The Alan Senitt Upstanders Leadership Programme
What is ASULP?
The Alan Senitt Upstanders Leadership programme is a community schools linking leadership programme for Year 10 pupils of different faith, cultural and social background. This is a programme by the Alan Senitt Memorial Trust, a charity dedicated to the memory of Alan Charles Senitt, murdered in Washington DC on 9th July 2006 whilst defending a friend. The programme is managed and facilitated by Stand Up! and Streetwise Streetwise, partnership projects between CST and Maccabi GB.
The Leadership Programme allows the participants to learn about each other; their different cultures, religions and communities and at the same time reflect on themselves and gain leadership skills that will benefit their local community and serve them throughout their lives. In 2018/19 the programme has shifted its focus from community social action projects, to anti-discrimination community projects, becoming an ambassadors ‘Upstanders’ course for Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination.
How it works:
The programme comprises of 4 seminars between the months of October and May as well as independent work throughout the year. At each seminar the 40 participants are split into mixed school groups and take part in workshops on community leadership, team building, project management, anti-discrimination training on the topics of Antisemitism, anti-Muslim hate, discrimination against LGBT+, disability discrimination, racism in Sport as well as Online.
A key element to the programme is the community project run by each school. Throughout the year schools have to organise meetings and a team structure, create, plan and use the leadership skills gained, to implement their final anti-discrimination community projects. At the end of the academic year and once the community projects have been completed, the ASULP staff host a Graduation Ceremony for participants to showcase and present their work to co-leaders, parents and invited guests.
The interfaith cross-communal programme allows the participants to learn about each other, their different cultures, religions and communities and at the same time reflect on themselves and their own responsibility to become ‘Upstanders’ in society, all whilst gaining leadership skills that will serve them throughout their lives.