Invitation to the GSL Summer Catalyst @Home | UK

We are delighted to invite socially active and creative young people to take part in an online global leadership development programme.

  • Age Eligibility |  11 to 15
  • School Eligibility | State funded-school in the UK (this is a funded programme with eligibility criteria)
  • Duration | One week live course (part time 3 hours per day delivered in the mornings on week days) followed by the option to complete 3 online courses in your own time, with scheduled times to access support
  • Dates | The one-week live course has three options available – you can choose during registration your preferred week 
    – 27th-31st July – Fully Booked
    – 3rd-7th August – Fully Booked
    – 10th-14th August
  • Access online courses | After taking part in the ‘one-week’ – course – Participants will have access to 3 weeks of online courses and live support from the GSL team. This will be available to access in your own time. 
  • Fully funded | The programme is fully funded by Innovate UK, and there is no charge for participation (if you are eligible and selected to take part).

The GSL Summer Catalyst @Home is designed by Future Foundations and the Wellington Leadership and Coaching Institute in partnership with Wellington College.  The programme is funded by Innovate UK.

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STUDENT REGISTRATION
TEACHER EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

About the experience

The GSL Summer Catalyst @Home has been curated for socially active and creative young people like you. During the programme you will build leadership, future world of work skills and confidence. The programme creates a community where young people can share and discuss like-minded topics. You will have healthy debates with students from other schools and learn how to launch successful projects in your community.
This year many young people in the UK will not have the opportunity to take part in summer programmes due to COVID-19. In response, Future Foundations have developed an exciting online opportunity. We are an award-winning provider of pioneering leadership and character programmes. We have worked with young people globally and you can be assured that we will provide a special experience for you. The programme is funded by Innovate UK.

Programme Design

  • 15 hours of live workshops in a group facilitated by GSL expert facilitators

  • Independent Learning

  • Access to digital resources

  • Discussion forums

  • Debates

  • Quizzes

  • Support in launching your project

Learning Modules

  • Leading Self and Others

  • Future World of Work Skills

  • Pursuing your Passions

  • Communicating Your Message

  • Deepening the Understanding of 17 UN Global Goals

  • Social Action Project Cycle

  • Developing Team Values

Programme Funder

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £20 million in innovation projects. The aim is to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society and industries during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, click here to find out more.

How does the programme work?

It’s important that you know what you are signing up to take part in!  This programme involves live online sessions with the GSL expert facilitators, live talks/workshops with guests and independent learning. There are no tests to complete the programme (phew!)

  • Live online sessions

The most exciting part of the programme are the Live Online Sessions. Your GSL Coach will lead a group of participants through all learning modules.

The Live Online Sessions will take place every week day Monday to Friday. There will be approximately 3 hours of live content each day. You will be asked to complete some activities between the Live Online Sessions as preparation.

The exact duration will be confirmed when we finalise the list of participants. Please make sure you attend the all live sessions as they are the requirement for completion of the course. You will receive a certificate at the end of the programme. 

  • Pick a week & set your alarm clock

When you register, you will need to select which week you want to take part in the GSL Catalyst programme.  This is run this summer three times:

  • 27th-31st July – Fully Booked
  • 3rd-7th August – Fully Booked
  • 10th-14th August

The content will be delivered live at the following times:

  • Monday to Friday
  • 09:45 to 12:45

  • Online Safety

We take your safety seriously, and we want to ensure you have a great experience on the programme.
 
All participants will need to sign a Code of Conduct before we start. We want all young people to be able to engage in a safe and respectful space. 
 
Please be aware that we will be using Zoom for Live Online Sessions.

  • Course Content in English

The programme is all in English, and we do not provide translations of the materials. 
 
We do not ask you to do a test to show your level, so please be sure you are happy with your English language!  We suggest a CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference) of B2 or above (C1/ C2) to join this programme.
 
If you are concerned about this, please get in touch with our team before you register. There are some free online tests if you want to check your level. 

  • Learning in your own time

Following taking part in the GSL Catalyst, we will give you access to our online platform, to complete up to three courses over the summer.

They are designed under the following themes:

  • People
  • Planet
  • Place

Within each course we have partnered with leading experts and organisations working in these fields, and will be publishing in the coming weeks.

There will be modules for you to work through in your own time. 

 

During this phase, you will be able to connect with the GSL team in the following ways:

  • Join Global Assembly daily (alumni stream)
  • Join Tea breaks
  • Chat with our team to ask questions – click here

We know that sometimes this can be hard to do with other responsibilities. You will have a Pastoral Manager you can contact if you need any support with the content of the course.

“The ability to cope with uncertainty, develop new attitudes and values, and act productively and meaningfully, even when goals shift, remains, for the moment, a uniquely human skill”

Programme Aims and Outcomes

  • Future World of Work Skills: The Four Cs of 21st century learning

The future employment landscape is always changing, and there are lots of choices facing young people around education, jobs and their future!  We want to support you to continue to build these skills foundations on our programmes by focusing on The Four C’s. 

“If today’s students want to compete in this global society, they must be proficient communicators, creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators (the “Four Cs”). Students need to master additional subject areas, including foreign languages, the arts, geography, science, and social studies.  Educators must complement all of those subjects with the “Four Cs” to prepare young people for the global workforce” [Extract from research carried out by the National Education Association]. 

  • OECD Learning Compass

We have shaped our programme based on The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Learning Compass which has focused on what knowledge, skills, attitudes and values students’ need today to thrive in and shape their world. 

The GSL Summer Catalyst @Home is shaped to focus on building knowledge, skills attitudes and values through independent learning as well as live sessions connecting young people.  We believe in building the right attitude and values in young people as the foundation for GSL programmes. 

