Field Studies Council Youth Council

The Field Studies Council Youth Council is a group of twelve proactive young naturalists aged 16-25 from across the UK helping to steer FSC engagement and content. They act as representatives for other young people who engage with the Field Studies Council.

The Field Studies Council is committed to increasing youth engagement in nature through a series of face to face and online courses, subsidies, projects, camps, and scholarships. 

Application process

We welcome applications from all young people regardless of your experiences or backgrounds. Please note that this is a voluntary role.

The application process asks you two main questions that help us to understand who you are and how you would like to help youth engagement within the Field Studies Council

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself, your experiences and the environmental topics that you are passionate about. (Max 200 words).
   Ideas for answers: How do you connect with the outdoors, do you have any other volunteer roles, do you create any content such as videos or blogs
2. Why would you like to join the Field Studies Council Youth Council? (Max 300 words)
   Ideas for answers: What changes would you like to help with, why do you want to be a voice and representative for young people, what do you hope to gain during your time on the council

If you find answering online forms difficult and would rather talk through and answer the application questions please contact [email protected] with your contact phone number and availability to call. 

Some people find it easier to write their answers to the above questions on Microsoft word or Google docs and paste the answers into the application form.

Applications will close on April 10th, 2022 and you will hear by April 15th on the outcome of your application.

Watch the video below created by Field Studies Council higher education placement students to learn a bit more of how the youth council runs

Being a 2022/2023 member on the youth council

If you are successful in your application there will be four online meetings a year that all members will be expected to attend along with an online training session. Outside of these four mandatory meetings, there will be regular meetings for projects depending on your interests and needs of the Field Studies Council.
The Youth Council is what you make of it and there will be plenty of opportunities to expand your skills and experiences in your areas of interest.

This is a voluntary role.

Before applying please note the four dates below for the online meetings all council members are expected to attend. These occur the first Monday of every three months starting in May.

What do the Youth Council do? 

The Youth Council meet online to:

• Discuss and evaluate Field Studies Council courses ensuring it is relevant to what young people need/want. 
• Discuss and implement actions on increasing engagement and diversity.  
• Provide a youth perspective on Field Studies Council projects
• Provide a youth perspective on the Young Darwin Scholarship.

”It is a fantastic opportunity to help influence projects, making them more appealing and accessible to young people. I also feel young people are not aware of the FSC and the valuable projects and programs they provide and how young people could benefit from such as the wide variety of educational camps and the valuable skills they can learn from these.”

Joe P (20)

What has the Youth Council achieved in 2021?

• Input on the content of the Young Darwin Scholarship and application process
• Chaired an online debate during CoP26 titled ”Is planting trees the best way to solve a climate crisis?”
• Represented the youth voice on Radio Shropshire
• Input on our new range of climate change ambassador courses
• Created engaging content for social media and influenced the marketing teams to try innovative ideas
• Discussed the need for more youth-led research to the Open University
• Raised overall awareness in the charity for the need to consider young people when developing courses

”I strongly feel that I wouldn’t have chosen to study Biology at University or have the job I do today, without the FSC. Joining the Youth Council is now a fantastic opportunity to ensure that other young people can have access to the same positive experiences that I have.”

Liv C (24)

How has youth engagement increased in the Field Studies Council?

• The Young Darwin Scholarship saw a five fold increase in applications
• Young people are getting in touch about what opportunites the Field Studies Council can provide for them
• Young people attended the CoP26 debate giving them another platform for their voices to be heard
• Nearly 600 young people have attended a Field Studies Council natural histroy course this year subsidised through the Generation Green project
• Overall followers on instagram have increased significantly and Tik-Tok followers are growing

The Council ensures all young people have the option to increase their environmental knowledge, connect more with nature and explore environmental career paths and volunteering opportunities through the Field Studies Council.  

If you have any questions about the Youth Council, please email [email protected]