Why Youth Empowerment Matters

The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child gives children and young people the right to express their views - it just isn’t happening. Research shows that young people are alienated from local communities, distant from broader society, and disconnected from decisions made for and about them.

200 million young people around the world aren’t even able to go to school.

We want to see a world where every young person is supported to figure out who they are and where they belong. A world where young people not only have a voice but a platform to speak out and be heard. A world where they realise their potential, and change things for the rest of us.

The Power of Creativity

When young people get creative they are helping to build positive foundations that will support them for the rest of their lives. Opportunities to be creative support good mental health and well-being, alongside improved mood, improved citizenship, better communication skills and stronger interpersonal relationships.

Creativity also promotes high self-esteem, which is linked to lifelong development and wellbeing. Yet as we enter adolescence, self-esteem declines for most children.

A 10-year study into the impact of arts programmes on young people found that, compared to students in a national sample, those involved were:

• 25% more likely to report feeling satisfied with themselves.

• Eight times more likely to receive a community service award.

• 31% more likely to plan to continue education after compulsory education.

For centuries we’ve been trying to understand our world and who we are through creativity, and for young people, this is a powerful tool for the rest of their lives.

In our book, I Believe I Can…, there is a particular entry of just a few words, published for the world to read. But what the reader doesn’t know is that the boy who wrote those few words had up until that moment never shared his opinion with his class, never written anything before. Those few words were a big step in realising his true potential.