Face to Faith: a New Secondary Resource

[15.02.10]

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation (http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/)has recently launched a new RE teaching resource called Face to Faith (http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/pages/schools).

This secondary school programme enables young people from around the world to interact with one another through Facilitated Video Conferences, exploring issues of Faith and Identity.

The VC encounters are expanded through a safe online community, where students are able to continue their discussions, and build relationships across national, ethnic and faith divides.

The programme is open to those of all faiths, and none, and encourages a peer teaching approach, with students teaching and learning from one another about the significance of faith in their communities and lives, while exploring issues of global importance together. This enables some challenging discussion, not merely about different cultural attitudes, but also about the diversity within Religious traditions.

Teachers are supported through a rolling programme of teacher training, as well as a variety of high-quality resources that underpin the development of meaningful, thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Teachers are also encouraged to adapt these resources for the needs of their students.

Lorwyn Randall, a Teacher from Devon, using Face to Faith comments:

“The Faith to Faith training workshop I attended gave me not only the information and skills needed to teach the program but also the methodology and inspiration to do so in a way that I know will excite and engage my students. The resources I came away with are, without doubt, the best resources I have ever been provided with at a training session. I can honestly say that this is the best CPD I have ever attended, bar none! An enriching and enthusing experience which I was instantly able to apply to my teaching and to my student's experience of RE in the classroom.”

A Face to Faith Student from New Delhi also advocates the programme: “It is so much more interesting to hear directly from those of another religion than simply reading about them in a book.”

If you are interested in Face to Faith, please get in touch with the Director of Education – Annika Small (Annika.small@tonyblairfaithfoundation.org).