Episode 13 focuses on young people's experience of mainstream education and the power of belief and coaching in transforming lives. Doreen CEO of Elevated Minds provides young people with alternative strategies to improve wellbeing focusing on emotional development and leadership skills. In this episode, I speak to Doreen and 5 young people Sahara, Emmanuel, Alessandro, Reuben and Alfa about the Identity project, their experiences of stereotyping and racism in school and how they've been training the police around stop & search. 

Elevated Minds has courses for young people including the Identity Project, Leadership skills, as well as training for teachers and parents. For more information about Elevated Minds support services please find further details on the website  (https://www.elevatedmindscoaching.com/). 

Episode 12 focuses on young people's experiences of the criminal justice system and the power of lived experience, featuring Taylor Price a project lead at Youth Ink. Taylor is 21 years old and has experienced violence and spent time in prison but now uses his experiences to empower other young people in the criminal justice system. 

Youth-Ink is a London-based lived experience led charity led by people with experience of the criminal justice system. Youth Ink uses the power of peer networks to rehabilitate and to create safer communities for the future. They deliver frontline services by which young people seek support and have a voice in the justice system. 

For more information about Youth Ink support services please find further details on the website (https://www.youth-ink.org.uk/).

Support services:

Episode 11 focuses on the experiences of young women that are exploited; featuring Amanda Croskell senior practitioner at Abianda and Sienna who has experienced exploitation and wants to champion the voices of young women. 

Abianda is a London-based social enterprise that works with young women affected by gangs and county lines. They deliver frontline services to gang-affected young women up to the ages of 25 years. 

*Trigger warning: this episode contains references to sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing. Please see below for dedicated support services.*

For more information about Abianda support services please find further details on the website (https://www.abianda.com/services)

Articles/podcasts referenced in this episode:

Support services:

Episode 10 continues to explore school exclusions from the perspective of young people with lived experience. This episode features Johnathan, Angel and Chantelle, 3 young campaigners from the Just For Kids Law steering group. The JfKL steering group consists of young people with lived experience of school exclusions that are aged 14- 24 years across London. They receive support and training to run their own campaign for a more inclusive education system for all. This steering group is co-ordinated by Michaela Rafferty the young people's development worker at JfKL, who also features on this episode.

*Trigger warning: this episode contains references to sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing. Please see below for dedicated support services.*

This episode covers:

To sign up to the JfKL steering group please find further details on the website (https://justforkidslaw.org/school-exclusions-hub/young-people-and-families/join-our-school-exclusions-campaign-steering-group) where you can call, whatsapp or email Michaela Rafferty.

Articles/series referenced in the episode:

Support services:

Episode 9 continues to explore school exclusions, looking at disproportionately and racism in the education system. This episode features Kitan Ososami a youth advocacy worker from BLAM (Black, Learning, Achievement & Mental Health), which aims to support the social inclusion of the Black British community by championing Black British culture and ensuring that education is more diverse. 

BLAM has a range of support services:

This episode covers:

BLAM's website with more details about services: https://blamuk.org/

Articles/TV series/podcasts referenced in the episode:

Organisations referenced in this episode:

This is part 2 of episode 4 exploring ways to prevent school exclusions. This episode features Ed Kirwan founder of Empathy Week a global annual education program that uses the power of film to inspire, engage and empower young people into empathetic action.

During Empathy Week, students watch 5 real-life cinematic stories; with empathy at the core, they will participate in active-discussions around social issues and then take on their own Empathy in Action project. This year’s theme is ‘Resilience and Diversity’. 

**Empathy Week resources are free to all state schools.**

This episode covers: (1) Empathic vs. punitive approaches in schools, (2) empathy as a skill that needs practice, (3) real-life stories from Empathy Week films, (4) Empathy In Action project and (5) Global Empathy Awards.

If you are an educator and would like to access these resources:

Support for young people at risk of exclusion:

This is episode 5, a bonus one-off episode released for LGBTQ+ history month this February 2021. This episode features Nalini, manager of the Resilient Me programme which supports young Muslims in faith-based and mainstream schools, with wellbeing and emotional resilience. 

This episode addresses: (1) Being queer in the Muslim community, (2) stigma against LGBTQ+ content in school curriculum's, (3) wellbeing of LGBTQ young people of faith, (4) sexuality & your relationship with God, (5) how faith-based communities can better support young people and (6) Islamaphobia & Muslim pride. 

Articles/books/podcasts featured in the episode:

Support for LGBTQ+ people and faith-based groups:

This is part 1 of episode 4 exploring ways to prevent school exclusions. This episode features Martin Richards an educational coach and founder of C4E 'Coaching for Educators'  a non-profit organisation that offers free coaching sessions for educators. Coaches from all around the world volunteer coaching hours for teachers who need support.

Martin has worked on assignment for The Swedish National Agency for Education and has many years of experience as both a teacher and a coach. He's also previously worked with young people that have been excluded from school. This episode covers (1) what coaching is, (2) addressing power imbalances within schools, (3) understanding the unmet needs behind challenging behaviour, (4) how teachers can learn to not become triggered, (5) coaching as a trauma-informed approach and (6) listening from the heart. 

If you are an educator and would like to access free coaching:

Articles/books/podcasts featured in the episode:

Martin Richard's books:

This is part 3 of episode 3, exploring how drill music has been criminalised and used as evidence in court to prosecute young people. This has disproportionately affected young black males. This episode features Natasha service manager for the Disrupting Exploitation programme in London and Jeffrey youth worker on the Stride project at TCS. The content includes an exploration into the history of drill, why young people are interested in the genre and a debate as to whether drill glamorises violence. We also discuss why drill has become associated with gang affiliation and if criminalising drill is a distraction from the larger social issues at play, including unemployment, housing and a lack of youth services. 

Articles/books/podcasts featured in the episode:

Charities that support young people experiencing racism:

This is part 2 of episode 3, exploring how racism impacts young people, featuring co-host Alexia Powell from the national Prevention programme at TCS. The content includes an exploration into racism in the criminal justice system, the adultification of BAME youth and debating whether we see children through the lens of innocence or social justice. Alexia and I, also discuss the issue of language, stop & search,  how to support young people experiencing racism and end with some positive role models from the BAME community. 

*adultification: Children in most societies are considered to be in a distinct group, with characteristics such as innocence. Adultification is when teachers, parents and law enforcement are less protective and more punitive with certain kids. The lens in which people view children can be affected by race. 

Articles/books/podcasts featured in the episode:

Artists featured in this episode:

Charities that support young people experiencing racism: