Youth Engagement Training (YET)

Ages: 18+

Youth Engagement Training (YET)

Working with a whole class of young people is a very special experience and needs careful preparation. Even if you are a parent or a recent graduate, you will deliver a much more impactful workshop if you have been trained to do so.

Our sessions cover the vitally important legal framework, such as the appropriate DBS checks and safeguarding protocols. We will talk every stage of the process from how to catch their attention at the start and to keep it til the end. You will learn how to chunk lessons and how to create effective activities, how to check understanding and how to read the room to anticipate fatigue and control excitement.

You will practise with your peers and re-engage with your younger self to both give and receive feedback. Sessions cover the additional access requirements of an SEN class, primary workshops and trips for those partnering on our Young City Makers programmes and advice for those presenting at Careers Fairs or even Assemblies. Our mentoring training sessions offer specialised support to those who will be receiving young people into their own workplace and the provision of careers advice.

  • Primary Schools

  • Secondary Schools

  • SEN Schools

  • Mentoring

  • “At first I thought an architect just drew the house, but I didn’t know they had to think about everything: the materials, the shape, the space, where everything would go and even the colour.”

    Callum, Year 6 student

  • “Every primary school kid should have a week or a couple of weeks being exposed to Open City programmes"

    Tom, School Governor

  • "I have had several of my pupils tell me they now want to be architects, so I'd say it's had a pretty huge impact! It has also shown them that maths and art have practical applications"

    Christopher, Teacher

  • "I would definitely recommend this project to other schools. We got to see actual buildings and real models and it sparked my lots of ideas for our own creations"

    Salima, Year 5 student

  • “The students, as always, thoroughly enjoyed both the site visits and the workshops. It broadened their understanding of their built environment and the world of potential work. The curriculum links for us were strongest in Design & Technology and Art although there were also good links made with Geography and History, particularly in our local area.”

    Finbarr, Teacher

  • “On a personal level, the programme has helped me to develop confidence and soft skills, like building rapport with the children and altering my communication style to suit their understanding. On a professional level, it's always beneficial to view architecture through the lens of someone who isn't in the industry, like a child. Their curiosity and inquisitiveness definitely made me think about how I answer questions or explain concepts.”

    Michaela, Architect

  • “I think sometimes, kids of this age think that talking about cities is for someone else, that it's very much a grown up thing. But of course, it's not because they're as active in the city, if not more active than adults. So their ideas about what's needed and what may be needed for them is really interesting."

    Tom, School Governor