This is for a professional who is seeking a varied and rewarding position where being highly organised, professional, good at maintaining external relationship and confident event delivery are vital to its success.

If you enjoy providing exceptional customer service to partners, want to grow in the space of partnership management and working with corporate companies, whilst having the opportunity to contribute to wider social impact for young people this could be the right post for you!

Visit Charity Job to find out more and apply by 10 December 2023 at 23:30.

The post Now hiring: Partnerships Coordinator appeared first on Young Citizens.

Down the road, in another school, young carers are busy recording a video message about the causes and effects of homelessness in the local area. It will be played on screens around the school to remind pupils to donate to a festive clothing collection. 

Every December, scenes like this play out in thousands of schools around the country. Whether it’s a fill-a-shoe-box campaign, carol singing to raise money for a favourite charity, organising a reverse advent calendar for food bank donations or a ‘wear a Christmas jumper for charity’ day, most pupils will be involved in some kind of activity to help those in need and spread ‘Christmas cheer’ this term. 

However, far fewer will be given the opportunity to really reflect on why their support is needed. This is a key missed opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation with pupils about social injustice, inequality and other social issues happening around them.

‘Tis a season for social action 

Of course, if you’re using Young Citizens’ Make a Difference Challenge or Bring About Change social action frameworks then you’ll already be doing this. 

In these programmes we advocate allocating around only 20% of the total time taken to carry out a social action project to the ‘doing’ part  – with a large chunk of time spent developing empathy and understanding for the issue or cause before any discussion about what activity pupils might want to develop.  

In this way pupils really get to grips with what the problem is, why it exists in the first place, and the different effects the problem can have, all of which is learning crucial to creating a new generation of change-makers.  

Life skills 

Festive giving campaigns are also a good opportunity to develop those personal and social skills such as planning, communication and teamwork – allowing pupils to design rather than simply front an activity is a great chance for them to develop personally in ways that can surprise both them and you.  

Whether it’s calling the manager of the local supermarket and practising their skills in negotiation and persuasion to get them to donate double the number of mince pies than they originally promised, or using their budgeting skills to work out how best to spend money donated to support the maximum number of homeless people, using every opportunity for multiple learning points is a great way of making your festive giving more meaningful. 

Make it meaningful

If you’re not delivering any of our social action programmes (and why not?!) then here are our five top tips for ensuring you make your giving more meaningful this festive season:

1. If you’re collecting for charity, ensure the pupils know which charity, what it does, and most importantly why its work is needed in the community. 
2. Don’t immediately opt for the usual or most obvious activity because it’s easy. Why not have a discussion with the pupils about what they’ve seen in their community that needs support right now?  
3. Make it youth-led. Involve pupils in more than standing behind a stall that’s been organised by adults. Let them design the activity, collect together the resources needed, manage the publicity – developing important personal and social skills as well as their self-confidence.  
4. Make their charitable giving more than a transaction. Can the pupils be involved in handing over the donations/money to the chosen charity so they can see first hand the difference they are making?  
5. And remember, charitable giving doesn’t always have to be about money. Getting children to make a card or draw a picture including a personal message can be more impactful for someone staying in hospital over Christmas than simply giving them a pair of socks and a bar of scented soap. 

Social action is for life, not just for Christmas… 

This festive season and beyond, we can help you to run high-impact, youth-led social action projects in schools and youth organisations. 

Explore our social action project resources and teacher training opportunities.

The post Make your school’s festive giving more meaningful appeared first on Young Citizens.

Invite your students to complete our survey with a chance to win a voucher!

About the research project

Young Citizens has just launched its Youth Consultation: a research project aimed at understanding how we can inspire young people to become engaged citizens.

By listening to your students, we aim to bring their voices to the table, communicating their ideas to our donors and key sector leaders, and helping to make a real difference.

We are looking for young people between 14-18 years old to answer 12 questions. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Four lucky students will be selected to receive a £20 gift voucher of their choosing. Students will be selected at random from the completed survey pool.

How to share the survey with your students

a) Send an email to your students using this template

b) Print this A4 poster to display in your building, containing a QR code

c) Copy and share this link: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/voiceheard2023

Thank you for taking part!

Where next?

• Discover our immersive programmes
• Download our free teaching resources
• Find out more about our mission and vision for society

The post Prize draw survey: we want to hear from students aged 14-18! appeared first on Young Citizens.

If you want a varied and rewarding position and have the opportunity to contribute to wider social impact for a small yet national charity, this could be the right post for you!

Our Administrators are essential members of the team who play a vital role in helping to support a range of programmes, resources and events. You will be the first point of contact for the teachers and volunteers who we work with and supporting our coordinators and managers to work in the most efficient way.

Find out more and apply before 9th October 2023 via CharityJob.

