Last month, the British Red Cross is launching a first-of-its-kind Humanitarian Education Programme for 11–18-year-olds. It helps teachers and youth workers develop humanitarian knowledge, skills and confidence of young people, giving them the tools to act with kindness and resilience when facing global and local challenges.
The programme gives educators the confidence, empathy and practical tools to respond. Three modules are already available – War and Conflict, First Aid and Climate Preparedness.
They use real-life scenarios, interactive films, games, and step-by-step guidance to help young people:
- Prepare for emergencies – from knowing what to do when someone is choking, to making safe decisions during flooding;
- Handle difficult conversations – like the rules of war or misinformation during a crisis with sensitivity and respect;
- Build resilience, empathy and a humanitarian mindset – through activities such as playing the fast-paced “Game of BOB”, where learners decide what to pack in an evacuation bag.
William Spencer, Community Education Product Manager at the British Red Cross, said:
“Imagine being in a classroom when a student says, ‘I’ve seen horrible videos from the conflict – are we in danger too?’ Or when a teenager collapses on the sports field and classmates admit no one knows what to do. Or when children share their parents’ worries about grandparents struggling during a heatwave. These are just some of the concerns young people may bring to the classroom.
“Even for adults, conversations about climate, emergencies or global crisis can be difficult. For young people, constantly online, the pressure can be even greater. Our new resources help educators guide these conversations with confidence and compassion, giving young people practical knowledge, emotional understanding, and the courage to turn concern into confidence and fear into strength.”
The Humanitarian Education Programme is free and available now across the UK. Educators receive simple, ready-to-use resources to support safe and inclusive classroom discussions.
