This is an exciting new type of Development Education programme, designed with the twin aims of giving children and young people in Devon schools a better understanding of cultures and countries around the world, and enabling people from Black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds to find work.

A Cultural Champion is a Devon resident from another culture or religion, who comes into the classroom (or other space) to give pupils an authentic, personal view of their culture. In this way, Devon children and adults can learn about other cultures and people that live here, broadening their minds and breaking down barriers.

The core of the programme is a training course for a group of 8-12 people from BME backgrounds in Exeter and Devon, to enable them to run interactive sessions about their country /culture in schools and beyond, on a paid basis.

This programme has a lot to offer in Devon and indeed other parts of the country with a low Black Minority Ethnic (BME) population and hidden racism. The project helps to meet the 'Devon Promise' (Devon County Council 2007) which states:

• By the age of seven, all young people will have had opportunities to interact with members of the local and global community, including people from a different cultural background from their own, both within school and through supervised visits outside school.
• By the age of fourteen all young people will have had opportunities to explore views of economic and social development and social justice with members of the local and global community from different cultural backgrounds.

After extensive consultation, the course started with nine participants – seven women and two men, with roots in the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Jamaica. Six graduated in April 2007. Fifteen training sessions were held from November to Easter, every Tuesday. The course themes included: the National Curriculum; tools for session planning and evaluation; RE and the Citizenship agenda; multi-culturalism and mono-culturalism in Devon; story-telling in the classroom; IT and other technologies; and practical aspects of becoming a Cultural Champion (marketing, CVs, etc).

Schools sessions are based on the principle of people talking and working from their personal background & experience. So we cut through the flannel and allow students (and teachers) access to authentic voices. We also stress the need to keep the sessions active and interactive, to maximise engagement, learning and fun! Examples of sessions in schools include:

• The mosque, with year 4 - looking at the elements of a mosque, including designing a mosque and writing names in Arabic.
• Introduction to Pakistan for year 7 – country, flag, religion, language
• The Hajj with year 8 students - looking at the stages and meaning of the hajj, through video, story, worksheet, dressing up and acting out.
• Iran with year 8 - including carpets and cats, with a Wordsearch to start.
• Egypt with year 12 students – looking at modern and ancient Egypt, hieroglyphics and society.

The feedback received from practice sessions in Exeter schools has been overwhelmingly positive. (See box right)

The programme is currently being replicated for 07/08, with broadly the same overall format: 8-12 participants and around 15-20 weeks of training. It is hoped to broaden the recruitment, to include participants from throughout Devon, Torbay and Plymouth.

Take me to the Cultural Champions website. Click on the logo.