Each year, Year 9 students participate in Social Action competition First Give from October to March. 

The project enables students to become the ambassadors and social campaigners for a local charitable organisation. At the School Final, the winning Form Group wins a fantastic £1,000 for their charity. 

During the first stage of the programme the students work as a form group to select the local cause that wish to become the ambassadors for. 

Once they have selected their local cause, they then work with their charity over the next few weeks, to learn how the organisation would utilise the £1,000 prize fund. Using this knowledge the students are then able to prepare their presentations and videos for the public speck competition. 

The third stage of the project is an in class competition.  This is when each team within the form group shares their knowledge of the charity, the video they have made and how they would encourage social action to promote the charity to the wider community. This stage is judged by the PSHCE class teacher, a member of the Senior Leadership Team and it is also peer assessed by the students in the class. 

First Give then provide a public speaking workshop for each of the groups who are presenting at the final so that they can fully prepare to try and win the overall competition. 

Lastly, we have the School Final. This event is held in the evening in the main school hall. All members of Year 9 and their families are welcome to attend, along with each of the seven charities represented on the evening. The judging panel have the very tough decision of deciding which team has shown the most social action and presented the strongest argument to win £1,000 for their charity. 

For more information about the First Give project at St Albans Girls' School please contact Miss E McHugh, Assistant Head Teacher.