Where did the idea come from?
Proximity Church from Stanford-le-Hope in Essex has been supporting local young people in schools since 2011. Their schools team became increasingly aware of the profound pressures, strains and hurdles that young people face. The MADE course was created in 2016 in response to these pressures and since then, MADE has proven to consistently support and positively transform the lives of young people.
What is the MADE course?
MADE is a bespoke 10-session course which runs for a whole school day, once a week for 10 weeks. It inspires young people to journey towards their unique identity; through informal classroom sessions, one-to-one mentoring, diverse workplace visits and parental engagement.
A typical MADE day
Starting 9:30am we use the morning to teach transferable life skills including team building, communication skills, the power of choice, determination, purpose, identity, respect and presentation skills. After having lunch together, we spend the afternoon at an inspiring work place, learning about their trade and some of the life lessons those workers acquired along the way.
What's involved?
Every week usually follows the same format (teaching, lunch, 1:1 time and a workplace visit). At the end of the day, students refect on what they learned and what they can put into practise in the coming week. In the final week of the course, week 10, we celebrate all the students have achieved, together with the students, parents/carers, MADE course leaders, key school staff and workplace representatives.
Who's it for?
Six students per course from year 9 (ages 13 and 14) who are primarily showing signs of low motivation, disengagement or low confidence.
Benefits
Students grow in confidence, have a sense of purpose and direction for the future, are more motivated and resilient.
