CASE STUDY
Natural Leaders’ is a two-year action research project being piloted in three areas of multiple deprivation in Scotland. Its purpose is to develop a youth-led approach to Learning for Sustainability for young people identified as being at risk of disengaging from education.
The programme is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Gannochy Trust and the David Doig Foundation and was designed by the Scottish Attainment Challenge national programme team at YouthLink Scotland to help address clearly defined needs within the education system:
The programme is a collaboration between YouthLink Scotland, local authority youth work teams in North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross and West Lothian, RSPB, the John Muir Trust, and local natural heritage partners in each setting. Participating young people build relationships with youth workers who then work with local natural heritage partners to offer a range of hands-on learning experiences. Then young people create and implement their own plan of action to protect natural heritage in their chosen local greenspace.
In designing the programme, YouthLink Scotland set out to connect partners with very different sets of expertise. Youth workers are particularly skilled in engaging and supporting the hardest to reach young people – those most severely affected by poverty and wider inequalities. Natural heritage organisations bring a wealth of local knowledge and expertise about wildlife, biodiversity and the environment. The Natural Leaders programme brings these two very different sets of expertise together to create unique learning experiences for young people who are struggling to engage in the school classroom.
Evidence of impact gathered over the first year of the programme is very promising. Young people notice that they are growing in confidence to participate in new experiences, communicate more effectively with one another - and with adults - and plan and organise activities. They are showing determination to be resilient, achieve goals and influence change. Most of the young people completed awards - John Muir Awards (Discovery Level), Hi5 Awards (level 2) and Youth Achievement Awards. Feedback from schools affirms that the programme has had a positive impact on young people’s confidence, communication, relationships and learning engagement:
[1] Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education (www.gov.scot)
[2] Children suffering due to lack of outdoor play, UK charities warn | Children | The Guardian
“The pupils involved have been able to have the confidence to improve the way in which they communicate with both adults and peers.”
“Pupils have shown an increased level of engagement with the activities themselves and with other aspects of school life.”
Pupil
“The pupils involved have been able to have the confidence to improve the way in which they communicate with both adults and peers.”
School Teacher
“Pupils have shown an increased level of engagement with the activities themselves and with other aspects of school life.”
Youth Worker
Growing Natural Leaders: a Learning for Sustainability Youth-led Partnership
Youth workers tell us the programme is a positive catalyst for building relationships between youth work and schools (and in some cases with parents). And that it serves as an effective transition programme in education, supporting young people who need enhanced support as they take the step from primary to secondary school.
Our Natural Heritage partner RSPB has introduced youth work teams to the concept of ‘connections to nature’. What is clear is that this programme is helping young people make a number of other important connections – to their communities, to trusted peers and trusted adults who will continue to support them as individuals and learners. It’s also helping to enable productive collaboration between school and youth work and other community stakeholders.
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