Bristol SACRE*
Bristol Minds
*Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education
Bristol is a city of many faiths and worldviews and is celebrated for its contribution to the artistic and intellectual worlds. It is as famous for its music and street art as it is for its world-leading university. However, as in all cities young people often lack the opportunity to meet Bristolians with worldviews different from their own. Meanwhile the artistic and intellectual cultures of the city may seem out of reach and ‘untouchable’.
Our project will introduce small groups of Year 9 students to adult mentors we are calling “Bristol Minds” (BM). The BMs are adults of diverse worldviews working in creative, intellectual, sporting, scientific or professional fields. Students will have an opportunity to talk to the BM about their worldview and how they live their lives. They will also rare gain insight to a career or profession, and how different perspectives prove relevant in different jobs.
Participating schools will nominate a small number of students to meet their BM. The students are tasked with interviewing their BM about how their worldview informs their professional life, day-to-day activities and experience. Questions regarding meaning and happiness will be particularly encouraged.
From this, the students will be asked to create a range of visual resources to share understanding of the BMs and what they have learned through their interaction. The students will create these resources with their classmates who did not attend the BM meeting.
Students will be encouraged in particular to discuss and illustrate things they found surprising. Were they inspired? Did they find themselves in disagreement? What do they think of the BM’s job? Did the BMs worldview influence their day to day life more or less than the students expected? How different or similar did the BM’s life seem to be from their own?
At the end of the academic year, a meeting will be held to bring together all the participants, as well as additional students and teachers to share the outcomes. The BMs themselves will be invited to attend this meeting.
Afterwards, teaching resources based upon the project activities will be available via the Bristol SACRE website.Our project will introduce small groups of Year 9 students to adult mentors we are calling “Bristol Minds” (BM). The BMs are adults of diverse worldviews working in creative, intellectual, sporting, scientific or professional fields. Students will have an opportunity to talk to the BM about their worldview and how they live their lives. They will also rare gain insight to a career or profession, and how different perspectives prove relevant in different jobs.
Participating schools will nominate a small number of students to meet their BM. The students are tasked with interviewing their BM about how their worldview informs their professional life, day-to-day activities and experience. Questions regarding meaning and happiness will be particularly encouraged.
From this, the students will be asked to create a range of visual resources to share understanding of the BMs and what they have learned through their interaction. The students will create these resources with their classmates who did not attend the BM meeting.
Students will be encouraged in particular to discuss and illustrate things they found surprising. Were they inspired? Did they find themselves in disagreement? What do they think of the BM’s job? Did the BMs worldview influence their day to day life more or less than the students expected? How different or similar did the BM’s life seem to be from their own?
At the end of the academic year, a meeting will be held to bring together all the participants, as well as additional students and teachers to share the outcomes. The BMs themselves will be invited to attend this meeting.
We hope that by meeting people from different worldviews and “hard to reach” vocations, minds will be opened.
For more information about this project, please email our Bristol SACRE advisor
Adam Robertson by clicking here.
