Youth Steering Group
Impact stories: Jayden
Name: Jayden
Age joined the Youth Steering Group: 19
Home Region: North West
Jayden joined the FEA Youth Steering Group in 2023, aged 19. During his time as a member of the Youth Steering Group, xxx
Why did you join the Youth Steering Group (YSG)?
I've known Elijah for years, and he's a second year on the Youth Steering Group. I saw the opportunities that he was getting through FEA like the party conference, and just going to different events, I thought it all seemed so interesting. I learned more about what the FEA was from talking to him, and that it was another way that I could talk about my experiences of education and actually do something great with that. It's been really interesting and also pretty fun.
How have you found being on the Youth Steering Group overall?
I’ve really, really enjoyed it. Just having the opportunity to do a bunch of different things has been great. I really like the fact that there’ve been so many opportunities, even just within the year, to meet everybody. I’ve felt like I’ve been able to be more engaged at times too - especially because we got to meet people earlier on. That kind of takes away the awkwardness you get in meetings sometimes. I’ve done other things where you don’t meet anyone until six months in, and all the Zoom meetings are just people sitting in silence, cameras off, too shy to talk. But with this, I actually feel like I can contribute more to the meetings I go to. And the in-person days have been just very, very friendly - the ice broke really quickly, so everyone feels familiar.
If you had to pick one thing that's been a highlight of your time on the youth steering group, what would it be?
I did really enjoy planning my session for the Youth Summit. It actually went better than I was anticipating. I was a bit nervous about it initially, especially since I was doing it by myself. But it meant I could plan it and do it at my own pace - make it my own, I guess. I really enjoyed that. I also got to talk to people one-on-one during that session, which was nice.
The first thing I did with the FEA was the Department for Education civil servants talk—that was probably one of my favourite things too. It was really fun. I also enjoyed going to some of the other panel sessions. It was great to hear different perspectives on various topics in education, and also to talk to people on the panels - especially hearing from teachers and getting their views. I really enjoyed that.
What do you think has been the Youth Steering Group’s most impactful activity?
I think the Youth Summit itself was probably the most impactful thing, because it really gave young people the chance to take control. It was completely designed by us and the facilitators—not led by adults—which made a big difference. And the size of it, compared to last year, was just absolutely insane.
I think it gave a lot of people—not just those of us in the group, but also the young people who attended—more confidence. Whether that was around leadership, event planning, or just having more clarity about the steps they can take to do whatever it is they want to do.
In the Young Trustee session I was part of, I sat in a little circle with some people who weren’t sure if becoming a trustee was right for them. So I talked about what I know—not from personal experience necessarily, but just from what I’ve learned about the charity sector and trusteeship. I answered their questions, and by the end, some of them were like, ‘this is actually something I want to do.’ So I really think it met the goal we were aiming for.
What skills do you feel like you've developed during your time on the Youth Steering Group?
I feel like I’ve definitely gained more confidence. I used to really doubt my ability to host a session properly or to confidently convey what I wanted to say. But after attending the events I’ve been part of, and being given responsibilities in them, it’s definitely helped me feel more confident in my ability to do that.
Like with the Department for Education panel and also the zine session I ran at the Youth Summit. One of the main reasons I originally wanted Black Curriculum to lead it was because I wasn’t sure if I could actually host a successful session myself. But doing it independently gave me the reassurance that I actually can.
Our Youth Steering Group provides leadership on youth engagement across the Fair Education Alliance. Members are involved in the work across the Alliance, from collective action and policy influencing, to communications, events and support for our award winners.