The pandemic has had a devastating impact on young people with many feeling deeply anxious and fearful about their future. But a new programme from Springboard Opps hopes to harness young people as agents of change.
NextGen is a youth-led programme, called for by young people in Springboard wishing to support other young people.
“It is a call to action by young people to energise, lead change and have a positive impact on their world,” said Angila Chada, director of Springboard Opps.
The Community Relations Council supports Springboard Opps through its Core Funding Scheme.
Young people to amplify their power
“Young people have felt a deep loss of control over their daily activities and future, worsened by unrelenting uncertainty,” said Angila. “With hopes of society slowly coming back to ‘normal,’ NextGen provides a timely opportunity and possibility for young people to amplify their #YouthPower.”
It’s important to help reinvigorate and mobilise young people, as well as giving them a unified voice heard on issues that matter to them – which is where NextGen comes in.
NextGen is a cross community programme to support leadership skills for young people through an Advisory Group. The programme, funded by the Reconciliation Fund, will support young people as leaders to co-create with their peers and not only advocate on issues that are important to them, but to shape and advise on Springboard’s current and future provision.
Hybrid model
Using a hybrid model of engagement – face-to-face and digital – the 12-strong Advisory Group drawn from across communities, will engage and work with over 40 of their peers to explore, challenge, reflect on issues and call for agreed positive change.
“At an individual level, young people will increase personal, social, cultural and leadership capabilities. They will also increase valuable skills for their future development,” explained Angila. “As a collective they will have increased understanding of each other, and of the challenges and possibilities they share.”
Agents of change
It is intended that NextGen will enrich Springboard Opps’ work with young people, ensuring the organisation remains responsive to need.
None of this is in isolation. NextGen will also proactively engage with other Springboard programmes, such as HeadStart, an employability programme for 16-23-year-olds who are interested in youthwork or customer care, Directions, Wall2Wall and Fusion+, good relations programmes in Belfast and JobWorks+ supporting unemployed young people through to employment, education, or training.
“Young people will become agents of change,” Angila said, “paving a way for their voice to advocate positive change, and contribute to the process of renewal and recovery from Covid-19.”
Further information
If you would like more information on any of Springboard programmes, contact them through Facebook or Twitter.