Role snapshot

• Provide frontline support by telephone and email;
• ensuring queries are handled efficiently
• Take ownership of general office duties, including meet and greet visitors, keeping the office organised, tidy and accessible
• Collect, organise and feedback relevant surveys and information from customer interactions to improve our work at Young Citizens
• Communicate effectively with schools, volunteers and others by phone, email and in person, offering excellent customer service
• Administer new registrations and renewals ensuring that schools have access to resources, information and support
• Administer and coordinate a range of face-to-face and virtual events, ensuring they are able to run smoothly
• Support with the creation, design and distribution of resources and case studies

Who are we looking for?

We are looking to recruit someone who is keen to get stuck in from the start, can take on new challenges, happy to learn a breath of new skills and is confident in communicating both in person and remotely.

To be successful in this role you’ll need to enjoy logistics, be highly organised, able to communicate effectively internally, have strong attention to detail and be keen to make a difference to young people through your work.

Find out more and apply before 9th October 2023 via CharityJob.

The post [CLOSED] Now hiring: Charity Administrator appeared first on Young Citizens.

About the role

As our Interim Executive Director, you will play a pivotal role in steering Young Citizens’ operations and strategic direction. You’ll be at the helm of the organisation, ensuring effective governance, sound financial management, and consistent service delivery.

Your responsibility encompasses overseeing daily operations, guiding the senior leadership team, and enabling the Board to fulfil its governance duties.

Collaborating with the Finance and Operations department, you’ll monitor progress and alignment with our business plan and long-term objectives.

Your dynamic leadership will drive the organisation’s success, impacting our annual campaigns, funding diversification, and overall impact.

About you

Our ideal Interim Executive Director is an experienced senior executive with a strong track record in not-for-profit or similar settings. You possess a deep understanding of operational strategy and business models in a scaled, national delivery environment.

Your proven experience in overseeing national education interventions gives you the insight needed to navigate challenges and seize opportunities.

You’re comfortable leading a high-capacity team, managing budgets, and making data-driven decisions.

How to apply

Visit the Peridot recruitment page for more information on how to apply before 9am on Wednesday 27th September 2023.

The post [CLOSED] Young Citizens is looking for an Interim Executive Director appeared first on Young Citizens.

Congratulations to Barrow Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, who have won our annual Social Action Visual Presentation competition 2023.

Every year, we invite schools our social action programmes to submit a video documenting their projects.

This time around, it was the “Courageaous Advocates” from Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk who took the crown with a film about their climate-focussed project.

The group has been meeting regularly to see how they can help the environment, both inside and outside of school. Watch the full video above.

More video submissions from previous years are available to watch on our Make a Difference Challenge Case Studies page.

Interested in running a social action project?

• Primary schools – explore the Make a Difference Challenge
• Secondary schools – explore Bring About Change

The post Barrow CEVC Primary School wins Social Action Video Competition 2023 appeared first on Young Citizens.

Gaining early support from Sir Brian Leveson, the programme has brought 300 students face to face with working courts in the West Country to improve understanding, confidence, and trust in the criminal justice system. 

Legal learning

During the visits, students took part in a Q&A with a member of the judiciary and were able to observe live cases taking place. Many even got to explore the courtroom and sit in the dock when trials were not in session. 

As well as exploring the negative consequences of crime, young learners were able to discover career opportunities within the criminal justice system – from police and parole officers to barristers and judges. 

Teachers were also able to access a free pack of resources to deliver legal literacy lessons in their classrooms, which is believed to have reached as many as 2400 students across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 

Positive feedback

One student said: “Being able to hear from legal professionals like barristers and judges was really useful to gain knowledge about how the system operates, along with being able to actively witness court cases.” 

A teacher commented: “The students really enjoyed it and were really excited by the experience. They took a lot from it, learning about court processes and the criminal justice system in general. I think it was eye opening in terms of career pathways.” 

Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, said: “This ground-breaking scheme has been so enlightening for students and teachers in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

“With this unique insight into the role police, lawyers and judges play in our community, I hope the young participants will become advocates for our justice system, with many considering careers the sector.

“I also look forward to exploring how we can continue to work closely with schools to further embed legal learning opportunities.” 

The Court in Action pilot project has now come to an end, but you can find out more about Young Citizens’ legal education work here. 

If your organisation is interested in running a similar programme, please get in touch with our Director of Programmes and Learning, Yvonne Richards: yvonne.richards@youngcitizens.org.

The post Hundreds of West Country students visit courts for a lesson about the law appeared first on Young Citizens.

The study aims to identify the gaps and support needed to keep them engaged with their communities as they transition to adulthood.

Social action

At Young Citizens, we believe every year 6 pupil should have the opportunity to be involved in a social action project before they leave primary school.

Research by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue shows that the younger a child begins their civic journey, the more likely they are to develop a habit of service and continue to contribute to their community as they grow up.

