CHILDREN, LEARNING AND INCLUSIVE PLACES
A collaborative project with Queen’s University Belfast
The Network for Social and Educational Equity (NSEE) team at the University of Glasgow is developing a collaboration with colleagues from Queens University Belfast on a project that expands our work on students’ voice, the capabilities approach in research, and the role of place—Children, Learning and Inclusive Places (CLIP).
The project aims to bring together and learn from two of our biggest research-led community focused activities: in Glasgow, Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland (CNS) and in Belfast, Queen’s Communities and Place (QCAP).
Both CNS and QCAP focus on urban deprivation and inequality, and the role of children and young people in making a difference to their communities. CLIP asks what role universities can play in place-based co-production work and how this strengthens and builds sustainability in the work of current and future community partners.
Empirical research has been designed and has started in both sites. This will include a range of participatory sessions that will explore how children can act as activists in their own communities.
A state-of-the-art literature review on the topic of children and the co-production of knowledge has been created, as well as an innovative conceptual framework that has significant potential for future collaborative work and replicability.
Knowledge sharing
Much of CLIP involves strategic meetings between the two universities, sharing knowledge and methodological expertise and experiences, as well as collecting primary data. This involves youth-led activities delivered by the team.
In Glasgow, the NSEE researchers are working with some of the schools that were previously engaged with Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland and then with the project Young People’s Voices for Climate Change project
While the recruitment takes place in local schools, activities are not constrained to education, but explore young people as citizens in their communities and ask important questions, such as where do young people feel listened to, and how organisations act upon the views of young residents. This may include issues of climate change, of active travel, town planning, and service provision.
Rights of the Child — and student voice in action?
In keeping with the United Nations Convention for Rights of the Child (UNCRC), these activities also focus on how to amplify young people’s voices in matters of local decision making.
In the first instance, this will involve two schools in Clydebank (St Eunan’s Primary School and St Peter the Apostles). Both schools were mid-way through projects focused on climate change:
- Community gardening (St Eunan’s)
- Sustainable clothing initiative, developing food larders (St Peter the Apostle’s)
To understand how to promote youth voices, CLIP also seeks to speak with adult community members and leaders regarding their attitudes towards youth participation and the pathways to impact.
Belfast delegation visit
In April, a delegation from Queen’s University Belfast visited the University of Glasgow on a study visit. This took the form of discussions around the use of big data presented by the Urban Big Data Centre at Glasgow and housing evidence through the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) and a visit to the schools.
Researchers in Glasgow will now be visiting the schools once a week to collect valuable data and working with teachers, community members and young people on the community garden and the sustainable food and clothing initiatives.
The community garden at St Eunan’s has been used to facilitate many new and innovative ways of learning—from finding out how to grow food, to creating self-watering planters, exploring food miles, improving health and wellbeing, teaching empowerment, building young people’s confidence and resilience, and extending the school’s reach in the community.
Dr Romina Madrid, who has worked extensively with both schools and who played a key role in last year’s Young People’s Voices for Climate Change project ahead of COP26, said: “We’re very much looking forward to continuing to work with St Eunan’s and St Peter the Apostle’s to explore ways we can strengthen and build sustainability of the activities already in place. As well as, eager to engage with colleagues from Belfast to develop frameworks for co-production of knowledge”