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Is it July already? I suspect you’re making plans for the summer holidays (we’re almost booked up for our summer club in the glorious South Downs National Park, but there is a waiting list if your young person is interested). If you’re in Hastings and aged between 16 and 24, we’re running a 2-day Catalyst workshop exploring identity with the brilliant photographic artist, Lindsey Smith. You can see some examples of the amazing work so far from participants on The Catalyst project in our Catalyst Gallery. (The above image is from our recent graffiti workshop in Bexhill with Priority 1-54.)

Is vaping on the increase?

Whilst smoking seems to be less popular among today’s young people, anecdotal evidence says that vaping is on the increase. Some estimates say up to 15% of young people are vaping. 

If your teen wants help to quit vaping, we have some useful resources on our Help pages aimed at young people.

We’re behind calls for a ban on disposable vapes – never mind that their designs seem to appeal to children, but they’re almost impossible to recycle and are more likely to end up in the general waste (where they’re a hazard). In the UK, 1.3 million vapes are thrown away every week. 

School absence figures are stubbornly high

Increasing absences from school have hit the headlines with parents reporting feeling isolated. It’s estimated that 1 in 10 GCSE pupils in England are absent from school each day. It’s perhaps understandable that post-pandemic, children are still anxious about school and that parents working from home feel less pressure to encourage a sickly child to go in to school.

We’ve pulled together the best of the advice out there for our Help page on the topic. 

I read this heartfelt letter from a parent and the brilliant response from psychotherapist Philippa Perry in The Guardian. She says, “what seems to be happening in the UK educational system is that the individual pupil is seen as the whole problem rather than acknowledging that the school environment and unhelpful government policies around targets are a part of this, too”.

Raising Teens

Lastly, we’re about to embark on a brand-new series of our BBC radio show, Raising Teens – which will be our fifth series! We’ll be looking at issues around how young people access mental health and wellbeing services, what help is available for children with complex needs, eating disorders, and the journey to getting a diagnosis for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

We’re looking for young people, parents, and professionals to talk to, so if you’re interested, please get in touch.  

You can listen to past episodes via this link. They cover everything from the teenage brain and anxiety to county lines, stress and resilience. They’re full of practical tips from some brilliant professionals, parents and teens.

Keep in touch!

That’s all for this issue. If you have any suggestions or news you think we should include in next month’s round up, please comment below or get in touch. 

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Hello! Summer is just around the corner, and we have an exciting opportunity for 11–16-year-olds to join Make (Good) Trouble’s 3-day summer holiday club, where you can explore the great outdoors in the beautiful South Downs National Park.

😎🌳💦 Book now!

Let’s dive right into the details…

For two days we’ll be venturing into the South Downs National Park. Attendees will have the chance to explore the nature on our doorstep under the guidance of qualified woodland rangers from the Park. We’ll learn about the local flora and fauna, engage in nature-based activities, and immerse ourselves in the beauty of our surroundings.

On day 3, we’ll switch gears and head out onto the water for a paddle boarding session. The fantastic, qualified instructors at Buzz Active will be there to guide us through the experience which is always fun.

We’ll be providing picnic lunches plus cameras and audio equipment, so our adventurers can capture their experiences in images and soundscapes. Their images and audio may be shared and celebrated on our social media platforms and website, allowing you to showcase your talents to a wider audience.

When, where and how to book:
31 July 31 – 2 Aug 2023
South Downs National Park
For full details and booking click here

Here’s a quick rundown of the dates and activities:

31 July, 11am-3pm – Hillwalking exploration day: This is a perfect opportunity to delve deeper into the wonders of the Seven Sisters Country Park. We’ll engage in nature-based activities, enjoy breathtaking views, and have a picnic to recharge our energy.

1 August, 11am-3pm – Grassland management and a picnic: We’ll learn about the importance of grassland management and how it contributes to our ecosystem and a picnic lunch.

2 August, 10am-2pm – Paddle Boarding with Buzz Active: The highlight of our adventure will be a paddle boarding session. Children will develop their balance and coordination while having a blast on the water.

Our summer holiday club is part of East Sussex County Council’s Holiday Activity and Food Programme, which means that places are free to children in receipt of free school meals. We believe that every child should have access to exciting and enriching experiences, and we’re looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces this summer.

