In May 2013 I was given the opportunity to work with a group of young people who are currently out of work. The two day workshop was designed by me to help develop self-confidence and was run in the ‘Old Library’ in West Norwood. See this link for the press report http://norwoodcommunitygroup.co.uk/community/organisations-join-forces-to-deliver-workshop-for-young-neets-2/
I am very experienced working within the primary sector, both with young children and their teachers so this was a slightly different group. I must admit to being both excited and nervous about my new role. Well may I say now how fortunate I was to meet such a wonderful group of highly gifted and intelligent young people. Just like many of the young students I meet in primary schools they were smart, patient and had plenty of views about their situation. Their stories and how they felt about their accomplishments really made me wonder just what harm our education system could be doing to the self-esteem of young people. We should be valuing all of their achievements not just the academic.
I intend to write a more in-depth article on my blog about some of the issues involved with the problems our society has about valuing our youth. In the meantime may I take this opportunity to thank Jamal A Rahman and his team who do a fantastic job of supporting young people in West Norwood for giving me the opportunity to work with these young people. This experience has made me appreciate that we need to put in extra measures whilst educating our young to make sure that we are developing the whole child.
Here are some of their thoughts about developing their chances:
