Schools have deployed digital innovation in delivering YPI over the past two years, developing exciting approaches to engaging with stakeholders in a virtual world.

Here we highlight some of the approaches to YPI Final Showcases.

Mackie Academy created a Google Drive microsite to host finalist videos for judges and the wider community to access the work of #generationchange. It is available to view here: Lead Teacher Laura Craig shares her learnings:

“The site was developed as a result of Covid. In 2020 we were not allowed any visitors into school and so I had to find another way to allow the judges to see the presentations.  I didn’t want to just send them via an email, and the files would have been too big anyway.  I still wanted it to be an experience and something the judges could connect with.

“As a school we have been using the Google educational suite for several years and so it is something I am familiar with. I had had some input on other Google Sites and felt I would be able to make my own site. The pupils are also familiar with Google Drive and so were able to share their presentations with me this way which got round the issue of not being able to send video file via email.

“It meant that we could still have a final and that we could still have a bit of ceremony around it. This session we were unsure whether we would be able to have a ‘live’ final in school.  We were aware that Covid mitigations could change at any time.  As we had already had a successful online final last year, I was able to confidently make the decision early to just go online again this year so everyone knew what was happening.

“Having an online final has encouraged our pupils to be much more creative. There are still groups who choose to do a PowerPoint and film themselves in front of the Smartboard speaking through their presentation, however we have now had pupils creating animations, short videos and composing music. This would have been unlikely to have happened with the traditional final and it has allowed pupils to play to their creative strengths.

“It is important that we all have an awareness of our local community and the needs within it. Communities thrive when we all work together to support each other.  YPI allows pupils to understand the needs of their community and what they can potentially do to support those in need to build an all-round stronger community.  While many of our pupils do have an awareness of different social issues, they are very often unaware that these things are happening in the area they live in and potentially to people they know. YPI opens their eyes to this. It is also important that everyone in a community know where they can turn to for support and researching charities shows the students the kind of help that is available should they themselves one day need it.

“The other very important aspect of being involved in YPI is the enhancement of transferable and soft skills. Prior to being involved in YPI, students often do not know how to make a formal phone call or write a formal email. Their communication skills are most definitely put to the test and improved by having to contact and work with a charity as well as work together as a team on a project over a number of weeks. Pupils also feel a sense of achievement once their presentation is completed, whether they make it to the final or not.”

In 2020, Leith Academy used Canva video to develop a package which showcased all of the finalist entries, highlighted the impact of video, and announced the winner. They signed up for a free seven-day trial to create the resource. The assets within it were edited from Stop Motion and iMovie. Canva was the main tool for collating the collection of finalists together.  The school has a Clickview account which was used share the presentation with staff and pupils.  It is easy to upload presentations to this and, because you need a school login to access the presentation code, it prevents material being shared more widely if that is a consideration.