Make a Difference Challenge

Inspire your pupils to lead change locally!

Making a difference to society

The Make a Difference Challenge is a child-led social action programme that empowers our youngest citizens to be community change-makers. The project challenges pupils to research and identify a social or environmental issue that they feel passionate about. Issues could be anything from homelessness to racism to climate change. Pupils then make a difference to their issue through awareness raising, fundraising or taking practical action. The Make a Difference Challenge provides an excellent context for meaningful SMSC learning, pupil voice and character development.

This project enables primary aged children to get a real understanding of the issues communities face, and take the lead in addressing the causes or effects of their chosen issues. Pupils may learn to empathise with those who are disadvantaged, recognise the role of government, voluntary groups and charitable organisations and consider the part they can play in bringing about positive change. There are two ways in which teachers can access the Make a Difference Challenge: through our online Annual Licence, or through our Premium face to face programme (only available in some areas). For more details of each of these click on the thumbnails below.

Make a Difference to Community Spaces

Thanks to funding from the Co-op Foundation and #iwillFund we are able to support up to 200 schools in England working with primary aged children to access the Make a Difference Challenge for FREE this academic year (normally priced at £85).  To qualify you must be interested in delivering a project that focuses on improving community spaces (which could be developing outdoors spaces such as parks, rivers, and gardens – but equally could be about making the doctor’s surgery more welcoming, improving access to a community centre or library) and have completed one of our free introductory courses Social Action in Community Spaces or Introduction to Social Action for Primary Teachers first. Participating schools will receive access to our 4 hour online CPD certified teacher training course, online package of support resources including lesson plans, certificates, activities, a digital scrapbook, and lots more useful stuff to help you to run your project; plus access to a private Facebook group. Please note the deadline for all applications is 5pm on Friday 23^rd October.

The impact of the Make a Difference Challenge

The Make a Difference Challenge has been running for more than a decade and has produced incredible stories of young people’s generosity and resilience. Last year, 62 schools and over 2,400 pupils from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Durham, Leeds, London, Northern Ireland and Surrey took part and made a difference to causes they cared passionately about.

Get inspired by pupil-powered projects or explore the different delivery options below.