The Big Issue has launched a classroom in Canberra as a hub for social justice education.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The classroom, which opened in late June in Barton, will deliver workshops and allow students to hear first-hand from people who have experienced homelessness, disadvantage or disability.
![The Big Issue has launched a classroom in Canberra to deliver social justice workshops to students. Photo: Henry Zwartz The Big Issue has launched a classroom in Canberra to deliver social justice workshops to students. Photo: Henry Zwartz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/3bc63b13-3ec1-44b8-a783-7fd4b32e5537/r0_0_2000_1333_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Its goal is to break down negative stereotypes in our community however the sessions also give primary and secondary schoolers an insight into the social enterprise business model.
Sydney and Melbourne have offered similar workshops in classrooms and online since 2009 and the organisation felt the expansion to Canberra would tap into the some 150,000 students who visit the ACT each year.
![One of The Big Issue classrooms in action with educators and guests speakers working with student groups. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder One of The Big Issue classrooms in action with educators and guests speakers working with student groups. Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/b570963b-d98f-4359-b65d-07fb1d4dd68c/r0_0_2000_1334_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
One school attended just before the winter school holiday break and operations officer Sally Hines said 22 schools had booked in for next term.
Hearing personal accounts from those who have experienced homelessness cut through and really generated discussion and thought.
"It's about educating students about homelessness, marginalisation and disadvantage and how that exists in our society," she said. "We ask them to think about that and discuss what fairness, diversity and needs and wants and happiness are and how that affects people."
The hour-long sessions provide age appropriate content for year one through to year 12 students, students older than year 5 having time with a guest speaker.
Workshop fees charged to school groups are redirected to The Big Issue enterprise enabling them to employ more homeless and disadvantaged people to share their stories and demonstrate social enterprise in action for the classroom students.
ACT Education and Housing Minister Yvette Berry welcomed the initiative.
"Part of providing a well-rounded education is ensuring students have appropriate opportunities to engage with the diversity of experience that people face," she said.
"Young people I meet and talk to in schools often have a great passion for social justice issues,and the actions they take to make their world a better place are impressive."
Minister Berry said schools were empowered to decide whether this initiate was right for them, but the workshops seemed to have "some good links to learning areas in the Australian curriculum."
"I am confident that it will be useful for at least some ACT schools and it is good to see that the workshop fees go back into developing and sustaining The Big Issue," she said.