Voices for Impact Training

What is Voices for Impact (VfI)?

The VfI platform empowers young people to share their views on important themes which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The platform is structured around six SDGs to include:

• Goal 3: Good Health and Well Being
• Goal 4: Quality Education (linked with Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, referred to as Learning, Skills, and Work)
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (referred to as Digital)
• Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities (referred to as Fairer Society)
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production (referred to as Planet)
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (referred to as Safer Society)

Voices for Impact is a project across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Wales that focuses on effectively capturing and amplifying young people’s voices, ensuring their insights shape the policies that affect them.

By doing this, the project strives to advocate for increased investment in youth services, ensuring that young people’s voices are not just heard but are central to decision-making. This approach underscores young people’s proactive role as active and influential members of society.

VfI Learning Outcomes

The training content will cover all necessary detail needed to equip trainees to successfully engage young people in the Voices for Impact platform. Training content will cover the following learning outcomes:

• Learning outcome 1: Enhanced knowledge and understanding of the SDGs.
• Learning outcome 2: Efficacy in navigating the platform and confidence in assisting children and young people to do the same, equipping them to share their views.
• Learning outcome 3: Solid understanding and ability to use, explore and analyse the data collected, for example efficacy and confidence in understanding patterns emerging, filtering by key demographics (age, gender, jurisdiction etc.) and mechanisms for using such data for inviting creative conversations with children and young people.
• Learning outcome 4: Efficacy in presenting data and disseminating key findings clearly in order to support evidence-based practice and advocacy. For example, to facilitate competent dissemination to a range of stakeholders, including community workers/ leaders, youth leaders, educators and policy/decision makers.

When is the training?

The face-to-face session will take place on Thursday 7th May from 1pm – 5pm. This session will take place at The Barracks, Stirling, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ.

The online session will be held on Thursday 14th May from 6pm- 8.30pm.