Neurodiversity Youth Advocate Programme Year 2:
Reflective Practice & Advocacy Year
Remote Neurodiversity Youth Advocate Programme for Year 12/Post-16 Students across London, Luton, Birmingham & Leicester
Who is it for?
Our programmes attracts the following profiles:
Profile A: You are a student who either yourself/ friend/ family member is suspected or confirmed neurodivergent. You are keen to learn more about Special Education Differences (SPEDs) to make a difference for this person.
Profile B: You are a student considering a career in either Healthcare/ Psychology/ education & looking for evidence in taking part in evidence-based community sector programme to powerfully boost your university applications.
Why Join?
You will acquire a range of important transferable skills such as:
(a) How to reflect on transferrable skills gained throughout the programme
AND
(b) How to be a confident public speaker and design and deliver your own neurodiversity awareness campaign.
Intended Learning Outcomes of the Reflective Practice & Advocacy Year Programme
(a) Describe the origin of stigma that affects the SPED Community.
(b) Evaluate how stigma affects members of the SPED Community in terms of education, employment, and mental wellbeing.
(c) Design and Deliver a community awareness initiative campaign.
(d) Develop skills in reflective practice which shape development of transferable skills and advocacy.
What would we provide you?
Great Educators & Mentors
All of our educators are passionate and knowledgeable in the subject of neurodiversity.
Our educators are either current university students or professionals in the area of Law, Psychology, Neuroscience, Education, Politics, Philosophy, or Medicine.
You will be provided a mentor throughout the programme who will be able to help you feel supported and comfortable throughout the programme.
Lived Experience Conversation Sessions
In Term 2 you will have a chance in very small breakout room-based groups to converse with our "lived experience" guests who are neurodivergent and keen to address any questions you have about their neurodiversity journey and experience of stigma, education, employment, and mental wellbeing.
The session has been consistently rated as one of the stand-out highlights of our programmes.
Certificate & Prizes
Each term has an end of term project. The person with the best project will be provided a £10 gift voucher.
A Certificate of Volunteering will be provided for fully completing the programme.
The Timetable
The first 12 sessions take place each remotely on Wednesday evenings between September to January at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
The last session (Graduation Day: Reflective Project Presentation Showcase) will take place on a Wednesday within the February Half-Term period at 5:30pm - 8pm
Each Academic Session is bracketed with which aspect of the biopsychosocial-spiritual domain the session will focus on.
Term 1: Origins of Stigma (September-October)
Focus: Dyslexia
September Sessions
Session 1: Meet the Mentor I: Welcome to the Programme
(Psychological Approach)
Session 2: Reflective Practice Enhanced: How to sell your transferable skills
October Sessions
Session 3: Culture & Attitudes towards SPEDs
(Social Approach)
Session 4: Cognitive Diversity: What is Intelligence?
(Psychological Approach)
Session 5: Theology: Should SPEDs be called a "disability"?
(Biological, Social,& Spiritual
Approach)
Term 2: Impact of Stigma (November- December)
Focus: Autism, ADHD, & Dyspraxia
November Sessions
Session 6: Spiritual Development & SPEDs
(Spiritual Approach)
Session 7: SPEDs & Growth Mindset: A Positive Psychology Approach to Mental Wellbeing
(Biological & Psychological Approach)
Session 8: From the eyes of Employees, Employers & Educators: Impact of Stigma
(Social Approach)
Session 9: Meet the Mentor II: Planning for Conversations with the SPED Community
(Biological, Psychological, Social,& Spiritual Approach)
December Sessions
Session 10: Conversations with members of the SPED Community
(Biological, Psychological, Social,& Spiritual Approach)
Term 3: Opposing Stigma: Making a difference to people with differences (January-February)
Focus: Your Choice!!!
January Sessions
Session 11: Meet the Mentor III: Briefing on creating a Local Neurodiversity Awareness Project
(Biological, Psychological, Social,& Spiritual Approach)
Session 12: Conference Day
February Sessions
Session 13: Graduation Day: Reflective Project Presentation Showcase
(Biological, Psychological, Social,& Spiritual Approach)
