Frequently asked questions
A guide to common frequently asked questions about the British Red Cross free teaching resources.
Page contents
What topics do British Red Cross teaching resources cover?
What is humanitarian education?
What themes do you cover?
Who can use British Red Cross teaching resources?
Are British Red Cross teaching materials protected by copyright?
How are British Red Cross teaching resources funded?
Why do you spend money on producing educational content?
Why does the British Red Cross think all young people should learn first aid?
I don’t have any first aid experience. Can I still teach first aid?
Can British Red Cross educators visit our school/youth group?
How else can young people get involved with the British Red Cross?
What topics do British Red Cross teaching resources cover?
Our free online teaching resources for 6–19-year-olds help children and young people to better understand the world around them.
Our resources focus on the following five themes, which are all related to our humanitarian work:
- humanitarianism and the Red Cross
- disasters and emergencies
- first aid and the bystander effect
- refugees and migration
- International humanitarian law and conflict
What is humanitarian education?
Humanitarian education is an approach where the educator and learners grow skills, knowledge, and confidence to act compassionately to reduce human suffering. This is done by exploring people's experiences of crisis.
It is an experiential, trauma informed approach that focuses on understanding humanitarian principles and respecting people and their values.
Explore our CPD page to enhance your teaching skills and create supportive, inclusive classrooms. Learn strategies to effectively teach difficult topics such as racism and conflict.
What themes do you cover?
British Red Cross teaching resources enable children and young people to understand, cope with and respond to crises that impact local and global communities.
Online resources focus on the following themes:
- humanitarianism
- disasters and emergencies
- first aid
- refugees and migration
- International humanitarian law and conflict
They include a range of formats (such as lesson plans, assembly ideas, videos, photos, quizzes and other quick activities) to build skills such as communication, critical thinking, working with others and taking action.
Who can use British Red Cross teaching resources?
If you are a teacher, youth worker or other educator, you are freely and warmly encouraged to use the materials and:
- experiment with them
- adapt them for your group
- share them with others.
Are British Red Cross teaching materials protected by copyright?
Yes. We ask that you respect our fundamental principles if you are using our teaching resources in the context of learning about the Red Cross, and also basic academic conventions, such as not:
- deleting the source of the materials
- inaccurately quoting from the materials
- passing the materials off as something else.
*Programmes are subject to availability and eligibility criteria.
How are British Red Cross teaching resources funded?
The materials are largely paid for through British Red Cross general funds, with small pots of money from funders (including trusts and corporate donors) to help us develop particular projects.
If you would like to support Community Education and help us reach those who need it most through our free online resources and workshops, building live-saving first aid and wellbeing skills, you can donate directly to Community Education here.
Why do you spend money on producing educational content?
We put people in crisis at the heart of everything we do. Through education, we aim to increase individual and community resilience by building children and young people’s ability to cope with and respond to a crisis.
We believe that, like all charities, we have a duty and commitment to:
- explain what we do by setting out our values and principles
- share what we know and to contribute to the education of the upcoming generation.
Why does the British Red Cross think all young people should learn first aid?
We think everybody should learn this valuable life skill, as knowing simple first aid can give young people the power to save a life.
Explore our first aid teaching resources.
I don’t have any first aid experience. Can I still teach first aid?
Yes, first aid is simple to teach and easy to learn and remember.
Teaching first aid in the classroom is easy with First Aid Champions, a first aid teaching site for learners aged 5-18. First Aid Champions can be used by all schools in the UK to teach the skills children and young people need to save a life. You don't need any extra training to use the site, and there are resources for children and young people to learn independently, too.
If you want to refresh your own first aid skills, check out our self-directed online first aid learning.
Can British Red Cross educators visit our school/youth group?
We offer fully funded workshops in schools and youth work settings in areas where young people are at higher risk of experiencing a crisis related to drug/alcohol use, incidents involving knives (or other sharp objects) and stigmatising behaviour.
How else can young people get involved with the British Red Cross?
We have opportunities for 15–25-year-olds looking to try something new, from volunteering to work experience.
Email us if you have any other questions.