Come dressed in clo
thes you don’t mind getting dirty – that was the only clue pupils in Year 10 at Rydal Penrhos had as they attended school last Wednesday.
Organised by Laura Cook, World AIMS Officer from World Action in Methodist Schools, the pupils took part in a ‘Disaster Day’, exploring the detailed planning behind disaster response units.
With the premise of a second devastating tsunami in Indonesia, the pupils were put to action throughout the day, working in groups of eight to develop their communication, negotiation, confidence and team working.
With four different activities to test out and increase their skills, the groups found themselves designing refugee camps, prioritising what is vital for an effective camp, while also discussing wants versus needs. In a dramatic auction, groups were given an amount of money to bid towards items for families in need, including education, food, medicine and a radio system. Following the bidding, a lively discussion followed about why certain items were bought and how they would help the families.
The shelter and accommodation of refugees was the next activity, with groups challenged to create their own tent. The task was aimed at developing empathy and understanding of the situation and also increased team work, communication and co-operation amongst groups as they built their tents in array of different shapes using large piece of wood and tarpaulin, with varying degrees of success!
The final task saw the groups produce their own appeal posters, encouraging the public to donate urgently to the disaster appeal. This task saw pupils think about the messages the media use during such events and how they are perceived by the public.
The day ended with in the School’s Ferguson Centre where prizes were handed out to the teams who had performed well throughout the day on the various tasks. World AIMS encourages pupils to be more aware of the wider world and the ways in which they can give back to other communities. Organised events such as ‘Disaster Day’ enable pupils to think about other cultures and the work charitable organisations do, while also developing their own initiative, creativity and communication skills.