Five Things I’ve Learnt from the York & North Yorkshire Youth Commission

Hi, my name is Tyler.

I’ve been a part of the York and North Yorkshire Youth Commission for the past 6 years, as both a member and staff. Here are 5 things I’ve learnt along the way:

 

1. How to express my own opinions and views

When I first started volunteering with the Youth Commission, I was 16. During this time, as all teenagers experience, I was trying to understand my own personal values and have a good understanding of the world around me. The Youth Commission gave me a safe space to access factual information and have open discussions with a variety of people from different walks of life. This helped me form my own views and feelings towards a diverse variety of different topics and issues that impact young people and society.

 

2. Importance of youth voice

Young people have such different perspectives, they’re at the period of life where you gain more awareness of the world around you, but remain optimistic for change. As you get older, it gets easier to dismiss young people’s feelings due to our adult perspective of the world, but that highlights even more why young people should have a voice.

It is always refreshing when every workshop I step into with young people, they mention something I’ve never considered or come up with an idea that’s completely original. That perspective should always be valued and considered when making significant changes that impact young people and society.

 

3. Public speaking is always scary

You would think after presenting at multiple conferences to professionals and countless workshops with young people that public speaking wouldn’t bother me anymore – wrong! Presenting at the conferences is nerve-wracking and involves lots of heart palpitations and deep breaths before I can start talking.

However, I’ve learnt that anxiety and fear, especially in situations like this, can be positive things. Now I see the anxiety I feel before presenting as a clear sign that I’m talking about something I’m wholeheartedly passionate about and care about.

I want people listening to understand and to feel as determined as I am to make a change for young people.

These conferences often reinforced the importance of pushing myself out of my comfort zone to achieve positive outcomes and facilitate personal growth. Overall, advocating for young people and the importance of listening to their voices.

 

4. Importance of collaboration

The Youth Commission wouldn’t exist without the young people contributing their ideas and opinions. Our collaboration with the many different organisations, charities, authorities, schools, youth groups and alternative provisions has facilitated change across York and North Yorkshire.

Utilising different disciplines and individualised strengths is key to working cohesively and achieving positive outcomes. This approach to working is something I will always prioritise in my future career.

This experience has highlighted the importance of giving people a voice and ensuring they feel heard within their environment to ensure they always feel respected and valued.

 

5. The importance of adaptability and self-reflection

Throughout my job, I have continued to learn about the issues that impact young people to be able to provide engaging and insightful workshops. However, running these workshops with young people has clearly demonstrated that things don’t always go to plan – and that’s ok. Rather than being discouraged, I’ve learnt to use feeling uncomfortable and sometimes feeling out of my depth as a drive to build my confidence.

Over the past 6 years, I’ve worked with a variety of young people with individualised needs, who require a variety of different approaches to intervention and support. The skills I’ve learnt to accommodate young people are ones I will take with me throughout my career to provide the best support possible for those I’m working with.

This drive to improve, alongside learning the importance of self-reflection, has helped me learn how to deliver adaptable and accessible workshops that I believe make a long-lasting impact on young people across the county.