The aim of the project is get marginalized youth interacting with their communities through the power of Youth Social Action. We conduct 6 sessions with young people from a range of educational settings (Pupil Referral units, Alternative Provisions and SEND Schools) with ongoing sessions being used to facilitate the student-led project.

The focus of the project is to get typically marginalized youth to develop a creative solution to educate/inform/fundraise/spread awareness about an issue they are passionate about. Projects can be volunteering based, or can be something else such as a podcast to educate others about youth issues, creating a video, painting a mural or developing a toolkit to use in other school settings - to name a few. The students will be given a £1000 grant to make their idea a reality, with the focus being on empowering them to be the change they want to see in the world.

As the sessions will be (mostly) done in person within schools, I am looking for volunteers to help with these school sessions. I will arrange a fully enhanced DBS check at no cost to the volunteer to ensure they are allowed to work with young people and I will also require a couple of references prior to taking part.

In return, volunteers can gain experience working with young people with special needs, helping to empower them and facilitate their creativity, as well as helping them develop skills in communication, team work and project management. This is an opportunity for aspiring teachers, youth workers, social workers and psychologists to gain valuable experience helping to empower young people and learning more about the needs of this particular demographic.