Students from Bradford University's peace studies department are hoping to help schoolchildren understand peace and war by holding a series of workshops aimed at breaking down stereotypes and encouraging team work.

Eight masters degree students have come up with a programme of activities which they will be piloting at Keighley St Andrew's CE School to children over eight after the Easter break.

Christine Van Empel, 25, is one of the students involved in the project.

She explained students themselves developed the programme of activities after brain storming ideas about how best to explain broad concepts of peace and war to young children.

So each activity is specifically aimed at challenging the children's concepts of peace and war.

"We have created four different activities that we can do with the children.

"The first is about breaking down stereotypes, particularly focusing on careers that are seen as traditionally for men or women," said Miss Van Empel.

"The next session will be about getting the children to link words that can be associated with peace and war, and a game where the children can only win by working together and story telling."

The project is of particular interest to Miss Van Empel because her undergraduate dissertation, which she completed in Holland, looked at the ways that education can overcome violence.

The students are hoping that this scheme will help the children to avoid conflict and search for peaceful ways of resolving problems.

The project has been supported by the volunteering centre of the Students Union known as UCAN, with funding coming from the Higher Education Active Community Fund.

UCAN project co-ordinator Chris Wilson said there were ten similar schemes where students from different university departments went into schools across the district to help broaden children's learning.

The majority of students involved in this particular project are foreign students so it also offers them the chance to see more of the district.

Miss Van Empel, who is originally from Holland, said: "We are in a very academic world so it is very nice to do something practical.

"It is also a chance to do something in the community where we live."

Although the project is being carried out by masters students it is hoped that undergraduate students will get involved so it will be able to continue in the future.