Wake Up Call is a free 2-day course for young people at risk of disengagement, school exclusion and those engaging in low level racist/political behaviour or hate crime. The course sits in the Pre-Prevent space focussing on the lower level hate crime agenda and discriminatory behaviour. Schools are offered this course as early help to engage with identified (low level prevent concerns) young people and educating them informally on the effects of hate crime and community tensions.
Aims include re-routing negative views, beliefs and behaviour into positive attitudes used in daily life. The course helps to build School Ambassadors who will challenge negative views and discriminatory behaviour heard and seen in school and the community.
The sessions are run in schools by North Yorkshire Youth (NYY) Youth Workers. North Yorkshire Police Schools Liaison Officers will support the project.
Sessions look at views of hate crime, faith, racism and disorder from different perspectives. Young people will work on developing:
- Self-awareness
- Appropriate communication skills (counter narrative)
- Interpersonal skills
- Identity
- British values
- Negotiation skills
- Action planning
- Self-evaluation and reviewing skills
Sessions are interactive, built around several thought provoking and creative activities.
The course explores what it is to be a positive role model and how this can help to empower those around you to change their negative behaviour whilst also preparing and enabling young people to provide a counter narrative.
The course is for a minimum of 8 young people and a maximum of 12 young people.