Outwood students set the standard for youth-led community action
Community spirit was alive and well this summer as students from across the Outwood Family of Schools completed the inaugural 'Out There' challenge. The groundbreaking student community action programme saw hundreds of young people dedicate their time to driving positive change in their local areas.
The challenge, which was open to students in Years 6 to 13 across all 42 Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) schools, was created in direct response to feedback from the Trust’s Student Voice activity. Students expressed a strong desire to get ‘Out There’ and actively demonstrate young people's positive role in society, particularly following a year of community division.
Working in small teams of up to four, guided by volunteer adult advisors, students delivered nearly 100 community projects that contributed to communities in various ways.
Projects successfully completed included:
Revitalising local green spaces and litter picking
Volunteering at food banks
Hosting intergenerational events in care homes to strengthen community ties
Producing a community podcast
Giving time to a hospice
Facilitating a book exchange
Organising a community bike ride
The success of the programme affirmed the students’ belief that they could bring change to their local community. Reflecting on their achievement, one team at Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield said:
“We decided to take part in the Out There project because we wanted to help the community. We spent time helping out at a local hospice, and our favourite part was seeing how grateful the patients were. We would definitely do it again!”
The programme has six core categories for projects:
Build Relationships: Projects that strengthened community ties.
Be a Sustainability Superstar: Led eco-friendly and climate-conscious initiatives.
Boost Community Wellbeing: Promoted health, fitness, and happiness.
Build an Inclusive Community: Ensured all members felt welcome and valued.
Make your community Safer: Enhanced neighbourhood security and awareness.
Innovate: Created impactful and original solutions to local problems.
The challenge’s success was significantly supported by the generous involvement of local organisations and sponsors, including YPO, Leeds Rhinos, Connect Yorkshire, She Can Prosper, Banana Moon Clothing, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Awaken Education, who provided essential financial aid, expertise, and resources. Teams kept a record of their projects in team log books, which will now be evaluated. The teams who delivered the most impactful projects will be recognised at an award ceremony in January, with a range of fabulous prizes and experiences up for grabs.
Julie Slater, chief executive principal (OIE) at OGAT, reflected on the challenge, saying:
“Outwood Out There is a fantastic opportunity available to our children and young people who want to make a difference in their communities. We have listened carefully to our students and learned what is important to them; making a positive difference featured heavily in this feedback.
“Students have worked in teams to identify community action-based projects and have invested hours of their time to make their communities better. I am delighted with the initial takeup from our students and Outwood Out There will be a permanent feature of our curriculum offer moving forwards. I am incredibly proud of the creativity, resilience, organisation and teamwork skills demonstrated by our incredible young people.”
Claire Jackson, strategic lead for family and community programmes and partnerships at OGAT, added:
“We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and drive shown by our children, young people and the adult advisors to serve their communities. We've built a powerful, sustainable model for youth-led action, and we look forward to growing the Out There challenge next year to deepen our community connections even further.”
The ‘Out There’ challenge aligns with the Trust’s family and community support strategy, which focuses on bringing schools, families, and communities together to establish positive relationships.
