© Young Scot 2008

“Developing Services for Digital Natives” Louise Macdonald Chief Executive – Young Scot

© Young Scot 2008 Who is Young Scot? National youth information and citizenship agency for Scotland Registered charity, based in Edinburgh Established for over 25 years Supporting young people aged 11 – 26 “Its vision, values and aims exemplified an approach to working with young people that valued them as equal partners in activities and developments.” HMIE Report 2007

© Young Scot 2008 Why “Youth Information?” ‘Children have the right to get and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to others.’ Article 13 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taking into account.’ Article 12 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ‘All citizens should have access, in their own language to information about the matters of public concern. This means information should be made widely available through a wide range of channels, including the mass media and new technologies such as the internet. It also means that people from all walks of life in all EU countries should be helped to develop the skills they need to access and use that information.’ White Paper on a European Communications Policy Commission of the European Communities

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot: Aims To provide young people, aged , with a mixture of information, ideas and incentives to help them become confident, informed and active citizens. Develop multiple-channels via a variety of formats so young people can access information in a way they are comfortable with. It is our hope that the information we provide will enable them to: –Make informed decisions and choices –Turn their ideas into action –Take advantage of the opportunities available to them –Have the confidence and knowledge to take their place as active citizens in their communities- locally, nationally and globally.

© Young Scot 2008 Services for Young People… KM / Youth Information

© Young Scot 2008 Key Statistics… 340,000 Young Scot cardholders across Scotland 10m hits per year on sites Partnerships with all 32 local authorities through Local Authority Dialogue Youth partnership Young Scot card offers 1,200 discounts in Scotland 100,000 reciprocal deals with 42 countries across Europe 160,000 copies and 36 local versions of the Young Scot Books published in 2007/08 Extremely positive HMIE inspection in 2007

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot National Entitlement Card Jointly-branded cards with all Scottish councils Voluntary “proof of age” (PASS) Cashless catering Leisure / Library facilities Loyalty / Rewards schemes Plus concessionary travel – buses, trains and ferries for year olds and full-time volunteers

© Young Scot 2008 National Young Scot Discounts

S Y SLOVAK YG E V SERVICE Y E E ENYA P MCMEN A S JOVEN ZZ998J S GIOVANI KL S JUGEND 2468G SUZANNA Y NTB F HERCULES S K MLADEZE A Y HUNGAR T Y POLSKA P111D S JONG E S JEUNES TD S YOUNG DG22/ C JEUNES Young Scot is part of a European network of 42 countries with youth cards carrying the EURO<26 brand. Over 4 million young people across Europe carry EURO<26 cards like Young Scot. More EURO<26 information at

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot Books “Handbook to life” Includes health, relationships, volunteering, sport, and keeping safe information – and much, much more! Checked and updated annually with partner agencies and experts

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot Magazine New quarterly 16-page glossy magazine Published in the Sunday Mail 600,000 copies per issue 50,000 run-ons to schools and youth groups New interactive edition available online via Young Scot portal

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Portal The national youth information portal for Scotland 16 channels of information Votes, competitions, consultations, reviews, podcasts and much more Content written for young people, by young people 32 local “sub-sites” Around 2m hits per month – and growing Links to Glow being explored

© Young Scot 2008 Out of School Website Information aimed at those who have left school Information on health, arts, money, housing and work, but currently being developed to extend this In-depth information available in downloadable factsheets

© Young Scot 2008 Podcasting Alternative way of providing information & exploring issues Can include interviews and discussions Young people are trained and supported to make the podcasts National Young Scot Podcast Library

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot InfoLine Free & confidential youth information line: Open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday Contact centre at Young Scot office with specialist advisors Specialises in a broad range of info topics, with focus on Money, Health, Housing, Training and Work

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot eRoadshow Mobile internet system Two vans - 35 laptops Broadband access Creates instant cyber cafés in any location 18,000 young people in all 32 councils in two years New InfoMobiles

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot Awards Promotes positive stories and achievements of young people Extensive coverage in Sunday Mail of nominees High profile event attended by Scotland’s First Minister Categories include volunteering, citizenship, health, enterprise and environment.

