Page 11 - Plesner CSR UK 2018

The School Project
Role models choose the School Project with their hearts
PLESNER’S SCHOOL PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COMMIT- MENT OF DEDICATED ROLE MODELS WHO SET EXAMPLES FOR SCHOOL KIDS TO FOLLOW.
”Our role models do a great job, they do it pro bono, and they choose with their hearts – al- though they are all busy people with demand- ing jobs. Sharing their personal stories about breaking the cycle of deprivation, they show school kids the difference education can make when it comes to future job opportunities and freedom to choose”, says Shaina Jab- bar, Attorney-at-Law and Partner at Plesner – and co-founder and coordinator of the School Project.
Pattern-breakers show the way
Ever since the beginning in 2011, role models acting as sparring partners for school pupils have been key to the School Project. Working closely together with Plesner, these role models have followed selected lower secondary school classes at two schools in the inner-city district of Nør- rebro, with a major proportion of the pupils having a non-Danish ethnic background. Many of the role models also have non- Danish backgrounds and are themselves “pattern-breakers” with various higher-level qualifications.
The classes are divided into groups and a role model is assigned to each group. This allows the role models to really get to know
the pupils during their final years at lower secondary school. A key task of the role models is to build trusting relationships with the school kids so they can talk to them about both their future careers and personal matters.
Real commitment needed
The role models meet with the school pu- pils once a month at events that alternate between classroom dialogue and visits to selected companies. This gives the young people a first-hand impression of the wide range of courses, training and job opportu- nities available, while the role models help them define goals for their professional development and decide which field of education or training to choose. The idea is to create a virtuous circle where the inter- action with the role models and the pupils’ willingness to listen and learn make all the difference.
”As a role model, real commitment and a gen- uine wish to help and support young people
is crucial. Finding role models willing to fully commit and with the necessary drive used
to be our biggest challenge in relation to the School Project. That has gradually changed as we have been able to show that the School
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