In these uncertain times the world needs socially conscious leaders like you now more than ever. Below are some practical tips to get you started: 

1. Practice Global Citizenship: Educate yourself about COVID-19 and how to stay healthy. Follow guidelines issued by your local authorities and spread the world on social media about the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 health advice.
2. Foodbanks: Food banks are a critical source of stability for any community facing a crisis — whether it’s a tropical storm, economic recession, or pandemic. As the pandemic worsens, food banks around the world will face increased demand and fewer volunteers. You can donate to local food banks in your area to help families in need and, if you’re fully able to, you can volunteer at them to help sort and deliver supplies.  
3. Engage with others: Social distancing is necessary to curb the pandemic. It’s also going to be isolating and emotionally draining for people worldwide who will be cut off from regular companionship. You can help ease people’s isolation by checking in on friends and family members, and joining online communities to provide companionship to people who are alone. Remember the elderly and vulnerable are less likely to have access to smart phones or the internet so consider letter writing, bake cakes or do a letterbox drop to let people know you are thinking of them, create positive and hopeful messages or art in your community to inspire hope and remind people they are not forgotten.
4. Delivering Goods and Medicine: People who have COVID-19 or who are highly vulnerable to complications from it are advised to stay away from crowded areas. That presents an obvious dilemma: how are they going to get food and medical supplies? You can help by delivering supplies to elderly or vulnerable people in your life, or by supporting groups that are providing this service — look online and on social media to find out about groups in your community. 
5. Donate: The World Health Organisation have launched the COVID -19 Solidarity Response Fund [INSERT LINK: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate] to support WHO and their partners in a massive effort to help countries prevent, detect, and manage the novel coronavirus – particularly those where the needs are the greatest.
6. Share your ideas: Global Social Leaders is a movement to which thousands of young people worldwide belong, share your innovative ideas and any actions by blogging or posting on social media using the hashtag #globalgoals

All teams are invited to enter next years’ competition, and we actively encourage you to do so regardless of the stage your project has reached this year. For those whose project plans have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic it’s important that you deliver the project you had planned and make a positive impact on your community.

Every team entering the 2020-21 competition will receive bespoke feedback, a named certificate and the chance to win!

If your team has been affected by school closures, or these are a possibility in the near future we would like to share some general advice to keep your Global Goals project going and help you maximise your impact during any periods of self-isolation:

GET ON THE SAME PAGE

If your team’s school has been temporarily closed you may feel thrown off course and lose sight of your objectives. Without a regular face to face meeting it’s more important than ever that your team share a common goal and understand the specific outcome you want from your project.

Make sure you can explain in plain, simple writing why your project exists and what it is trying to accomplish and make sure everyone is in agreement. From there, develop a step by step plan to achieve your goals and objectives that can be carried out from home. When team members share a vision that they can rally behind as a group, alignment becomes easier even if you are not seeing one another face to face

Ensure your goal (or goals!) is specific and measurable, relevant and time based – SMART and that you assign responsibility for each step to a member of the team. You can read more about SMART goal setting here and we challenge you to set your very own 5 SMART goals for your project – https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.php Having clear, SMART objectives will help you to track the impact you are creating throughout the project and recognise when you are being thrown off course.

KEEP TALKING

Communication becomes even more important when you’re in self isolation and if you plan to continue your social action project during this time it’s important everyone in the team stays in touch and supports one another. Share regular updates of your progress and ensure you understand what others in the group are doing to stay on track. You may already be using digital tools to facilitate communication but if not now is the time to set up that Whats App or We Chat group, create a team email address which every member of the team can either view or be copied into, set up google hangouts or video conferences so that you can continue to meet as a team and support one another.

BUILD YOUR SUPPORT BASE

Although it can feel lonely, remember that you’re not the only ones stuck at home looking for distraction or entertainment online! With isolation comes a heavier reliance on social media to stay connected to your community so this could be the best time to launch a social media campaign to build support for your cause.

BUILD PARTNERSHIPS

Another constructive use of your time during this period is to focus on developing partnerships. A well-selected project partner can be a valuable source of advice, resources and even funding. Consider contacting organisations, NGOs or private companies in your country or local area that already do similar work to yours. These organisations are likely to have valuable expertise in your chosen field and may be receptive to working with those with complementary aims. They may share their knowledge with you and tell you what has worked well for them and could provide ideas for your own project.

So, be bold, make approaches and remember you have nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain!