An external evaluation of our youth social-action programmes by The Behavioural Insights Team showed that many of the skills and qualities required for a successful transition (time management, critical thinking, the ability to talk to adults and peers) can be developed by taking part in community projects.

About the project

Young Citizens’ Primary Transitions project (taking place from May to September 2023) will investigate how participating in social action in Year 6 can support pupils’ civic learning, as well as develop wider skills and confidence for a positive transition to secondary school.

We will be following the progress of three primary schools taking part in the Leave a Legacy project, which encourages pupils to make a positive change to their school or community as a parting gift before they move on.

Based in Nottingham, Essex and Hertfordshire, the schools are part of a cohort of more than twenty using the Make a Difference Challenge framework this term to support projects with Year 6 children. Project themes may include biodiversity, sustainability, well-being and community connectedness.

Secondary schools will also be asked to contribute to the research by providing information about how they log new year 7 pupils’ civic learning prior to joining the school, and how that learning is continued through year 7 and beyond.

The project will result in a ‘toolkit’ of suggestions for schools to use to improve the continuity of children’s civic journeys at this important moment of transition.

How to get involved

If you’re a year 7 educator, such as a year 7 tutor, Head of Year, Head of Lower School/KS3 or Head Teacher interested in feeding into our research please complete this survey.

For more information about the Primary Transitions project or about our Leave a Legacy Campaign for year 6 pupils contact stella.baynes@youngcitizens.org.

The post Young Citizens awarded funding for civic journeys research appeared first on Young Citizens.

Let’s celebrate! 

At the end of another exceptional year of the Mock Trial Competitions, we gathered for an online celebration event to recognise the accomplishments of participating students across our three programs: the Bar, Magistrates‘ Court, and Independent Mock Trial Competitions. 

Hosted by the remarkable Georgia Cooper (a Mock Trials alumna now conducting a pupillage at Exchange Chambers), the webinar delved into the profound impact that advocacy skills can have in driving social change. 

Alongside inspiring guest speakers, the event featured an interactive legal quiz, a captivating highlights reel showcasing contributions from schools and volunteers, and the highly anticipated announcement of the Court Artist and Court Reporter Competition winners. 

Speak out, speak up 

We wanted to bring together passionate individuals who understand the transformative potential of the law in effecting positive change. 

Distinguished legal professionals Reagan Persaud, Sophie Stevens, and Caitlin Jenkins, were invited to share their expertise, personal narratives, and advocacy efforts to inspire our young participants to use their newfound legal literacy skills for a fairer world. 

Sophie, Pupil Barrister at 9BR Chambers, delivered a passionate address on the importance of destigmatising neurodiversity within the legal profession. Caitlin enlightened us about her groundbreaking work with Swansea University’s Miscarriages of Justice Project. And finally, Reagan (who is the first black and trans barrister in the UK) shed light on the historical progression of LGBT+ rights through the lens of the UK justice system. 

Each of these speakers’ stories exemplifies how the advocacy skills developed by Mock Trial participants can be harnessed to bring about access to justice. 

We now eagerly anticipate the adventures that lie ahead in 2024 when we will celebrate more achievements, growth and collective dedication to using the law as a catalyst for positive social change. 

Join the Mock Trial Competition 2024 

If you’d like your school to take advantage of this enrichment opportunity, head to our web page and apply now. 

Legal professionals! We’re always looking for volunteers to help us inspire young people across the UK. Get in touch and give your time. 

The post Watch: Mock trials students develop advocacy skills for a fairer society appeared first on Young Citizens.

The awards celebrate the most innovative and engaging teaching resource publishers in the UK. 

Reboot the Future said “we have the privilege of collaborating with passionate organisations looking to provide teachers with the best, most engaging resources for their classrooms. 

“We think that high-quality resources and the wonderful people that make them deserve recognition. The Top Publishers Award goes to the five organisations who have been producing the most consistent, high quality, and cutting-edge resources which have been featured on Global Dimension in 2023.”

Sparking active citizenship 

Our education team has been working incredibly hard to create resources covering essential topics such as social action, digital citizenship, economics, health and wellbeing, democracy, relationships, sustainability and law. 

Over 500,000 children and young people benefit from these resources every year, gaining key knowledge and life skills whilst discovering how they can become active citizens in their communities and wider society. 

Education Manager, Naomi Kennedy, said:  “On behalf of everyone at Young Citizens, we would like to thank Reboot the Future for this award.  We hope our resources have provided a unique access point to active citizenship for teachers, children and young people alike.

“With each resource, we want to help pupils and students explore society’s biggest topics and consider what they can do to make a difference. In an increasingly divided society, with a constantly shifting media landscape, these discussions are a vital part of every young learner’s education journey.”

Discover our resources 

It is free for schools and other organisations to sign up and download our resources. Access the library here. 

The post Young Citizens wins Global Dimension Award for its teaching resources appeared first on Young Citizens.