ACT Fellowship - Action for Civic Transformation

ACT — Action for Civic Transformation is EduRise for Development's youth leadership and community participation programme, supporting young people to develop the skills, confidence, connections and practical experience they need to participate meaningfully in their communities and shape their own futures.

Rooted in Wales and designed for the UK context, ACT places particular emphasis on reaching young people from disadvantaged, underrepresented and underserved backgrounds who may face barriers to accessing leadership development, professional networks, meaningful participation and wider opportunities.

The programme combines capacity building, mentoring, practical learning and community action, enabling young people to move beyond learning into participation and real-world experience.

ACT builds on EduRise's earlier international experience, including a six-month pilot delivered in Yemen between 2021 and 2022. The lessons from that pilot now contribute to a strengthened, locally responsive model designed around the needs, voices and aspirations of young people in Wales and the wider United Kingdom.

ACT is built around a simple journey: Learn. Connect. Participate. Act.

Young people have ideas, abilities and ambitions that can make their communities stronger. Yet access to the skills, networks, trusted support and meaningful opportunities needed to realise that potential is not equally distributed.

Young people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage or underrepresentation may encounter additional barriers to enriching activities, professional connections, leadership opportunities and participation in decisions affecting their lives.

ACT responds by creating accessible pathways through which young people can develop their capabilities, build supportive relationships, strengthen their confidence and participate meaningfully in community life.

The programme does not view young people simply as beneficiaries. It recognises them as partners, contributors and emerging leaders capable of identifying challenges, shaping ideas and contributing to solutions.

This reflects the direction of youth policy across the UK. Wales' statutory youth work framework emphasises young people's voluntary participation as equal partners in their development, while the UK Government's National Youth Strategy for England highlights skills, opportunities, connections and empowerment, with particular attention to reducing inequalities experienced by disadvantaged young people.

1. Develop youth leadership by strengthening confidence, communication, decision-making and the ability to take positive action.

2. Expand access to skills and opportunities for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged, underrepresented and underserved backgrounds.

3. Strengthen community and civic participation by enabling young people to understand, engage with and contribute to issues affecting their communities.

4. Build practical and transferable skills including teamwork, communication, project development, problem-solving and collaborative leadership.

5. Connect young people with trusted adults, mentors, professionals and networks that can support their personal, educational and professional development.

6. Create opportunities for practical community action, enabling young people to turn learning and ideas into locally relevant initiatives.

7. Strengthen belonging and social connection by bringing young people together across different backgrounds and experiences.

8. Ensure young people's voices shape the programme, using co-design, participation and ongoing feedback to keep ACT responsive to their needs and aspirations.

ACT follows a practical development journey:

Learn

Young people participate in accessible learning and capacity-building activities designed around the needs of each cohort.

Topics may include:

1. Leadership and confidence

2. Communication and teamwork

3. Community and civic participation

4. Project development

5. Problem-solving

6. Employability and professional skills

7. Digital skills

8. Social action

9. Reflective practice and impact

The curriculum is adapted according to local needs rather than applying the same content to every community.

Connect

ACT creates opportunities for young people to develop meaningful connections with:

1. Mentors

2. Trusted adults

3. Professionals

4. Community leaders

5. Universities and educational institutions

6. Charities and civil society organisations

7. Employers and other relevant partners

These relationships can expose participants to knowledge, experiences and networks that may otherwise be difficult to access.

Participate

Participants are encouraged to become active contributors rather than passive recipients.

ACT creates opportunities for young people to express their views, collaborate with others, engage with their communities and contribute to conversations and decisions affecting them.

Act

Learning is connected to practical experience.

Where appropriate, participants identify a challenge or opportunity within their community and work individually or collaboratively to develop a practical response.

This may include a community challenge, social action project, awareness initiative, volunteering activity or locally designed solution.

The objective is not simply to complete training, but to help young people experience how their skills and ideas can translate into meaningful action.

ACT works with young people, with particular attention to those who may experience barriers to opportunity, participation or representation.

Priority groups may include young people:

• From socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds

• From underserved or underrepresented communities

• With limited access to professional and leadership networks

• Facing barriers to education, training or employment

• From refugee, migrant or displaced backgrounds where relevant to local need

• Seeking greater participation in community and civic life

• Who may not traditionally engage with mainstream youth opportunities

ACT is designed to remain inclusive rather than defining young people solely by disadvantage.

We also work with schools, colleges, universities, charities, youth organisations, community groups, local authorities, public bodies, employers, professionals and volunteers to create stronger pathways around young people.

Partnerships are developed according to local need and the contribution each organisation can make to young people's development.

Rooted in Wales

ACT's next phase is being developed from Wales, reflecting EduRise's commitment to strengthening opportunities for young people and communities locally, particularly those facing disadvantage, underrepresentation or barriers to participation.

Our approach is place-based and partnership-led. Rather than arriving in a community with a predetermined intervention, we seek to understand local needs, existing provision, barriers to participation and young people's own priorities before determining the appropriate ACT model.

As partnerships and evidence develop, ACT has the potential to expand into other communities across the wider United Kingdom.

Building on International Learning

ACT's model also draws on EduRise's previous experience in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

The programme's first pilot was delivered remotely in Yemen between September 2021 and March 2022, reaching participants across Hadramout, Sana'a, Ibb, Dhamar, Aden, Taiz and Marib.

The experience generated valuable learning about accessibility, flexible delivery, mentorship, participant engagement and supporting young people facing significant barriers.

This international experience informs ACT's development but does not replace the need for locally designed approaches in Wales and the UK.