SHARE YOUR STORY 

We would love to know how your team is overcoming the obstacles that this global pandemic has placed in your way. You belong to a worldwide movement of socially conscious young leaders and many others will be in the same boat so if you have any personal experiences or success stories to share about this time, please submit a blog which we can share with other young people!

Please click here to share a blog.

GET PLANNING FOR PHASE 3!

From 1st April – 1st May 2020 we will be inviting teams to submit your final project report. You may want to use this time to start thinking about creative ways you can communicate your project in written and digital formats. The Projects Library on our website is the perfect place to find inspiration. It is a collection of previous year’s projects that were either highly commended or reached the finals of the competition. You can learn a lot from looking at similar projects to your own, try searching by the Global Goals you have selected to focus on and see if there are any ideas you could borrow!

Due to the current situation we are all facing, with over half the world’s student population (over 850 million young people) subjected to school closures, many of this years’ Global Goal Competition teams have been working remotely and in isolation, a number will have been forced to put their project on hold temporarily. We expect that the majority of final submissions we receive will have been created before major planned actions or events have taken place. Impact will therefore be much harder to evidence for many of our teams.

In light of this, the weighting of the three components of the judging criteria in the Global Goals Competition has been adjusted for the 2019-20 cohort. This year we are affording a greater importance to section 1 (The team’s learning and knowledge gained) and section 3 (special recognition) than section 2 (impact).

We are aware that due to school closures you may not be able to make the progress you would have liked with your projects. This is entirely understandable and under the circumstances we expect most Global Goals teams will be affected in some way.

We want you to know that we value your health above all else. We ask that you follow the advice of the WHO and local authorities and do not put yourselves or others at risk. Please seek official advice before going ahead with planned events or team meetings relating to your project.

If you are able, we strongly encourage you to continue your efforts in whatever way you can. If you cannot make progress at this time then rather than withdraw  from the competition we suggest you place your project in ‘hibernation’ for the time being. Either way you should submit a final report by 1st May 2020, regardless of the stage your project has reached. This is the only way your team members will receive recognition for the efforts you have made this year and a named certificate.

Please note that we do not expect your social action to have concluded by the point of final submission and will be asking our judges to take into consideration these extraordinary mitigating circumstances. This programme is as much about your personal development and learning journey as it is the impact your social action delivers and we want to celebrate each and every one of you for the incredible work you have done in this competition!

We understand that school closures and social distancing have presented specific challenges to teams, one of which is producing a digital report. We are still asking teams to upload a digital element to their final submission, even if this is not in the format you had originally planned. Digital submissions can be in the form of a video or visual presentation such as Prezi, once which should suit your situation regardless of whether you have collected footage, photos etc along the way.

The 3 minute digital submission enables GSL judges to see more detail what you have envisioned and achieved through your projects. We are interested to see how you can communicate your creativity and learning journey through a format other then the written report.

If you are stuck for ideas and would like to see some examples of previous team’s efforts for inspiration you can take a look at the Projects page of the GSL website here.

Yes! We understand that over the course of an extended project such as this team members may come and go. It is our intention to recognise all students who have made a contribution to the team, regardless of the stage they have joined the programme. Up to seven team members can be listed on the final submission form and all will receive a named certificate. The names on the final submission form do not need to match the team registration or Phase 1 submission.

• No, we advise you bring your own.  However, we do have spares just in case!

• All our venues are smoke free. However, we have negotiated for there to be a designated smoking area away from the main buildings.  You will be shown this area if you let us know you smoke.
• If you smoke inside, this is against the Code of Conduct and is a fire risk. Should this happen, you would be given a warning, if you repeat this then you will be sent home from programme (any new flights would have to be paid for by your parents and no programme fees would be returned).

• Unfortunately there is no laundry service. However, we do have access to a washing machine for emergencies.

• In each boarding house which offers single-sex accommodation (boys and girls will be in separate houses at Wellington College), there are shared bathroom facilities with cubicles for bathrooms.
• Showers are in pods so you always have privacy.

• Future Foundations is looking forward to the opportunity of working with all young people who take part in the GSL programme. We will have one member of staff to every 12 young people on the programme so that we will offer a safe and motivating space for you to make the most of the support and mentoring throughout GSL.
• Team coaches are experienced and trained facilitators specialised in personal development for adults and young people through key life stages. Biographies will be uploaded on the website.  There is also a Pastoral Team and an Operations Team to make sure you have a great time!

• Usually, you will have a room that you share with one other person, or you might have a single room. We will let you know which room you are in when you arrive, but do let us know if you wish to share with someone specifically!

