We are passionate about measuring and monitoring the impact of our work with young people. We engage with research to demonstrate impact.
Key Stage 2, 3 and 4
In 2017 the University of Gloucestershire, UK, published the findings of a year-long research study entitled: The Impact of the Archbishop of York Youth Trust Young Leaders Award (YLA). The key findings were that the YLA: (i) makes a valuable contribution to the personal, social and educational development of children and young people, and (ii) helps engage young people with their communities and that they act as a valuable support mechanism for wider curriculum delivery.
Key Stage 1
In collaboration with Dr Alison Body, Centre for Philanthropy, University of Kent, UK, the Youth Trust are in the process of developing a year-long research study to explore the effectiveness of their recently launched KS1 YLA. Key variables to be assessed are the development of character attributes and leadership skills, such as, kindness, perseverance and teamwork, and the impact of participating in social action projects to create the ‘habit’ of helping others. Professor Andrew Peterson from the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham, UK, is an expert advisor on this project.
Staff Engagement in ResearchCommunity Matters: Helping Young People Lead With Character in a Post-Covid World is an series of reflections from experts in the education sector, focussing on the increasing need for the prioritisation of character education. Our authors reflect on the need for educating the whole child and provide a fresh way of thinking about character education in a post-Covid world.
Elizabeth Howat, the Director of the Young Leaders Award, for the Youth Trust published a Grove Booklet, entitled, Igniting Potential: Developing Character and Leadership Through Social Action (2019). This publication includes discussion and analysis of the merits of social action by young people, human flourishing and the development of leadership skills and character virtues. It draws on a number of case studies from the work of the Youth Trust.
Dr Nick J. Watson, Chief Operating Officer at the Youth Trust, has published research with a social justice focus that examines topics such as, character development and moral reasoning in physical education and sport, intellectual disability, chaplaincy, fatherlessness and mentoring vulnerable children. A recent example of his work, is a co-edited book entitled, Sport, Physical Education and Social Justice: Religious, Sociological, Psychological and Capability Perspectives, Preface, Centre for Social Justice (2021, Routledge), which examines faith and non-faith based understandings of social justice.
Involvement in Research Projects
The YLA has been included in a number of academic research studies, as participants and co-collaborators, which have examined character and leadership development, methods to encourage the ‘habit’ of social action in young people and childrens’ attitudes to charities and philanthropy. Recent examples include:
Leadership of Character Education: Developing Virtues and Celebrating Human Flourishing in Schools (2017), by The Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership
Click here: https://www.cefel.org.uk/character/
Our Charitable Children: Engaging Children in Charities and Charitable Giving (2019), by Dr Alison Body et al., Centre for Philanthropy, University of Kent, UK Click here: https://research.kent.ac.uk/
Faith in the Nexus: Christmas 2018 Briefing Paper, by Dr Ann Casson and Dr Robert A. Bowie, National Institute for Christian Education Research, Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
Click here: https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/
Nurturing the Heart, Mind and Soul: The Spiritual Context of Education (2016), by Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, in Schools for Human Flourishing, National Society Church of England Click here: https://www.woodard.co.uk/Schools-for-Human-Flourishing.pdf
National Younger Leadership Groups
Since 2020, the Young Leaders Award Team have partnered with the Church of England Education to run the National Younger Leadership Groups.
“I hope that more young people can get involved next year... I have found it great fun and helpful. Thank you - it has meant a lot to have an opportunity for my voice to be heard.”
Pupil from the 2020-2021 cohort of the National Younger Leadership Groups
