offered by the CHLG is Community Action. The first stage of introducing Community Action into a country is to organise a small scale Pilot Schools Scheme which is followed by a larger Community Action Pilot Study. The final stage is to introduce a National Strategy for Community Action throughout the country. To date the CHLG, in partnership with National Governments and Ministries of Education, has organised: · Pilot Study, Romania, 2003 · National Strategy, Romania, 2004 · International Conference, 2006 · Pilot Study, Moldova, January 2007 · National Strategy, Moldova, September 2007 · Pilot Schools Scheme, Georgia, October 2007 · Pilot Schools Scheme, Armenia, October 2007 · Pilot Schools Scheme, Macedonia, 2007-2008 · Pilot Study, Georgia, January 2008 · Pilot Study, Armenia, March 2008 · Pilot Schools Scheme, Czech Republic, January 2009 · National Strategy, Georgia, January 2009 · National Strategy, Armenia, January 2009 Community Action is a voluntary, certificated activity in the curriculum of High Schools which will help students of today to become informed, resourceful and committed citizens of tomorrow. Community Action links together General Schools with Special Schools and Institutions and other placements and creates a new Partnership of Learning. A Community Action Programme involves pupils (usually in grades 8 – 12, aged about 14 – 18 years) committing themselves to weekly visits to a local Special School or Institution to make contact with children and adults there and engage them in a programme of activities which will facilitate the process of educational development and social integration between the volunteers, the children and adults. This establishes a real Bridge of Communication. Community Action is organised by a (General School) teacher acting as the Coordinator for Community Action in that General School and responsible for the recruitment of volunteers and the organisation of the Community Action Programme. Enthusiasm, initiative and energy are some of the qualities required by Coordinators. Each General School Coordinator will have a partner Community Action Coordinator in their “linked” Special School/Institution, who will have the same qualities. Community Action programmes in partnership with the CHLG now involve over 100,000 young people across Europe in regular visits – 2 or 3 times a week - between General School volunteers and children in Special Schools and Institutions. This regular contact helps forge positive relationships and acts as a catalyst for social interaction, integration and inclusion.