Young Citizens

Young Citizens We're a UK charity enabling schools and colleges to deliver interactive citizenship education for children and young people 🌐 linktr.ee/youngcitizensuk

Young Citizens is a citizenship education charity working with schools and educators to help educate, inspire and equip the active citizens of tomorrow. Since 1989 we have helped young people understand society’s democratic structures, active participation and the rights and responsibilities of its citizens. We see that young people UK-wide are able to become informed, empowered and active citizen

s. We are helping shape a new generation of citizens by providing a range of quality interactive programmes and classroom resources that help teachers embed the difficult issues of today and build citizenship skills from primary up to secondary and college years. Our core resources are free, and many of our services are open to youth clubs and alternative education institutions alike.

We were thrilled to see The Times and The Sunday Times highlight the Bar Mock Trial as a vital tool for preparing the ne...
11/05/2026

We were thrilled to see The Times and The Sunday Times highlight the Bar Mock Trial as a vital tool for preparing the next generation for an AI-driven world. 🌎

As the article notes, AI cannot replace the skills built through experiences like these. At Young Citizens, our programmes, do more than teach the law: they empower young people with agency, advocacy and build belonging by connecting young people to the institutions that shape our society. Beyond preparing young people for the world of work, we're preparing them to be active citizens in a rapidly changing environment.

Read the full article at the link below (subscription required) and stay tuned to Young Citizens' online platforms to be first to hear about the next Bar Mock Trials competition.

https://shorturl.at/8OXYL

In preparation for the Summer of Social Action, we’ll be hosting a short FREE webinar next week for schools discussing p...
06/05/2026

In preparation for the Summer of Social Action, we’ll be hosting a short FREE webinar next week for schools discussing practical approaches to primary social action.

Sign up at the link below to join Young Citizens on Wednesday 13th May at 4pm as we share what strong pupil-led social action can look like in schools, including how to build pupil voice, community links and evidence of impact into the school day.

e1154e2b-d429-42dc-9e68-34eda008d0db@8976ec41-8754-4c2a-a66c-2317d0f71449" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e1154e2b-d429-42dc-9e68-34eda008d0db@8976ec41-8754-4c2a-a66c-2317d0f71449

This session is designed for primary headteachers, trust leaders, and colleagues in schools at all levels leading on personal development, enrichment, citizenship or civic education.

To sign up for this year’s Make a Difference Challenge or attend a free Kick Start Day in your local area, head to the comments for a link. ⏬

Kick Start Days for Make A Difference Challenge 2026 are here!These multi-school events hosted at our 5 regional venues ...
06/05/2026

Kick Start Days for Make A Difference Challenge 2026 are here!

These multi-school events hosted at our 5 regional venues are a chance for our team to take you and your primary-age pupils through the pillars of great social action, and leave with a project for your school and community. We’re holding places for local schools that are within an easy commute of these locations on the following dates:

⭐ Friday 19th June: Liverpool – Everyman Theatre
⭐ Thursday 25th June: Birmingham – University of Law
⭐ Thursday 2nd July: Manchester – Manchester Metropolitan University
⭐ Wednesday 8th July: London – Brunel University
⭐ Thursday 9th July: Leeds Beckett University

Age groups: Any KS1-2 , but Year 5 and 6s may particularly benefit!

Head to our website for more information and to sign up: https://www.youngcitizens.org/programmes/make-a-difference-challenge/

17/02/2026

Teachers and legal professionals! Deliver a lesson about the law this year - join The Big Legal Lesson 2026.

These pupils discovered the law is so much more than a set of rules; it is a vital public service that protects both people and the planet.

Thousands of schools have accessed our free lessons and assemblies over the past seven years to make Citizenship education a breeze.

And it’s not just for primary schools - there are age-appropriate materials for secondary and sixth-form students, too.

🏫 Working in a school? Pledge your commitment now and we will send you the free classroom resource pack so you can take part.

⚖️ Are you a legal professional? Can you spare some time in 2026 to deliver a lesson about the law in schools? Get in touch via the link in our bio!

Thank you to Mishcon de Reya and The Law Society for backing our mission again.


Has your school signed up yet? Get ahead of curriculum changes, join The Big Legal Lesson from 23-27 February 2026! In j...
28/01/2026

Has your school signed up yet? Get ahead of curriculum changes, join The Big Legal Lesson from 23-27 February 2026!

In just over two years, Citizenship education will be mandatory across all key stages – including learning about the rule of law.

⚖️ That’s where The Big Legal Lesson comes in. Our new, free resource packs have been specially designed to help teachers prepare for the new curriculum, with dynamic and age-appropriate activities for primary schools, secondary schools and sixth-form colleges.

Now in its seventh year, this national learning event is on a mission to boost young people’s knowledge of their rights, responsibilities, and the rule of law.

✨ As one pupil said last year: “I found out that the law is going to be important to me for the rest of my life.”

Join thousands of educators that have already accessed our legal resources. Pledge your school’s involvement now and deliver a lesson about the law this February: https://www.youngcitizens.org/the-big-legal-lesson-2026-get-involved/

Thank you to our sponsors Mishcon de Reya and supporters The Law Society for making the campaign happen again in 2026.

Primary educators, have your say on democratic education for the chance to win a gift voucher 🏆🗳️ From 2028, Citizensh...
14/01/2026

Primary educators, have your say on democratic education for the chance to win a gift voucher 🏆🗳️

From 2028, Citizenship education will become statutory at KS1 and KS2, with a strong focus on democracy, law, media literacy, and critical thinking.

