This month, as part of our YPI Programme Officer Spotlight campaign, we are excited to introduce Heather who works with schools in Fife, Dundee, Perth & Kinross, Stirling, and Clackmannanshire.
How would you describe YPI in three words?
Emotional, exciting, and inspiring.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Building relationships with schools and teachers. I thought I would never know all my schools and in just over a year, I’ve learnt so much about how each school works, but more importantly, about the practitioners who make YPI work in those schools.
I feel privileged to be a listening ear and to be able to offer tips and advice to them and connect them with others schools. I also like getting to know them as people – sharing in the joy of weddings and new babies and sympathising over children moving away from home – is a big and lovely part of my job.
What does YPI mean to you?
To me, YPI is something completely different for young people from their day-to-day learning. It gives learners who might not shine in other areas of school life an opportunity to excel and to feel invested in something they really care about.
It’s a real opportunity for young people to find out more about the real world and start thinking about what matters to them.
What is your favourite YPI memory?
There are so many – mostly from YPI finals where I have laughed and cried so much thanks to the passion and creativity displayed by the young people.
I think the one that stands out most for me is the crowd reaction to a film made by pupils at St John’s RC High School in Dundee about their chosen charity The Grey Lodge Settlement. It was outstanding work which was very personal to the young people and very, very funny but moving. The emotions in the whole assembly hall where absolutely palpable. I would not be surprised to see the winning team going on to do some amazing work in film or television.
Interesting/ fun fact about you
When I’m not working, I can normally be found bagging one of our beautiful Munros – 79 down, 203 to go!
