Communication is the focus of the fourth Carlisle Joint School Council meeting this Wednesday (19 March).
Students from nine of the city's secondary schools will be meeting at the University of Cumbria's Carlisle campus, to discuss subjects such as using new technology to communicate with each other and how to get a higher profile for young people's issues.
There will also be a presentation of the county council's new website for young people, http://www.wotson4u.com/ (external link)
The idea for a joint schools council came in part from responses to the 'Teenage Health Survey', undertaken across the council in 2005. One of the issues raised by young people was that there were a lot of good ideas being put forward in their individual schools but there was no way to bring all those ideas together and enable to young people to talk to each other.
Ben Murray, a student from Morton School and currently vice chair of the joint school council, suggested that such a council should be set up for all Carlisle schools.
The result was the county's first joint schools council, launched in April 2007.
There have been three full meetings of the Carlisle joint council to date, with subjects ranging from teaching and learning to improving facilities for young people across Cumbria. In-between these events, the joint council holds executive planning meetings and its members are gradually taking over more and more direct responsibility for the running and planning of those meetings.
Alan James, a consultant with Cumbria County Council who works on the project with Cumbria Healthy Schools, said:
"It was obvious that there was a great deal of good work going on in the school councils, but the ideas only impacted within the individual schools themselves. Through the joint council, there is now a way of giving those ideas a wider hearing and giving young people more of an opportunity to get together to discus issues that are important to them.
"The students involved in the project are extremely motivated and creative; they are making some firm friendships and bringing some great ideas to the meetings.
"A major benefit of the group is its ability to break down barriers between schools and communities.
"On Wednesday, they will be discussing better ways to communicate - with each other, with their communities, and with the agencies they are working with."
Elliot Shekell from Caldew School in Dalston is the chair of the joint council. He said:
"It's been a brilliant experience for all of us involved in the council.
"We've been given lots of responsibility and made many great friendships with students from other schools.
"We've had the chance to travel to great venues, such as the Carlisle City Council Chamber, Brunton Park, and most recently to Barrow to make a presentation at a major conference.
"The work we are doing is making a difference for all students in Carlisle, and we are gaining in confidence and self esteem, through our ideas being valued and acted on.
"No-one should underestimate what we can achieve."
The county council's director of Children's Services, Moira Swann, will be addressing the council meeting. She said;
"I have been following the progress of the joint council with a great deal of interest since it first met in April last year.
"I am delighted by the success of the project, and am keen to see this first for the county develop beyond Carlisle; there is already a great deal of interest from other parts of the county, and it would be marvellous to see joint councils rolled out across Cumbria.
"I would like to congratulate the young people involved who are taking on more and more responsibility for running the joint council. I know it is a big commitment for them, but I am sure this experience will prove invaluable to them all in years to come."
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