Reflection is a key component to any GSL programme, as part of the learning process; encouraging young people to reflect on their experience throughout the programme, their own individual learning and building their insight. “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” [Dewey (1933:78)] 

The Learning Compass highlights the need for “students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts” [OECD Learning Compass 2030]. 

  • Transformative competencies

The OECD highlight the need to acquire three transformative competencies to help shape the future we want: creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility. 

When young people “create new value, they ask questions, collaborate with others and try to think “outside the box” in order to find innovative solutions. This blends a sense of purpose with critical thinking and creativity” 

Young people “need to be able to balance contradictory or seemingly incompatible logics and demands, and become comfortable with complexity and ambiguity. This requires empathy and respect.” 

Young people “who have the capacity to take responsibility for their actions have a strong moral compass that allows for considered reflection, working with others and respecting the planet.” 

[OECD Learning Compass 2030] 

  • Wellbeing

We are in unprecedented times. Now more than ever we need to learn to navigate ourselves to changing contexts and adapt in ways that ensure wellbeing. The GSL Summer Catalyst at Home is an opportunity to learn new skills, develop the right mindset and prepare for the future we want. 

We believe it is important to give time and space to develop good mental health and wellbeing.  We will work with the young people on the programme to develop their own toolkit they can open anytime in the future when they need it. 

  • Social Action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In September 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs). If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. 

The GSL Summer Catalyst at Home will challenge students to THINK GLOBAL and ACT LOCAL, examining the issues behind the Goals and understanding the part they can play by joining the biggest attempt in the history of the human race to make the world a better place.  

We also feel that connecting young people from different countries and backgrounds will help shape meaningful discussions on issues as well creating collaborative solutions as Global Citizens. 

Many young people are already running their own projects in their school or community, and the aim of the programme is to build and develop knowledge around the SDGs, but with more of a focus of how they can continue to improve existing projects or start new ones.  We will focus on areas such as understanding the users, measuring impact and how to make a project more sustainable. 

AFTER THE PROGRAMME

STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO ENTER A GLOBAL COMPETITION

After the programme, you will be challenged to start your own social action project working in a team of 3 to 7 students which will make tangible changes within school and the community (local, national or global).

You will be invited to enter the GSL Global Goal Competition.

FIND OUT MORE

Registering to attend the programme

Young people wanting to attend the programme will need to register, giving your parent’s or guardian’s contact details, as well as your own email address for future communication about the programme, and log in details. 

When the registration is done, both you and your parent/guardian will receive an acknowledgement email. After you get accepted on the programme your parent/guardian will have to complete a consent form as confirmation that they are happy for you to attend. 

Please make sure you have permission to sign up for the programme. 

STUDENT REGISTRATION

Are you a teacher interested in the GSL Summer Catalyst @Home?

We would love teachers to tell their students about this course so they can register as individuals. If you wish to discuss how we can launch the GSL Summer Catalyst @Home for your class or school, we can arrange a call to talk about the programme and how it might work for you. Please note this programme is only available for UK state schools.

TEACHER EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Frequently Asked Questions

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GSL World Catalyst

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What are the live online sessions?

As part of the programme, you will have live online sessions lead by a GSL facilitator, and with other participants joining from different countries. Please be aware that we will be using Zoom for live online sessions.

You will have been allocated one of the below session times for the three-days:

10.00 – 13.45 (CET) / 09.00 -12.45 (BST).

Please make sure you attend the full slot we have allocated – just in case we have to change the start slightly. 

 

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How does the programme work?

It’s important that you know what you are signing up to take part in!

This programme involves live online interactive sessions lead by a GSL coach (this is the Catalyst course). You will be able to use your camera and microphone to engage with your coach and students.

The course is followed by an independent social challenge of your choice. You will be supported to complete your challenge over a period of 30-days. 

There are no tests to complete the programme (phew!) or to participate in the programme. You will through have all the content in English.  

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Do I have to participate in the discussions?

In order to gain the most of your online learning experience, we recommend you participate in the discussions. Please if possible have your camera and microphone switched on when you go to breakout rooms. Our facilitators will tell you when to get ready for discussions. Please note, some of the sessions will be focused on how to launch and develop successful projects; gaining greater impact in your community; and topical debates which will help with your communication and persuasive skills. There will be other topics of discussion based on the requests we receive, for example an informal forum may be set up to for participants to connect with their global peers and exchange shared interests around similar SDG goals and community projects they are currently involved with. 

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What happens if I am worried about speaking English?

The programme is all in English, and we do not provide translations of the materials.  Hopefully in the future we will be able to release a programme that is suitable for a variety of levels of English. 

We would suggest that you need to have a CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference) of B2 or above (C1/ C2) to join this programme. 

We do not ask you to do a test to show your level, so please be aware that this is important you are sure you are happy!  If you are concerned about this, please get in touch with our team before you register. 

There are some free online tests if you want to check your level. 

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What if I miss some of the online sessions?

We will not record sessions as a default as the live sessions are made to be interactive and involve all participants. 
In exceptional circumstances, we can discuss the possibility of recording a live session depending on the content and gaining additional consent from parents. Please note, we will need adequate notice if you need to miss an online session.

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What materials are provided? What do I need to bring?

All materials will be accessible on the online learning platform. As such, you will need access to the internet as well as a webcam for live sessions. Please note, these materials must not be shared with your friends, classmates and teachers.

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5000+

young leaders around the world

1100+

reported social action projects

600+

schools involved in GSL programmes

100+

countries