What is Street Law?
- Street Law is a programme which aims to increase legal awareness, citizenship knowledge, and widen participation in the younger generation. We aim to educate young people about their rights and responsibilities under the law and to illustrate how the legal process works.
Who Runs Street Law?
- This project is run by the University of Essex Law Society, one of the largest societies at the University.
- In particular, the Pro-Bono Coordinator Sofia Marino heads up Street Law, and manages the volunteers that take part in the programme.
What makes us special!
- Street Law is taught entirely through interactive teaching. It is a very versatile project, which can be adapted to meet the needs of the institution! The volunteers that we train are able to create and tailor a programme to an individual school's needs, depending on age, size of class, and what the school feels appropriate. Therefore, there really are no hurdles for us!
- In the past, the project has taken place in the form of different activities including:
Mock Trials,
Interactive Presentations,
Competitions,
Group Activities.
- Previous topics taught have included:
Theft,
Human Rights,
Legal Skills,
Magna Carta,
Murder,
Tort.
- As mentioned though, this list is by no means exhaustive and we have the knowledge and skills to make new workshops as we go along!
Where will the money go?
- The money raised would primarily be used to professionally create materials for use in our programmes. We would be creating hand-outs, printing, props and purchasing costumes and equipment, to help students really get a feel for the law during the sessions! E.g. we hope to purchase a judge's costume, to use in our mock trial sessions, to encourage the students to really get involved with the session!
- The money raised may also be used to pay for the travel of schools to the University of Essex Colchester Campus, to begin hosting larger Street Law sessions on campus, giving school students both a feel for the law, and a feel for university at the same time!
- Finally, Street Law is hoping to become more nationwide over the next two years, and therefore the money raised may be used to allow our volunteers to travel to further parts of the UK to deliver sessions.
- Note that all of our staff are volunteers and therefore other than travel expenses, all our staff receive no financial payment.
- We need to raise a minimum of £400, to be used as follows:
Props purchasing - £75
Printing materials budget - £25
Travelling for schools and volunteers - £300
- We are hoping to raise a total of £800, and if we succeed, the extra £400 will go on the following:
Hosting a Street Law Activities Day - £250
Bringing schools to Colchester campus for Activities Day - £150
Rewards
- We have some fab rewards to thank everyone who donates, whatever the amount you might give. Check them out.
Find us here
- Essex Law Society Facebook Page
- Contact us on probono@essexlawsoc.co.uk
How you can help!
- We need as much help promoting this project as possible! If you know anyone or have any contacts in schools in the UK, we would really appreciate you mentioning Street Law to them, or passing on our contact email address probono@essexlawsoc.co.uk.
- You don't need to give money to help us succeed! If you have a Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media account, please share our project! This is a group effort, and we want to group together as a community to help everyone, so help us!
- And we know we said you don't need to give money to help us, but we'd love it if you did! Please sponsor us and help make this happen!
