It is an undeniable fact that the passion and energy of young people are vital for the development of our society. That's why we celebrate International Youth Day every year on 12 August. Let's dream of more opportunities available to young people!
#InternationalYouthDay 2022
Τhe objective of this year’s International Youth Day theme, Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages, is to raise awareness on all the barriers to intergenerational solidarity, notably ageism, which impacts both young and old people.
Start with a simple speaking activity and thought-provoking questions that will certainly spark some interest: Can you think of any age-related obstacles that impact young people's well-being? What is ageism? In what ways does it impact the young? How can we properly address this problem? How can we promote intergenerational understanding?
Your last question should be the following one: Are there any young leaders and change-makers that you admire? And then... ask for a WebQuest and a presentation about them! If your students can't come up with any ideas, suggest an online search for the actions of Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai or Emma Watson.
Tip💡 English learners at pre-intermediate (B1), intermediate (B1+) and upper-intermediate (B2) level can also practise their reading, vocabulary and negotiation skills with a great worksheet that focuses on the way youngsters can make the world a better place (taken from our Voices B1+ student's book)!
Youth &Social Media
We're always amazed at the passion of teenagers and at how active they are on social media! So, let's inspire our young English learners to make use of technology in order to easily channel their energy into something productive and useful.
Ask your students to create and post a reel showing off their creativity and passion for a better world. Let them think: How would they promote actions for a worthy cause? What cause would they choose (e.g. access to education, climate change or racism)? Could they start a social media campaign? What story could they share in order to inspire other teenagers?
Well, you're never too young to make a difference! And we are very proud when our young learners learn how to use social media responsibly and realise that technology can be used as a force for good!
Tip💡 A good source of inspiration and help for your learners can be found here: www.un.org/youth.
