Challenging Conversations: supporting young people in engaging with controversial equity and sustainability issues
In today’s complex and uncertain world, young people are constantly faced with making decisions about a wide range of controversial issues that provoke strong, varied and often contradictory responses.
On 01 October, we, and our partners at YouthLink Scotland, welcomed participants from across Scotland and guest speakers from YouthLink and ScotDEC to discuss and consider how youth workers can confidently create opportunities for young people to:
- play their part in taking action to create an equitable and sustainable future in their own lives and communities;
- engage appropriately and confidently with these complex issues;
- share perspectives and have difficult conversations;
- critically engage with the many sources of information that inform thinking and ideas about controversial issues.
Participants were invited to:
- Discuss ways of supporting youth workers in working with young people on controversial issues related to equity and sustainability
- Share practice examples
- Share LfS and youth work resources
- Engage and discuss how this topic connects with the aspirations of the national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan and National Youthwork outcomes.
Click here on the following hyperlinks to view recordings, materials and resources from the session:
- Introduction and overview of Learning for Sustainability from LfS Scotland
- ‘Scene-setting’ information from YouthLink Scotland.
- ‘Exploring Controversial Issues with Young People’ – ScotDEC
- ‘Creating safe and brave spaces for discussion’ – YouthLink Scotland
- Group discussion summary
- Resources and further information
- View all of the slides from the session.
We would like to warmly thank our guests, Charlotte Dwyer from ScotDEC, and Sarah Robinson-Galloway from YouthLink Scotland, for their input to a very interesting and useful event.