City Youth Ambassador Network (CYAN): What Is It?

If you haven’t already heard of the City Youth Ambassador Network, also known as CYAN, you may want to prepare yourself because you certainly will over the next few months.

CYAN is a new project launched by YMCA North Staffordshire in partnership with Wavemaker and APM NCS (National Citizen Service). The purpose is to encourage more students to get involved in social action campaigns as well as give young people, who are particularly ambitious, the chance to receive training and become a ‘Youth Ambassador’.

Year 7s from high schools across the city will be offered the chance to experience an assembly workshop around youth leadership, social action and digital campaigning, and will receive £100 to create a mini social action project. All of the schools who have taken part will then have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ made up of members of the Post-16 Masterclass coordinated by APM NCS.

The lucky six schools that are chosen by the Dragons will take part in the Leadership Project and have twelve hours of leadership training offered to their students. Students will have the chance to learn about numerous key areas including digital skills for the future, campaigning, and public speaking/ debating. Those who are particularly invested with be invited to step forward and state their case for why they should be one of the city’s first Youth Ambassadors.

To find out more about this unique and exciting opportunity, visit the CYAN webpage.

If you’re passionate about giving your students the chance to have a say in their schools, and perhaps even to go on to have a say in their wider community, make sure to get involved.