Make (Good) Trouble’s 3-day summer holiday club promises to be an unforgettable experience. Participants will not only have a fantastic time exploring the great outdoors but also have the chance to unleash their creativity through photography and sound recording.

To secure your child’s place or for more information, visit our page on the EEQU website. You can also browse other holiday clubs in East Sussex on the website.

⭐️ Find out more about our partners, South Downs National Park and Buzz Active.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated the news this month and, as a parent and employer of young people, I’ve been wondering about what it means for their future – in education, employment, in terms of ethics and equality, and innovation. 

Researching the subject for this blog post – and as an interested parent – took me down plenty of rabbit holes. Opinions about the technology range from wildly optimistic: AI is our saviour! It will solve climate breakdown; provide better, faster solutions to healthcare, education, the economy… On the pessimistic side: there are deep fakes, worries about inaccuracies and plagiarism, and fears that AI will put many of us out of a job. There are also concerns that AI tools, which are trained on and learn from existing information, may amplify gender, racial, or cultural biases in society. 

What does this mean for parents and employers?

As someone who grew up in an analogue world, it’s hard to imagine how things will change over the next decade or so. But as parents and employers, we need to help prepare our young people (and ourselves) for this new world, to make sure they have the opportunity to collaborate and compete in a workplace that is changing beyond our imagination. It’s certainly something we’re beginning to think about at Make (Good) Trouble. 

It’s clear that we need to educate our young people to better understand what AI is, what it can do, and what its foundations are because a) regulation can’t keep up and b) we can’t shield our young people from what comes next. This learning needs to start in schools but will no doubt need to be lifelong. We should give them the tools and knowledge to be resilient and to deal with and work with whatever the future brings. 

What role should AI have in education?

ChatGPT and DALL-E 2 can help with writing, creating images, and generating ideas but there are worries that students will start to lose their cognitive skills if they rely on AI tools to do the heavy lifting for them.

A group of school leaders recently announced that they have come together to create a new body to protect students from “very real and present hazards and dangers” of AI. They state that “AI is moving far too quickly for the government or parliament alone to provide the real-time advice schools need” (The Guardian, 20 May 2023). The question is, should our children be taught to understand and use AI in schools? And how can we expect already overloaded teachers to keep up? 

Teachers and lecturers are already having to deal with students using ChatGPT to write essays and exams. Teachers are now using plagiarism and AI detection tools to root out cheats. My daughter also uses these tools to check her work. She’s a fan of ChatGPT. She says it helps with her grammar and research and makes her more confident about it.  

Rather than trying to keep up, some experts advise we take a long-term approach when it comes to AI and education. “Our approach to teaching should be guided not by one recent product but by reflection on the lives our students are likely to lead in the 2030s,” argues Professor Ted Underwood, University of Illinois. “What will the writing process look like for them? Will they use models as research assistants? As editors?

“No crystal ball can answer those questions yet. But the uncertainty itself is a reminder that our goal is not to train students for specific tasks but to give them resilience founded on broad understanding.” (Inside Higher Ed, 11 Jan 2023) 

I like that thinking, and hope that it is embedded in everyone’s education. Our schools, our curriculum, should be designed to value problem-solving skills, to help young people to be creative and critical in their thinking, to be agile and flexible in their approach to their future and to work.

What does this mean for the future of work?

Many think Artificial Intelligence will reduce the workforce in many areas, and in particular in entry level jobs. This thoughtful piece in The Conversation looks at how AI might affect artists and knowledge workers. The writers argue that whilst technology can be problematic, it can lead to better accessibility, new skills and jobs.

In a recent Guardian discussion, Professor Stuart Russell, founder of the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence, argued that human interpersonal skills will be the key to many future careers “where you’re interacting directly with other humans on a one-to-one basis to make people’s lives better” (doing what technology can’t), citing as examples of new job titles: “life architects” and “professional lunchers” (someone who is a paid lunch date offering interesting conversation and company!). 

I hope that AI represents an “advance” in technology. I hope it gives all our young people more opportunities to thrive. We just need to make sure they’re equipped with the skills and knowledge to do that. 

