Swapping cultures is equipping young people with a deeper understanding of the cultures around them. It aims to bring communities, groups and individuals together by focusing on our similarities.
Developed in partnership with Minorities of Europe and Waltham Forest Council, sessions were held with the boroughs young people aged 11 to 20. A smaller group was given additional training to prepare them to use the swapping cultures activities with other young people and become ‘champions for community cohesion’.
The learning outcomes for young people included:
- Increased awareness of the value of diversity
- Greater understanding of different cultures
- Increased confidence to communicate with people from different backgrounds and lead sessions for other young people.
The swapping cultures project main findings:
Some of the main findings of the project are:
Community cohesion is recognised and valued by the young people of Waltham Forest
Young people felt that Waltham Forest was an area where different ethnic groups and religions lived in harmony. Many had noticeable pride in the diversity of their community
Contribution to community cohesion
Participants felt that the kind of learning gained from swapping cultures was important for the society in which they were growing up and that wider use of swapping cultures would lead to greater community cohesion.
Judged effective by education professionals
Staff who had been involved in the sessions felt that their students had enjoyed the sessions, sustained learning had taken place, new levels of communication had been established within the groups and that the methodology was an effective way of tackling controversial issues which can be hard to deal with in normal lessons.
» View the swapping cultures worksheet materials
Contact:
Safe and Strong Communities
Sycamore House
Waltham Forest Town Hall Complex
Forest Road
Walthamstow E17 4JF
Email communitysafety@walthamforest.gov.uk
Tel 020 8496 3000
