The North Initiative - Aberdeenshire Literacies

Youth Literacies Peer Research

This project aims to inform and direct the development of Youth Literacy provision by engaging"hard to reach" young people in the developmental process. In doing so the project believes it will contribute to youth workers having a more informed starting point when integrating youth literacies into their work with young people. It also argues that by involving young people at an early stage in the developmental process we are more likely to engage them in addressing their literacy needs.

Three groups of young people have been identified by the project, they are:

• A group of young adult males based in Peterhead.
• A group of young asylum seekers living in the Sighthill area of Glasgow.
• A young mothers group from Edinburgh.

The group members have all previously participated in literacies programmes and are therefore better placed to understand the issues and barriers facing other young people in similar situations.

The project will have two phases, firstly; it aims to provide the groups with the appropriate research skills to carry out peer research within their own localities. Training will take place as part of a residential stay in Edinburgh and will be facilitated by a team of workers from out with the project. They will then be given the opportunity to put their training into practice by carrying out peer research in their local areas, disseminating information and identified potential learners. Researches will also visit existing youth literacy projects, gathering information on the various models used to deliver literacies support to young people. It is hope that this will allow the project to compile a"snap-shot" of literacies provision for young people across Scotland.

The second phase of the project will focus on drawing together the research material, and the publication of their findings. For this the three groups involved will come together at a second residential for data analysis and writing up their joint report.

The Initiative hopes that as an outcome of this work there will be:

• A raised awareness of youth literacies issues.
• The ensuing report will inform future youth work and youth literacies practice.
• Assist young learners negotiate youth literacies practice.

Finally, a conference will be organised in Aberdeenshire to launch the report and each area research team will have an opportunity to present finding from their respective areas.

Next >