Young Citizens is inviting primary school teachers to shape what this looks like in practice by sharing their unique insights.

Our “Little Democracy Survey” is a chance to influence the tools and resources schools need to deliver high-quality democratic education.

✍️ The multiple-choice survey should only take around 7 minutes. Complete it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R6MQDY5

As a thank you, we will enter the first 50 respondents into our early bird draw for a £50 Amazon voucher, and every respondent into our main draw for the chance to win a £150 Amazon voucher.

Share your thoughts by Friday 30 January to enter!

04/12/2025

Young Citizens spoke to Alastair Campbell at the launch of its national education campaign The Big Democracy Lesson, and he had a powerful message for young people about why politics matters ✊

Referencing threats to democracy including populism, polarisation and post-truth, he backed the importance of school-based civic education that gives young people the skills they need to engage in society with confidence.

Young Citizens is providing schools with free resources to deliver at least one lesson on political and media literacy this year 📚

Teachers can head to youngcitizens.org to join .

Thank you to Alastair Campbell for supporting our campaign!

We recently launched The Big Democracy Lesson: a new national programme giving state schools free classroom resources to...
02/12/2025

We recently launched The Big Democracy Lesson: a new national programme giving state schools free classroom resources to build democratic confidence and civic participation from primary age through to year 13 📚

Our campaign kicked off with an evening featuring young people in conversation with former Downing Street advisor and strategist turned author and host of The Rest Is Politics, Alastair Campbell.

The panel discussed their views on the state of democracy, the support they need to participate as citizens and how we rebuild optimism for their generation in a fractured information and political landscape 🌐

Here are some highlights...

“I think that [democratic education] is overlooked. I am told that we had a Citizenship lesson in year 10 but I cannot remember having it, and I think that speaks volumes.” - Lydia, Year 12

“Instagram and TikTok create social bubbles, which lead to radicalisation and influence by other people’s opinions. Your choices need to be based on your opinions and not the opinions of others.” - Tajus, Year 12

“Speaking for many people, I can say that we get most of our information from social media, but it can be misleading. I believe that we should be educated more about these things, but currently we are not.” - Shad, Year 12

“The Big Democracy Lesson is a great opportunity for young people to speak with their peers and teachers in classrooms. These political discussions mean that many of the effects of radicalisation won’t happen.” - Iman Mansoor, My Life My Say Squad Leader

A huge thank you to the Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, for opening the event with a speech backing citizenship education, the introduction of votes at 16 and the importance of the rule of law in democracy.

Read the full report of the event and get involved with the campaign: https://www.youngcitizens.org/news/young-people-join-panel-with-alastair-campbell-at-launch-of-the-big-democracy-lesson/

Thank you to our supporters Fieldfisher and RELX/RX, and the The IDRC for hosting the event.

Photo credit: Sabrina Fearon-Melville

The Big Democracy Lesson is launched 🚀 Last night, we were thrilled to welcome Shad, Iman, Lydia and Tajus (plus a room ...
20/11/2025

The Big Democracy Lesson is launched 🚀

Last night, we were thrilled to welcome Shad, Iman, Lydia and Tajus (plus a room full of young people) for our Big Democracy Conversation with .

They discussed what they think of the state of democracy and why it is important to engage politically, as well as touching on some of the biggest issues facing society right now.

Shad called for honesty from politicians and unity in our communities, while attendee Harry offered a potent reminder: “Democracy is not just for one group, it’s for the entire nation”. We will be sharing more youth voice on our channels soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

The event marks the launch of our new suite of resources for schools: The Big Democracy Lesson 📚

In the resources, you’ll find everything you need to make democracy engaging, relevant, and accessible in your classroom. The lesson plans are designed to be politically neutral, easy to use, and full of practical activities that bring democratic concepts to life.

With 16-year-olds set to be given the vote, we need to make sure all children and young people are informed and inspired to use their voice. What better place to start than in the classroom?

Young Citizens is calling on all schools to deliver at least one lesson about democracy this year. Head to youngcitizens.org/BigDemocracyLesson to make your pledge and get started!

Thank you to the Attorney General, Lord Hermer (), for making opening remarks about the importance of the rule of law and democracy, and our president Lord Knight for his closing comments.

Finally, a big thank you to our event supporters and RELX / RX for making it a reality, and to International Dispute Resolution Centre for hosting us.

18/11/2025

Did you hear about our new campaign The Big Democracy Lesson on BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday? 📻

Campaign supporter Alastair Campbell and our chief executive Ashley Hodges spoke to Matt Chorley about how we are empowering young people through democratic literacy in state schools.

Alastair said: “I’ve been campaigning for years to lower the voting age, and I think it’s a really good thing to do. But I worry that unless it’s set alongside civic education and education about politics, then it can end up any which way.

“I don’t buy the idea that young people aren’t engaged and aren’t interested. They’re interested, but they’re confused. They want to know how to engage and how the political system works.

“What I love about this campaign that is being launched by Young Citizens is that it’s saying to teachers: here are the tools, and these are the sorts of debates you can generate.

“My experience is that when you have that first conversation, provided you get it off in an interesting and engaging way, most kids really do warm to the idea of being part of the political process.”

Thank you to Alastair for his support of the campaign and to 5 Live for giving us a platform! Listen to a clip of the interview here 👂

Address

London

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+442075664141

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Young Citizens posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category