|
Young People Wanted!
Help to shape the next Awards Network Strategy
|
|
|
|
The Awards Network is committed to ensuring that its 2020-2023 Strategic Plan and on-going work are shaped by young people. We are recruiting a small group of young people to help with this important task. With the assistance of the Comms Team at Youth Scotland a recruitment campaign will run on social media throughout October. Please help us reach as many eligible young people as possible.
|
|
|
|
Aged 16-24? Make your voice heard and become part of the Awards Network’s Youth Forum
We want to hear your opinions on recognition of wider learning and achievements. What is your youth award story and how has that journey impacted your life? Should youth awards be as valued as formal qualifications? What do you think the Awards Network’s priorities should be for 2020-2023?
Join the Awards Network’s Youth Forum and tell your stories. We are looking for young people aged 16-24 who want to share their ideas and experiences to help us improve our impact. The Youth Forum will meet at the end of November for the first time so get in touch with us before 31 October.
As a member of the Youth Forum, you will have a chance to gain experience of volunteering on a national committee. There will be lots of interesting and exclusive events you will be able to attend as a Youth Forum ambassador. Meet new friends, gain new skills, try new things and inspire other young people!
So what are you waiting for? Get in touch and be part of the Awards Network Youth Forum! Apply now
Email: contact@awardsnetwork.org
Telephone: 0131 554 2561 | Twitter: @Awards_Network
|
|
We are delighted to welcome Anna Devitt and her Comedy and Confidence Awards as the latest Associate Member of the Awards Network.
Comedy & Confidence™ provides a creative, energetic, personal development programme that make use of the power within laughter to develop emotional understanding and the medium of comedy as a tool to build confidence, resilience and communication skills.
|
|
|
Sharing her journey at the recent #YSLearnerJourney event, Anna explained that the Comedy & Confidence awards aim to allow young people to grow their self-esteem and inner confidence by challenging themselves with new experiences and taking them out of their comfort zones. She describes the medium of comedy as a “safe” and “creative” space, providing an inclusive experience for all young people without barriers to participation, showing them that their capabilities are not limited to a classroom. For the most disadvantaged young people it helps them to “get the life they deserve and not the one they were dealt”.
The Awards, at levels 3,4,5 and 6 have been SCQF credit rated by SQA, meaning that young people will achieve formal recognition for any or all stages completed.
|
|
|
|
Recognising Wider Learning and Achievement - "a real motivating factor for pupils"
|
|
|
|
Outlining a whole school approach to profiling, Ian Adamson, Head Teacher of Kingussie HS, describes school recognition of wider learning and achievement gained through school and from wider community settings as “a real motivating factor for pupils". He was speaking at an Awards Network-led seminar at the 2019 Scottish Learning Festival, along with John Galt from Education Scotland CLD, sharing work of the National Group on Recognising Wider Learning and Achievement.
|
|
|
|
The value and impact was clearly evident in the personal experience of populating their e-portfolios confidently and eloquently shared by Kingussie HS pupils Hannah and Hamish. Their learning and achievement opportunities out of school include those from Scouting, with both having been amongst the 47,000 participants from 152 Countries at the 24th World Scout Jamboree in the USA this summer.
|
|
|
|
The National Group on Recognising Wider Learning and Achievement brings together schools, youth work, SDS, SQA and other stakeholders to:
- Identify and share good practice around capturing and recognising wider learning and achievement
- Consider what national advice and support will help to realise Recommendation 1 in the Learner Journey Review. This states that:
'We will ensure every learner in Scotland has an online learner account to link their skills and attributes to better course choices....' The approach is expected to ‘recognise wider achievements and informal learning, so that all young people have the opportunity to develop a personal statement and clearly articulate the skills gained and achievements made whilst in school.’
The seminar handout, with links to resources and practice exemplars can be found HERE. The seminar slide presentation can be found HERE
|
|
|
Youth Awards - closing the Attainment Gap
|
|
|
Writing in the Autumn 2019 edition of The Link, the Awards Network highlights significant strides being made in increasing recognition of the value of youth awards in supporting attainment and achievement.
With a particular focus on youth work and school partnership, this latest edition of The Link includes case studies from a number of schools and Awards Network Members. These highlight how youth awards are being harnessed in a range of learning settings and the positive contribution that youth work and schools partnership is making to skills development and closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Read more
|
|
|
|
Members of the Young Scot Learner Journey Project Youth Advisory Group engaged members of the Awards Network in a consultation on emerging proposals from their work as the Project nears its conclusion. The team of young people, representing different stages in the learner journey, have engaged with peers, teachers, employers and other stakeholders at a series of nationwide events to explore and reflect on the recommendations set out in the Learner Journey Review. Members were impressed by the work undertaken and pleased to see reference to youth awards / non-formal learning within and beyond the school gates. The Presentation can be viewed HERE
|
|
|
|
At the final event on 1 October members of the Youth Advisory Group shared message campaign proposals with a range of stakeholders. The event included an excellent input from Lyle Hamilton of Idiom - a business that emerged from his participation in the Young Enterprise Scotland Company Programme. He outlined a learner journey quite different from originally anticipated, including publishing their children's book - Bonnie the Beltie - and work to develop creativity and entrepreneurial skills in schools around Dumfries and Galloway and further afield. Clearly a great exemplar of skills development through a youth award programme!
|
|
|
|
Case Study: Partnership in Action
|
|
|
|
Partnership between Youth Scotland and SAPC Community Sports Hub SCIO.