• We ask for dietary information on the Participant registration form, so please let us know.
• If you have food preferences, please let us know.
• All meals are provided on-site at the programme, and it may be food you are not used to. All you need to do is let us know if you are unhappy with food options and we can try and help.

• Please let us know in the Medical Form of any conditions and the medication that you take.
• If your parents are happy for you to self-medicate, and you are used to managing your illness, we ask that your parents confirm this on the Medical Form.
• We are also able to keep hold of medicines in a safe and secure place.

• We would need to have signed letter from your parents to give permission. This must detail the person you will meet, their relationship to you and details of where they will meet.
• A member of staff will not accompany you.
• If this is on a day of programme, you cannot make up the time lost.
• If they are to travel alone to meet this person, we would not cover this cost, and we would put in a procedure to ensure you arrive safely. However, the letter must state that permission is given of the child to travel alone and travel arrangements must be made by the parents.
• If the meeting is in a place we are visiting on an excursion, staff would facilitate the meeting. However, the child must the return at the appointed time to return by coach, or the above is true if they will return at a different time.

• No, there is no safe on-site. If you bring a padlock there are lockable cupboards in your room.
• Please note, bedroom doors cannot be locked for safety reasons.

• There is no test! This programme is about your learning and development. Bring your spirit, your thinking hat and be prepared to challenge yourself with participants from all over the world in making a difference.

• Please speak to the Course Director about this and let them know why. We will typically not move students to be with friends on programme, as the aim is for students to be in a mixed group of peers and to make new friends for life.

• We will usually go by coach to different locations after breakfast and return before dinner.
• On arrival, we will typically do a walking tour, some excursions will include entrance into a local attraction. You will also get some ‘free time’ to go shopping or explore.  You will be told to always be in groups of 3 and given an emergency phone number, and a meeting point.
• If you get lost, we will try and contact you on your phones. A member of staff will always wait for you, and we would never leave anyone behind!

• It is common for people to feel homesick, even if they are used to being away from home.
• You can call home and we would ask that your parents let us know if their child is feeling home sick.
• We will keep you busy, and buddy you up with another student to make sure you feel supported.
• The House Parent will check on you, and support you like a second parent to the best of their abilities.

• Wellington College provide a variety of healthy meals, dietary meals such as coeliac, gluten and dairy free. We may not be able to provide Halal options. Please make sure you provide your food preferences in the Parent/guardian form.

• The programme will be held at Wellington College in Berkshire, which is an amazing boarding school with incredible grounds and historic background. Google it!
• You will be staying in the Wellington College boarding houses for the duration of the programme. Boys and girls will stay in separate, single-sex accommodation. Pastoral staff will be on duty at night times to help you if needed.

• The closest hospital is to Wellington College is Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading which is a 30 minute car journey from the college.

• Yes you will receive a certificate from Future Foundations at the end of programme
• After the programme, you will be challenged to start your own social action projects with the skills they have developed during the GSL programme.  You will be invited to join our Global Goals Competition programme that is a movement of students around the world undertaking social action under the GSL banner.  More information can be found on our website:  www.globalsocialleaders.co./ggcompetition
• You will also be invited to gain a Certificate in Applied Leadership – you will receive more information about this on the programme

• Yes. Upon your arrival at Heathrow Airport you will be given the chance to buy a sim card for your mobile phone. Please note it is important to notify the team you meet at the airport if you wish you buy a sim card as they will not be available at Wellington College.

For this award, we are looking for existing projects in Commonwealth countries that were part of the Global Goals 2018-2019 competition.

 In your application form please specify what has changed and your reasons for the change.

 There is always potential for expanding and involving other organisations. Please let us know when you collaborate with a new organisation.

• Ghana
• India
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Nigeria
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Canada
• Cyprus
• Netherlands
• Pakistan
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka

We understand there are circumstances that prevent projects from fulfilling their journey. Please write to us on social.leaders@future-foundations.co.uk and let us know if your team decides not to continue with their project and we will pick up the conversation with them and keeping you (the teacher) in loop.

Unaccompanied Minors –a child traveling without an adult

Each Airline has a different policy on ‘Unaccompanied Minors’.

A ‘Minor’ is typically a young person under the age of 16.  Most Airlines will allow a young person aged between 12 and 16 to fly alone.  Others may stipulate that they must use their escort services which will be charged.

If the child has an escort, this means that they will be met at the Registration Desk and looked after until they are met by a Future Foundations Representative in the UK (and the same for the return journey).