Further reading

Internet Matters: A parent’s guide to using AI with kids

AI Magazine: The impact of artificial intelligence on kids and teens

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Hello! We hope you had a great Easter! 

Each month, we look at the issues affecting young people that make the news, with an emphasis on making good – so we add practical tips and advice for young people and families. 

In this month’s post:

  • A round up of the latest reports showing that the mental health crisis in young people is growing – and where to get help.
  • The cost-of-living crisis is stopping young people going out, causing greater loneliness – we’ve some great resources to help.
  • Why getting out into nature is great for our mental health.
  • We’ve rewarded young people for their amazing work on The Catalyst programme.
  • And lastly, listen to MGT co-founder, Daisy Cresswell, on the EdTech podcast, focusing on how tech can be used to promote diversity, inclusivity and equality in education.

Mental health crisis – latest reports

This month, mental health is making the headlines. The charity Mind released new research which reveals that “young adults are struggling with their mental health with 95 per cent feeling anxious in the last 12 months and over a fifth (21 per cent) experiencing these feelings all the time.” This comes hot on the heels of a report by The House magazine that 1 in 3 young people referred to the NHS for mental health issues are being denied help. 

The report has “uncovered a postcode lottery in child and adolescent mental health care, with some desperate young people waiting up to four years for help.” It also stated: “We hear about parents sleeping on their children’s floors to keep them safe, children out of education for months and years while they wait for help.”

Our Help & Advice pages have some great sources of advice and support on topics such as anxiety and eating disorders, and self-harm. If there’s a subject you think we should add here, please let us know!

Universities should have a statutory duty of care 

We wanted to give a shout out to Ben West, who lost his brother to suicide and has been campaigning for the government to legislate that Universities have a duty of care towards their students. On Tuesday, he gave a speech in parliament to call for “clarity, parity and accountability. In other words, for the government to say “this is what needs to happen, this is the same legal standard across the sector and it is a statutory requirement to provide this minimum standard of support.”

You can listen to his powerful speech on his Instagram account.

And check out his brilliant book: This Book Could Save Your Life: Breaking the silence around the mental heath emergency.

Combating loneliness 

UK Youth’s latest poll reveals that 36% of young people say they feel lonelier because they’re staying in to save money, curbing their social life. We looked into the effects of loneliness on young people during the pandemic. If you’re worried about someone close to you, check out these resources: 

Getting out into nature for free

We know that getting out into nature is a great way to help preventative mental ill health, helping to reduce loneliness and anxiety. (Read our blog post: Proving that nature is a real boost to young people’s mental health.)

This Easter, we took young people out to the South Downs National Park for our holiday club. It’s part of the ESCC Holiday Activities and Food programme which offers free activities to young people in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. We spent four days outside in the gorgeous South Downs National Park (SDNP) – if you follow us on social media, you’ll have seen us on wildlife walks, beach combing, litter picking (so much plastic on our beaches!) and learning about conservation. We’ll be back with another club in the summer, so watch this space. Big thanks to Dragon Drama and the SDNP team who ran our workshops for the club.

We were chuffed to get this feedback from a parent, which illustrates the benefits perfectly:

“I would love this to be a permanent thing. Getting kids outside, getting them active, muddy, rolling round, running about, is so good for them. Then of course they were ravenous, and it was great that there was varied, healthy food. Best holiday club ever!”

Rewarding young people

We’ve awarded 17 Digital Badges this month to participants of The Catalyst programme. That means, to-date, we have awarded 119 badges to young people who’ve taken part in our projects and programmes. This badging scheme is led by Real Ideas and Future Creators, and badges are issued by Badge Nation. written using the Cities of learning badging standard, endorsed by City and Guilds and the RSA.

After last month’s Catalyst graffiti workshops, we wanted to say a big thanks to Brewers who supported the project by supplying surplus paint, paint brushes, and a discount on exterior paint. They also featured the brilliant artwork the young participants produced in a blog post on the Brewers website.

Making EdTech more inclusive

Lastly, our co-founder, Daisy Cresswell, featured on the latest edition of The EdTech Podcast: Making EdTech more inclusive to discuss our work with Soundwaves Foundation, a charity that supports deaf children and young adults. We are working together to look into how we can help all young people learn better in the classroom.

That’s all for April. See you next month!

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