Awards Network Annual Event

The Awards Network, hosted by Youth Scotland, exists to support youth awards providers working together to recognise the amazing things that young people learn, do and achieve across Scotland. Awards providers continue to develop and advance their development of youth awards and can provide local and national evidence of the reach and value of youth engagement in non-formal learning.

The morning session sparked interesting discussions around consolidating changes in education reforms, consider how awards providers shape and support them and identify what is needed to adapt to prepare for future reforms.

Mike Strang, CE of Youth Scotland, host of the Awards Network, delivered the welcoming address. Derek Hawthorne from Skills Development Scotland delivered a presentation and Q&A on the Learner Profile and Digital Badges, raising the importance of young people having access to their achievements.

Morning sessions were followed by a marketplace of awards providers including Youth Scotland’s own youth awards. The afternoon was centred around allowing stakeholders and educational partners in schools and youth work settings to explore the opportunities available through youth awards.

The Plenary and Keynote session had inputs from Tila McDonald from the Awards Network, who presented the Awards Network Annual data and introduced the afternoon session speakers.

A team from Education Scotland followed, presenting on the Youth Voice Toolkit developed by the CLD team at Education Scotland, an amazing resource that promotes agency over learning in youth awards and other learning context. A resource that shows the importance of meaningful participation.

The toolkit highlights the importance of including young people in decision making as collaborators, not just consultants.

Helena Good from Daydream Believers offered the room an overview of the Creative Innovation programme, an SCQF level 5 & 6 qualification that empowers learners to turn bold ideas into solutions. Blending creativity with business thinking, it helps students explore, innovate, spot opportunities and design ideas with impact.

Leith Watson from Education Scotland highlighted the important role youth awards have within inter-disciplinary learning, and how more flexible frameworks help blend subject boundaries and empower students to be more than learners, to become active participants.

Professor Ken Muir was invited to deliver a Keynote Address: Education and Qualification Reform – is it time to make way for youth awards? Professor Kenneth Muir CBE is a highly respected Scottish educator who was appointed by the Scottish Government to lead an independent review in responded to the OECDE’s report on the Curriculum of Excellence (CfE). Kenneth advocated for youth awards to keep working towards a change of mindset, supporting a system that puts learners at the centre.

Find out more about the Awards Network