IGCA activities during Covid 19 crisis

[Boyd Roberts]

The IGCA during lockdown and when students are not attending schools in person

The current situation is different in different IGCA schools. For some schools, students are not able to attend school currently.

The IGCA activities likely to be the most challenging during Covid restrictions are those in the Working with Others section.

            Personal Community Engagement (“Service”)

            Influencing change through advocacy, persuasion or promotion

            Active participation in decision-making.

Of these, Personal Community Engagement (“service”) can be the most challenging, as regular activities may be disrupted or suspended. But there are plenty of ways in which this component can be completed without the need for being with other people physically.

A few points to bear in mind:

1. The total time participants are expected to spend on all three parts of the Working with Others section is 15-20 hours.
2. Personal community engagement may therefore be expected to take a total of 5-10 hours at each level of the award, including any associated research, preparation etc. (Reflection is additional). But there is no set allocation of time between the three components. Participants could spend more time on Influencing change through through advocacy, persuasion or promotion or Active participation in decision-making and correspondingly less time on Personal Community Engagement.
3. Community engagement does not require the participant to work with another person physically. They could provide “service” or other forms of community engagement through

The IGCA during lockdown and when students are not attending schools in person

 

The current situation is different in different IGCA schools. For some schools, students are not able to attend school currently.

 

The IGCA activities likely to be the most challenging during Covid restrictions are those in the Working with Others section.

            Personal Community Engagement (“Service”)

            Influencing change through advocacy, persuasion or promotion

            Active participation in decision-making.

 

Of these, Personal Community Engagement (“service”) can be the most challenging, as regular activities may be disrupted or suspended. But there are plenty of ways in which this component can be completed without the need for being with other people physically.

 

A few points to bear in mind:

 

1. The total time participants are expected to spend on all three parts of the Working with Others section is 15-20 hours.

 

2. Personal community engagement may therefore be expected to take a total of 5-10 hours at each level of the award, including any associated research, preparation etc. (Reflection is additional). But there is no set allocation of time between the three components. Participants could spend more time on Influencing change through through advocacy, persuasion or promotion or Active participation in decision-making and correspondingly less time on Personal Community Engagement.

 

3. Community engagement does not require the participant to work with another person physically. They could provide “service” or other forms of community engagement through

• a phone call, or a web or email conversation
• administrative tasks
• undertaking research to assist others who are providing service and in direct physical contact with other people
• undertaking physical activities alone, such as tree planting, litter picking, conservation work, painting or decorating a community building
• shopping for an elderly neighbour, but leaving the shopping at the door rather than going into the house.

The activities that can be undertaken will depend upon local guidelines and regulations.

4. Personal community engagement might take the form of certain acts of kindness. For some examples (most but not all of which would count as community engagement for IGCA purposes) visit: http://kindnessuk.com/acts_of_kindness.php

Some of these could not be readily undertaken in the Covid situation, but the list may stimulate ideas that could be relevant to your context.