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot WOW

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot WOW (What’s On Where) is Scotland’s new and innovative youth opportunities search engine Developed with support of a National Advisory Committee with representatives from Local Authorities, Government, Voluntary and Statutory sectors and young people. Established as part of the youth work strategy : ‘ Moving Forward: A Strategy For Improving Young People’s Chances Through Youth Work’.

© Young Scot 2008 Local and national opportunity information on a whole range of subjects open to young people aged Opportunities organised into ‘super categories’ including Get Active; Entertain Me; Cultured and Creative; Get Involved; Volunteer and Learning Zone. Streaming video and audio for young people to access additional info about their chosen opportunity

© Young Scot 2008 Dialogue Youth Dialogue Youth is a partnership between Young Scot, COSLA, Scottish Government, Local Authorities, their Community Planning Partners and young people. A national strategy delivered through local action.

© Young Scot 2008 Local Authority Network

© Young Scot 2008 Dialogue Youth Smartened Cards & services – including local discounts Local information development - books and WOW Citizenship & youth engagement Resource & Research base on youth issues Involving young people, sensitising services and influencing Community Planning

© Young Scot 2008 Young Scot – The Future & The National Youth Information Framework Young Scot now moving to a new phase of development, based around a number of key impacts: –a nation of informed young people –increased opportunities for young people to access and influence relevant services and facilities –young people as capacity builders and activists in projects, activities and decision-making processes –A step change in the public, media perception and image of young people –Taking a lead in Europe The development of a National Youth Information Framework is an important element in Young Scot’s contribution to the creation of ‘ a nation of informed young people’. Supports a number of the SG Strategic Objectives and initiatives, such as A Curriculum for Excellence.

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Framework The potential of a National Information Strategy for Scotland was proposed in the paper ‘Enabling Seamless Access’ published by the Scottish Library Information Council (SLIC 1999). This paper suggested a strategy was needed to bring together key information providers and networks to work closer together to bring added value and meet the challenges of more personalised and individual learning. Since then SLIC has made a significant impact on the development of information services in Scotland and is committed to working with Young Scot and others to focus on the particular needs of young people through the development of a vibrant new framework approach. Young Scot asked to develop a National Youth Information Framework by Scottish Government, for delivery by Autumn 2008.

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Framework Information Literacy - current issues: Information literacy of young people, has not improved with the widening access to new technology; Internet research shows that the speed of young people’s web searching means little time is spent in evaluating information, either for relevance, accuracy or authority; Young people have poor understanding of their information needs and thus find it difficult to develop effective search strategies; Faced with a long list of search hits, young people find it difficult to assess the relevance of the materials presented; Young people have unsophisticated mental maps of what the internet is and as a result, Yahoo or Google, becomes the primary brand that they associate with the internet. Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future University College London 2008

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Framework Key Elements: – Empowerment – creating models which help young people take their place as responsible citizens, effective contributors, successful learners and confident individuals – Access – covers a whole range of issues, but equality issues are paramount in taking this Framework forward, with a particular focus on those who are not just ‘hard to reach’ but for some, we have ‘failed to reach’ – Quality – SLICs ‘Building on Success: A Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix’ and the Improvement Service’s ‘Public Service Improvement Framework’ self assessment toolkit provide a valuable starting point to develop quality measures in relation to youth information providers

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Framework Learning from the European network of youth information services. The ERYICA paper on ‘Structure and Financing of the Youth Information Systems and Classifications of Youth Information’ published in March 2008 provides a useful picture. The Finnish model offers a simple but effective categorisation. The model identifies three different kinds of needs of young people for information services: – Young people who are able to find information independently (young people who already know what kind of information they need and are able to find it on their own) – Young people who feel that they need/want something (Someone to help them clarify their own needs. The most important source and tool to help them are professional support workers) – Young people who have problems and face challenges (Young people who need help with difficult situations and problems - helped by professional support workers and signposting to relevant services)

© Young Scot 2008 National Youth Information Framework: Our Aspiration A framework which has knowledgeable and informed young citizens at its heart - with access to quality information and skills Working to develop effective partnerships and particularly focussed on the pivotal role that libraries can play Would welcome your ideas… –About the Framework and it’s development –How Young Scot and our services can support you in your role

© Young Scot 2008