ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS

To make real impact, we need partnerships with private, public and third sector organisations to help us to grow our movement, co-create content and develop opportunities for all.

Our vision is a community of schools and partners committed to building a global movement of socially conscious young people who are equipped to be leaders in their lives and society.

  • We have created and delivered leadership courses and a global social-action project competition that has challenged over 10,000 young people in 105 countries to solve local, national and global issues (addressing the Global Goals).
  • We have amplified young people’s voices and championed their solutions for change.
  • We support schools to catalyse change in the school and community, by transforming their students’ learning about sustainability and how to take action to solve real-world issues. 
  • We support our schools to engage their whole school community with GSL and our ecosystem of partners. 

We invite partners who share our vision to join us.

PARTNERSHIPS FOR CHANGE

For 2022-25, we have three ways partners can work with us to achieve the GSL vision. 

So far, we have been able to fully fund 2,500+ young people in 70+ countries to take part in our courses and have created two microfinance funds for projects.

We catalyst change in three ways:

  • A – Global Thematic Sponsorship
  • B – Future Fund – local, national, and global partnerships
  • C – Global Goals Heroes – employee volunteering

A – GLOBAL THEMATIC SPONSORSHIP

For 2022-25, we are focusing on the four Global Goals that we have found are most appealing to young people. We want to equip young people further to become leaders on these themes, take high-quality action, and be recognised for their contribution.

Under each theme, we will deliver:

  • Thematic Masterclasses and Ask the Expert events for our schools and young people
  • A dedicated global Activate course for SDG 3, 4 and 13 – offered on multiple time zones
  • A global award for each goal within our Global Goals competition
  • GSL Festival session celebrating, disseminating learning, and inspiring further action

We are inviting one organisation to be our title sponsor for each Global Goal. 

We are looking for organisations who align with each theme and are able to contribute in-kind support and sponsorship.

For each theme, we are inviting up to three in-kind strategic supporting partners (typically third sector) to contribute to the content.

B – FUTURE FUND PARTNERSHIPS

Our Future Fund Partners can choose their level of support and if they would like to be a local, national or global partner.

We work with our partners to:

  • Fund bursaries for young people to participate in our courses
  • Fund membership fees for schools that do not have the funds to be able to afford to participate
  • Support wider participation by removing barriers to online and face-to-face events e.g. providing digital access
  • Create content that addresses accessibility needs including those specific to low-cost schools and participants with SEND needs as well as addressing accessibility

We welcome our partners to discuss other ways to support our movement to become more sustainable and inclusive.

C – GLOBAL GOALS HEROES

We invite our partners to support us in-kind by nominating their staff/employees and/or stakeholders to become ‘Global Goals’ (GG) Heroes! 

Our GG Heroes, support GSL by:

  • Providing project feedback to GSL teams participating in our GG Competition
  • Judging the GG Competition
  • Speaking at our courses or connect events
  • Contributing to our masterclasses
  • Attending our ask-the-expert events and providing specialist expertise

Our volunteering opportunities are designed to work for busy professionals, to leverage their time, and enable them to engage and inspire young people.

We welcome our partners to discuss with us other ways to engage your people and draw on their expertise to create greater impact.

We provide training and support for our GG Heroes, as well as oversee safeguarding for all events they are involved in.

CONTACT US

If you would like to find out more about partnering with us, please contact:

Jonathan Harper, Co-Founder of GSL & CEO of Future Foundations

I learnt that the diversity of the world is so beautiful, and I truly believe now that, if we all connect and be kind to one another, we can accomplish so many different goals and tasks.
I really enjoyed the different sessions planned and the activities, I also enjoyed interacting with different people in the breakout rooms and getting to know them better by talking about the issues in our countries and our potential solutions.
GSL was good because, it helped us to learn many helpful things, and most importantly it helped us to find ourselves. It inspired us to succeed our goals, and advised a lot of ways to reach them.

We are excited to confirm we will be holding this event for the second year, on the 12th to 14th November 2021

Last year, 191 students from 31 COBIS schools in 19 countries took part.

Registration for schools will be opening soon.

To register interest in your school taking part, please click the button below and complete the form or email our team using the following email address with the subject line COBIS GSL World Catalyst:

gslcatalyst@future-foundations.co.uk

Once registration opens, we will contact you to invite your school to register and confirm your participation.

Last year the Student Leadership Weekend organised annually by COBIS in Madrid could not take place due to COVID-19. In response, COBIS and Future Foundations developed an exciting online opportunity.  

The programme was a real success with 191 young people from 31 COBIS schools taking part.  At a time when students could not travel, this programme provided the opportunity for a global community of COBIS students to connect.  Whilst we are disappointed that restrictions remain and with travel uncertainty likely to continue throughout 2021, we are delighted to be able to be able to offer this programme for a second year.

REGISTER INTEREST

Watch last year’s Graduation Event

Watch last year’s Afternoon Graduation event

Watch a student panel at the COBIS annual conference, with students speaking about the impact of the programme

“The three most important things that I have learned is to be myself, be confident, and to always value others opinions.”

“I loved meeting new people, hearing their voices and interacting with people from across the world. It helped me gain even more confidence as I have never met so many people at once.”

“I enjoyed it because I got to increase my confidence and I got to talk to new people.”

“I learnt I should always be open minded to new opportunities and experiences otherwise I won’t be able to properly succeed.”

“I enjoyed talking to people and building my confidence on how to be a leader. GSL has helped me understand myself A LOT more.”

“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”

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 build these skills on our courses 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 COBIS GSL World Catalyst 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 COBIS GSL World Catalyst 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 COBIS GSL World Catalyst 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.  We will help you to either 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

PARTICIPANTS 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 Goals Competition.

FIND OUT MORE

Registration for schools will be opening soon.

To register interest in your school taking part, please click on the button below and complete the form or email our team using the following email address with the subject line COBIS GSL World Catalyst:

gslcatalyst@future-foundations.co.uk

Once registration opens, we will contact you to invite your school to register and confirm your participation.

REGISTER INTEREST
10,00+

young leaders around the world

3500+

reported social action projects

1000+

schools involved in GSL courses & competition

105+

countries