Youth Steering Group
Impact stories: Mama
Name: Mama
Age joined the Youth Steering Group: 19
Home Region: London
Mama joined the FEA Youth Steering Group in 2023, aged 17, and graduated in 2025. During her time as a member of the Youth Steering Group, Mama has taken part in several events, including the APPG Parliamentary launch of the ‘Raising the Nation’s Play Commission’s Interim Report, Give an X Partner reception, and been a speaker at the FEA Awards Booster and VIP Breakfast events.
“It's been an amazing and enriching experience, and I feel that my knowledge, expertise, and skills have expanded immensely.”
Why did you join the Youth Steering Group (YSG)?
I was recommended to join by someone in their second year, and I’m so glad I did. Although I come from a very ethnically diverse area in London, I hadn’t had the chance to meet many people who were both neurodivergent and part of the LGBTQIA+ community before. Being in the youth steering group has allowed me to see how those identities intersect and how they have shaped people’s experiences in education. That has enriched my perspective - not just in understanding what has made my own experience in education unique, but also in recognising the challenges faced by others.
Being part of this group has allowed me to help create a space not only for myself and people like me, but also for those whose difficulties might be different from mine, neither greater nor lesser, just different. It’s about more than just acknowledging struggles; it’s about making sure we don’t just funnel those difficulties into frustration, but instead channel them into positive action.
I went into this thinking, you never know what might come of it, and the opportunities it has brought have been incredible.
How have you found being on the Youth Steering Group overall?
Meeting and speaking with other youth steering group members has been such a crucial part of my journey. Their contributions to my experience have been invaluable - without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve as much as I have. The way we’ve all stepped up for each other has been incredible. When I’ve fallen short, they’ve helped me out, and when they’ve needed support, I’ve been there for them too - I really appreciate that sense of teamwork.
A lot of the time in youth activism, young people are pitted against each other for opportunities, but within this group, it’s been different. When an opportunity comes my way, I instinctively think about who else in the group might be suitable and make sure to share it, putting their names forward to help them get recognised. I don’t want it to become a revolving door or an echo chamber of the same young people getting all the opportunities. At the end of the day, once I turn 25, I won’t be considered a young person anymore and won’t be able to engage in these spaces in the same way, which is quite sad. But I take comfort in knowing that the young people I’ve met will continue contributing to others’ experiences, just as they have enriched mine.
If you had to pick one thing that's been a highlight of your time on the youth steering group, what would it be?
It's really hard to narrow it down to just one thing. The Labour Party Conference was a great opportunity, but for me, the best experiences were when we worked together as a collective. The training days we had while preparing for the two Youth Summits were great moments.
I think the most remarkable part was the first Youth Summit. Even though it was a smaller event, I was able to stay for the whole day, and I really felt empowered by the experience. That was the first time I thought we were doing something significant. It was exciting to navigate that space and see everything come together. It was also amazing to watch the younger members of the steering group take it all in their stride.
I’ve always been someone who gravitates towards leadership, but being in that setting, I had to make sure that stepping into a leadership role didn’t take away from the shine of others. Balancing that and creating space for everyone to contribute was a really rewarding experience.
What do you think has been the Youth Steering Group’s most impactful activity?
I think we all want to make a change, especially in policy, because that’s where we can see the fruits of our labour. However, a large part of what we do has always been about the essence of the steering group itself - bringing young people together to drive collective action. Through the youth summits, we've been able to achieve that and inspire other young people, whether they choose to pursue youth activism directly or take a more behind-the-scenes approach. It doesn’t matter how they engage, as long as they know it's possible to take power within their own identities, regardless of what anyone else has said.
I think the biggest change we've had has come through the collective reports we've put together, the youth bulletin and how accessible it is, and of course, the youth summits. Even now, seeing the younger members of the steering group step up and take the lead on workshops has been incredible.
What skills do you feel like you've developed during your time on the Youth Steering Group?
Working with different organisations and collaborating with other members of the Steering Group has pushed me to be more flexible and adapt to different situations. One of the key things I’ve learned is holding myself accountable - making sure that if I’ve committed to attending a meeting at a certain time, I follow through and show up.
I’d also say my public speaking skills have developed massively. I’m still quite shy when it comes to speaking in front of people, but through this experience, I’ve had more opportunities to fine-tune that skill. I’m proud of that progress.
Beyond that, I think I’ve become more creative, especially in terms of using social media. I’ve gained knowledge about how social media can be used effectively. That’s something I know I’ll be able to apply to future projects.
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.