YSI for Educators

YSI for Educators
Combined Shape Created with Sketch.

The Role of the YSI Guide

YSI offers a unique experience for educators facilitating our programmes with young people. 

As a YSI Guide, you will lead the following aspects of learning:

Facilitating youth led learning
You facilitate youth led learning - this is learning by doing and is critically important to the YSI model. The educator allows the team of young people to explore the social issues which they care about. As a team they will decide which to work on, the decision is theirs.

Recognising talents, views and expertise
The social innovation process recognises and uses the talents of all team members. Your role as a Guide is to help them reflect upon and identify the talents and skills of all its members.

Emphasising Participation and Inclusion
All YSI projects are completed by teams. As a Guide, you ensure that everybody is included in the processes and decision-making of the YSI project.

Supporting all abilities to shine
Social innovation suits all abilities. Our model works well for young people with varying academic abilities. The Guide encourages all team members to shine.

Blending the learning
We encourage you to use a blend of learning methods and tools including digital. Take account of the different learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. Digital can range from video, photography, online surveying, film, social media, internet research and so on. 

Facilitating different perspectives
Social innovation learning emphasies that students take account of other people's views and diverse thinking. This is done through debate and reflection and can often challenge the students' own beliefs and views. You, as the Guide, ensure that different perspectives are heard, considered and respected.

Creating a learning space
Your role as a Guide is to ensure that the physical learning space is conducive to creative thinking and team work. See beyone the actual physcial space you usually have!

Making it safe
Social innovation learning is underpinned by values of social justice, sustainable development, fairness and inclusion, and equality and respect. A Guide supports students to explore sometimes sensitive and controversial issues in a safe, responsible and respectful way. 

Throughout your YSI participation you will be supported by dedicated members of our Learning and Practice Team and will be equipped with the tools and resources needed to facilitate young people through their social innovation journey.