BRIDGE is a partner in Roots of Joy, a multi-year international initiative focused on Black youth wellbeing, belonging, liberation and community power.

The wider programme aims to engage approximately 3000 young people through education, research, creative practice and community-led activity. BRIDGE’s contribution centres Black Studies as a resource through which young people can explore identity, history, power, resistance and their connections to the wider Black diaspora.

Our work includes contributing to the development of a School for Liberation and Community Power, creating accessible political education and supporting the development of a Global Black Studies curriculum.

BRIDGE’s contribution:

• Black Studies curriculum development
• Political and community education
• Participatory work with young people
• International speakers and learning exchanges
• Community-engaged research
• Evaluation and shared learning

BRIDGE is developing a Global Black Studies curriculum connecting Black histories, ideas, cultures and movements across Britain, Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and the wider diaspora.

The curriculum will be developed collaboratively with young people, educators, parents, community organisations and international partners. It will be adaptable for use in schools, universities, community settings, youth programmes and online learning.

Rather than presenting Black Studies as a fixed body of information, the curriculum will encourage critical thinking, dialogue, creativity and action. It will connect global knowledge with the lived experiences and questions of the people using it.

Development will include:

• consultation with young people, parents and educators;
• surveys and online focus groups;
• curriculum-development workshops;
• international academic and community partnerships;
• pilot learning activities;
• accessible teaching and digital resources; and
• evaluation and continuing improvement.

This work is guided by Liberation Engagement and the ICEPAR framework, ensuring that participation, accountability, intersectionality, reflexivity and care are embedded throughout the process.

Before finalising our educational content, BRIDGE will undertake a listening and co-design programme to understand what different communities want and need from Black Studies.

We plan to invite young people, students, parents, educators and community practitioners to share their views through a survey and a series of online focus groups.

The consultation will explore:

• the Black Studies topics people most want to encounter;
• gaps in existing educational provision;
• preferred ways of learning;
• the needs of different age groups and communities;
• interest in digital and face-to-face programmes; and
• priorities for future events and international activity.

The findings will directly inform BRIDGE’s curriculum, programmes and educational resources. We will also share what we learn with participating communities.

BRIDGE is developing a Global Black Studies gathering in Ghana bringing together educators, scholars, community practitioners and cultural leaders.

The gathering will combine keynote contributions, facilitated discussions and collaborative curriculum-development activities. It will provide an opportunity to explore how Global Black Studies can connect knowledge across countries while remaining grounded in local histories, cultures and community priorities.

The programme is expected to include:

• keynote speakers;
• Global Black Studies conversations;
• curriculum co-design workshops;
• youth and educator engagement;
• cultural learning activities; and
• the development of new international partnerships.

Further information will be published as the programme and partnerships are confirmed.

BRIDGE delivers an Introduction to Black Studies course for people in prison, creating access to Black Studies within a setting where opportunities for culturally relevant education can be limited.

The course is delivered in partnership with the Prisoners’ Education Trust, who will fund places for eligible prisoners. To find out more details and see all the course the Prisoners Education Trust offers download their prospectus

The course introduces participants to key Black Studies ideas, histories and debates. It encourages learners to connect academic knowledge with questions of identity, power, society and lived experience.

Participants undertake structured learning and assessment, supported by experienced Black Studies educators and specialist BRIDGE Associates. The programme is designed to promote critical thinking, reflection and meaningful engagement with Black intellectual traditions.

BRIDGE is currently delivering the course through commissioned places and will use learning from the initial delivery to inform its future development.

Programme activities include:

• accessible Black Studies teaching;
• guided learning materials;
• reflective and assessed work;
• individual assessment and feedback; and
• evaluation to support future improvement.