If the child is allowed to travel to the UK without an adult (someone over the age of 18) by the airline, they will be treated as an ‘unaccompanied minor’ or a ‘UM’.

The parent or guardian will need to provide some or all of the following to the airline:

• their written consent for travel to the UK;
• their full contact details;
• evidence that suitable living arrangements have been made for the stay in the UK;
• the name and date of birth of the intended carer (a Future Foundations Representative);
• address where they will be living;
• authority from parent(s) or legal guardian allowing Future Foundations to care for you during your stay in the UK; and
• A letter from Future Foundations to include details of the programme.

• To come to the UK for study, you will need to check if you must have a Visa to enter the country.
• They best way to check if you need a visa, and what visa type you need is to use this online tool on the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

• You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK. UKVI say that you should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks, however some may take longer.
• Please check this guide to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you’re applying from the following website: guide processing times

• If a participant is unable to obtain a visa for the programme and has to cancel their place, the participant must provide a copy of the visa refusal letter to enter the UK. Where this has been provided only then will a refund be made of fees paid, minus the non-refundable deposit.
• It is the participants responsibility to ensure that they apply for the correct visa, within an appropriate amount of time for it to be granted, and that they are responsible for providing the additional information required for the visa, such as bank statement

• Please ensure that you seek advice and check online for the type of visa you need to apply for, the documents required and the time they take to process.  The following is an indication and not a comprehensive guide, with information taken from the UKVI website.

• As part of the welcome package, students will be met at the airport on arrival
• Students will be grouped together and put into a taxi with a driver who has been DBS checked and is from a recognised taxi company
• On arrival, they may wait for students arriving on a later flight. The staff will stay with them at all times
• On departure students will be grouped together by departure times and will be taken to the airport by taxi
• A member of staff will help them to check in and will see they go through security.
• We will ensure that students have plenty of time to get to their flight, for international flights this is recommended to be 3 hours before the flight time to ensure they get through security as at major UK airports this can take some time.

• We always ensure that there is a high number of trained staff on site to manage first aid.
• We always get student’s medical details and we will ensure that medications are taken if they have a medical condition.
• All our centres are located near to local Doctor services for minor concerns, as well as being near hospitals.
• We will always let the parents know if we have had to take their child to see a doctor or to hospital.

• We have risk assessment for all the activities and excursions
• All staff have had training and are aware of how to ensure students are safe

• All of our residential accommodation is accessed by a key code which is held only by staff, and not students
• This ensures that no one is able to access the accommodation except at appropriate times
• We have Pastoral staff who are in the accommodation to ensure a point of contact during the night
• We have an emergency number which students can call 24 hours a day
• College Security patrols Wellington College during the day and night
• All staff and students wear lanyards at all times to ensure that visitors are easily recognisable
• Students are not allowed to leave the programme venue on their own. Wellington College is  away from the town centre which discourages students to walk off college grounds
• Students will have a curfew to be in the accommodation
• We run a full Fire Drill on the first day to ensure that all students know how to get to safety in the case of a fire

• The staff to student ratio is 1:10 while on site and at night
• On excursions the ratio is 1:15 which includes any teachers who come with their own group of students
• Night time supervision consists of staff being placed around the student accommodation (with own bathroom facilities) to ensure they can assist in the event of a fire or a student needs help in the night
• On excursions, students will be allowed free time, where they must always be in groups of 3. They will be given the emergency phone number and a meeting point.  A member of staff will always be at this meeting point during free time

• Please discuss this with the Course Director. We would like you to feel involved in the programme, but appreciate you also need some free time.  Please let us know your plans.
• We would be able to advise on travel, but cannot provide this for you if you leave site.

• Yes please do! We would love you to be involved in what your students are learning and be part of this journey.  There are teacher sessions which are separate to your students sessions, so during these sessions you will not be able to attend the student sessions.

• We ask for dietary information and food preferences on the teacher registration form, so please let us know.
• All meals are provided on-site at the programme, and it may be food you are not used to. All you need to do is let us know if you are unhappy with food options and we can try and help.

can i?

• Please speak with the Course Directors about your concerns.
• We do regular observation of staff, and have a formal process if our staff are not reaching the standards we expect.
• Please do not approach the member of staff directly with your concerns.

• We will be happy to advise on places to see and things to do.
• We will provide an area where you can relax on site. There is also a lovely café ‘The V&A’ where you can enjoy a coffee.