Citizenship for life
Citizenship for Life (Sometimes shortened to C4L) is a programme for secondary school students in Cornwall, to provide unique educational opportunities for young people.
The students are assigned mentors and taken on visits, once a month, for year. The visits include: London Guardian, Big Issue Manchester, London School for Social Entrepreneurs.
What is C4L?
Cornwall Council's Community Network covering Helston and The Lizard joined forces with Cornwall Works, the local (CAMBORNE) Rotary Club and a team of volunteer business mentors to provide unique educational opportunities for young people from Helston Community College and Mullion School.
The aim is to support young people to increase their self-esteem, push their personal BOUNDARIES in gaining employable skills and insight to a variety of real life experiences.
Funding
The programme, organised through the schools, costs just over £2,000 per Student, which is paid from private sponsorship by local businesses and the Rotary Club.
2010-11 school year
The first year of Citizenship for Life, supported 10 students from two main schools (Helston, Mullion) who were matched up with 10 mentors, mostly from the Rotary Club from different organisations. The Project is run by Charlotte Chadwick, a Cornwall Council Worker, and her colleague, Helen Jones
The visits included Dartmoor Prison, the Guardian newspaper in London, the School for Social Entrepreneurs, the Big Issue in Manchester. The students also participated in team-building exercises at BF Adventure in Cornwall. The group completed the 12-month programme which increased self-confidence, self-esteem, communication skills, team working experience, and appreciation of the world of work, social enterprise, entrepreneurship and risk.
Over 100 applied to C4L programme. They are taking the youngsters on a life changing journey so they need to select those that they consider will travel the furthest
On the last month, the students hosted a celebration breakfast event at Fifteen, where all the sponsors and related officials were invited. After the breakfast and Charlotte's Speech, the students talk about their experience.
Five of the students (Matthew Laugher, Gemma Tripconey, Jake Bassett, Andrew Ward, Danielle Burden), went to the Masons Lodge in Helston to give speeches, which is a big deal because the Masons rarely invite non-members into their meeting rooms.
2011-12 school year
This is the current year. This year three schools are part of the programme (Mullion, Falmouth, Penryn). There are 12 students, 4 from each school that participating in the program.