A group of 15 young people who volunteer as coaches at the sports hub in Darnley took part in Youth Scotland’s leadership programme, iLead, to develop their leadership knowledge, skills and experience, helping them gain more confidence in delivering sessions with other young people.
As well as gaining a better understanding of how to lead, the young people taking part also earn an SCQF Level 2, SQA credit-rated iLead qualification. The next stage provides opportunities for progression to Dynamic Youth and Youth Achievement awards. Read more
|
|
|
|
Opportunities and Resources
|
|
|
Three new 'Nutshells' from NPFS
These leaflets (downloadable for free) are designed to help parents to better understand aspects of Scottish Education and will be informative also to a much wider audience. Among others in the series is Skills in a Nutshell, providing a useful summary guide to transferable skills for learning, life and work.
Email office@npfs.org.uk for hard copies.
|
|
|
|
Youth Scotland and Social Enterprise Academy - Leading in Youth Work:
an ILM Award in Leadership Programme for managers and senior staff in Voluntary Youth Work Organisations
|
|
|
|
To secure an Institute of Leadership and Management ( ILM) Award in Leadership at SCQF Level 9 requires attendance over 6 full days plus one assessment. Read more
Module 1 : 30 and 31 October 2019; Module 2: 4 and 5 December 2019;
Module 3 : 29 and 30 January 2020
Cost: £360 (NVYOSF subsidised - usual price £1,200).
Deadline: extended to Friday 11 October. (Successful applicants will be notified by Friday 18 October 2019). Book HERE
|
|
National Youth Work Conference, 27 November 2019, Glasgow
The theme for the 2019 National Youth Work Conference is Excellence and Equity: Youth Work and the Learner Journey. The Awards Network has been invited to deliver a plenary session input with Education Scotland outlining the work and progress of the National Group on Recognising Wider Learning and Achievement and will also be in the Marketplace. Awards Network member Youth Scotland is delivering a breakout seminar on the theme of Youth Work & Schools - Working Together to Provide Breadth and Choice within the Learner Journey. More information and to book your place HERE
|
|
|
Scotland's Next Generation 2020
The Outward Bound Trust is looking for 25 enthusiastic young people aged 15-18 to take part in it's flagship 19-day Skills for Life Award during July and August next year at our Loch Eil centre, near Fort William. Once again, we are delighted that at least one of the 25 places will go to a young person nominated through an awards Network member.
|
|
|
|
Are you a teacher or youth worker? Do you know a young person who could benefit from an Outward Bound experience they wouldn't, without financial support, have access to?
Nominees must be aged 15-18 years old. They should also have the stamina and resilience to complete a challenging multi-adventure course, which involves three multi-day expeditions in the Highlands. Nominate a young person to take part
|
|
|
|
National Youth Worker of the Year Awards
Nominations are now open for these prestigious Youth Link Scotland Awards, with the winners announced at a glittering Awards Dinner to be held in Glasgow on Thursday 13 March 2020.
The National Youth Work Awards celebrate youth work and the youth workers who make a difference every year in the lives of young people. They are aimed at individual youth workers, managers, projects or groups for work that is delivered in youth work settings or in other settings using a youth work approach. There are 13 Award categories, recognising universal, targeted and specialist youth work provision. Additionally the Lifetime Achievement award is in the gift of the Board of YouthLink Scotland.
Nomination form
Nomination form for young people
Guidance and criteria
Deadline for nominations: 5pm on 25 November 2019
|
|
|
|
Help design the National Youth Work Awards!
YouthLink Scotland is looking for enthusiastic young people to join the planning team for the National Youth Work Awards 2020. If you know a young person that would love to join the team, then let them know about this fun opportunity!
Young people will meet between three and six times prior to the Awards Dinner in March through a mixture of in-person meetings and online meetings. They will make recommendations and be involved in key decisions when it comes to the awards, from the evening entertainment to the food being served, as well as helping to choose the award winners. Young people will also have the opportunity to gain experience in areas they're interested in, for example, social media, organisational skills or communication.
The Co-design group will also be invited to the awards ceremony and so will be able to see all of their hard work play out on the night!
Know someone aged 16-26 that would be interested? Download the application form and return by 25 October 2019.
Check out the blog from last year’s Co-design group here.
|
|
|
Young Scot Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2020 Young Scot Awards. Since their inception in 2006, these awards have celebrated the inspirational contributions and achievements of thousands of young Scots who have made a real difference to communities across Scotland. Nominations are invited under 13 award categories:
Read more
Closing date: 23 February 2020
|
|
|
|
National Youth Work Week
4 to 10 November 2019
The theme for this year will be Youth Work in Action. More details can be found on the National Youth Agency's website.
|
|
|
Members Meetings
2019 Meeting Dates:
3 December 2019 – hosted by SQA at The Optima, Glasgow
2020 Meeting Dates (provisional):
23 April; 1 September; 1 December
|
|
|
|
Help us spread the good news about youth awards. Please share this Newsletter with colleagues and friends and encourage them to subscribe.
|
|
|
Share your stories, views, successes...
|
|
|
|
Contributions are welcome for the next Awards Network Newsletter by Monday 28 October to contact@awardsnetwork.org.
|
|
|
|
