Dunoon Grammar School was the first of our YPI schools to deliver a full programme of activity in the 2020/21 academic year.

Students secured £3000 for Cowal Elderly Befrienders. The other finalist charities were Patchwork Nursery, Argyll & Bute Rape Crisis, Argyll & Bute Women’s Aid, Cathleen’s Cabin, and Cowal Hospice.

Traditional programme delivery was adapted in order to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions. Colin Spark leads YPI at the school. He said:

“YPI has always been a special occasion in our school calendar and we ordinarily involve various year groups, alongside members of the community including and local charities, councillors, and members of Argyll and Bute council.

“It makes such a big difference to local charities and really changes the attitude of our pupils towards charities. It also helps develop pupil skills in areas such as communication, teamwork, and creativity.

“YPI was our first experience of adapting a learning experience in this way. This was important for us to do as we did not want pupils to be disadvantaged. We also take our role in securing vital funds for local charities, many of whom are struggling more than ever this year, seriously.”

The adaptations deployed by the Dunoon Grammar School team were:

• Pupils could only gather information through emails and phonecalls rather than visiting charities. This allowed them to develop email communication skills.
• The YPI Showcase was not a live, school event. The external judges used Google Meet to watch the finalist teams. The pupils learned about presenting virtually.
• Pupils used a variety of creative, digital technologies.
• The YPI Showcase was recorded and edited then shown in all S2 classes a week later. This is when the winning team was revealed in order to retain that important sense of occasion.

Colin added:

“We will definitely take the lessons learnt from organising YPI this year for upcoming events, drawing on the positives and recognising what could be improved.

“The resources, webinars, and support from the YPI team were incredibly beneficial in supporting the successful completion of the programme. The young people gained many of the skills they would traditionally develop through YPI and it was great to still have the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the local community.”

Read more about the YPI 2020/21 adaptations here and contact us for more information.