Regional Research Schools Network Meetings: Collaboration and Progress

Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester and West Sussex County Council invite you to: ‘Your Voice Matters: Getting Involved in Research’ - a practical and inspiring workshop designed specifically for VCSE organisations across West Sussex. This session shines a spotlight on the vital role that lived experience plays in shaping meaningful, impactful research. Whether your organisation already engages with research or you’re exploring how to get started, this workshop will help you understand how community insight can strengthen evidence, improve services, and open new opportunities for involvement. During the workshop, we’ll explore: • The Impact of Lived Experience Research (how real stories and community perspectives drive better outcomes) • Attitudes and Experiences of Research (what motivates people to take part and what gets in the way) • How to Get Involved (practical routes for individuals and organisations to participate in research) Who Should Attend? Community facing VCSE representatives across West Sussex - particularly those who support individuals whose lived experience can help inform better services. This could be staff, volunteers and/or a group of service users. For more information please visit: https://www.vaac.org.uk/

🌍🤝 #OEWeekAmbassadors Alert 💬 Open education has achieved great things like democratizing access to knowledge and proving that collaborative noncommercial knowledge production works. To sustain these achievements, we need to keep asking for "open for whom?" and "governed by whom?" Gregory Beyrer of Cosumnes River College and #CCCOER Committee Member, attended "Open Education as Anti-Fascism: Building Democratic Resilience,” organized by Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd. More info here: https://lnkd.in/e5Wwc2yN Read more about the OEWeek ambassador program: https://lnkd.in/eihu-Xcn #GlobalCommunity #OpenEducation #OEWeek26 #OEWeek

The Enterprise for Youth team is leveling up for impact! 👏 Guadalupe, Gyasi, Holly, and Peter are participating in the UCSF SHINE Cohort, a 6-month training and technical assistance program hosted by the University of California, San Francisco Latinx Center of Excellence (UCSF LCOE) and the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF). Through this cohort, they’re building skills to: ✅ Strengthen trauma-informed, equity-centered programs ✅ Collaborate with peers to share best practices ✅ Expand youth career readiness and healthcare pathways ✅ Drive lasting impact for youth and families in San Francisco Investing in our team is investing in the youth we serve. 🌟 #EnterpriseForYouth #YouthEquity #SHINECohort #WorkforceDevelopment #CommunityImpact #UCSF #DCYF

We’re excited to see Dr. Casie Wise, Senior Program Director at the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), speak at SXSW EDU on March 10 at 4 PM CT, alongside youth development leaders, exploring innovative approaches to reducing chronic absenteeism. The session, “What If Less is More: Chronic Absenteeism’s Unexpected Fix,” will examine how stress, anxiety, and a lack of belonging contribute to student disengagement. It will also highlight how solutions centered on rest, youth voice and choice, and emotionally safe environments can help re-engage young people. This conversation reflects the importance of creating learning environments where students feel supported, connected, and valued. If you’re attending SXSW EDU, we’d love to connect there. ✨

Collaboration creates impact. Through the Syracuse College Attainment Network (SCAN), partners across Central New York are working together to strengthen student pathways from education to career. Some of the impact from this work: • $300,000 in scholarships awarded to SCAN member students in 2025 • Increased college access and enrollment support • Expanded career pathway exposure • Student-led advocacy opportunities • Shared data and insights across partner organizations When systems align, students gain momentum instead of losing it. That’s the purpose of SCAN. Learn more: syracusecan.org #SyracuseCAN #StudentImpact #EducationEquity #ScholarshipsMatter #CommunityCollaboration #WorkforceReadiness #HigherEducation #CentralNewYork

If you work with young people and run any kind of participation activity — consultations, peer research, co-production, youth boards — publicinvolvement.co.uk is worth bookmarking. It's a free resource originally built for health researchers, funded by NIHR, but the frameworks map directly onto youth voice practice. It covers the full participation process: ➡ Planning who to involve, when, and how ➡ Reaching diverse communities and forming relationships with local organisations ➡ Facilitation tips and safeguarding considerations ➡ How to share findings back with the people you involved A lot of the guidance on power, tokenism, and what meaningful involvement actually looks like runs parallel to what the National Youth Strategy is pushing for — moving beyond consultation toward genuine co-production and youth-led decision making. #youthvoice #youthparticipation #publicinvolvement

Looking for education research partners in Massachusetts? If you're working with Massachusetts state agencies, there's a good chance you've used the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) to identify partners. We're pleased to share that MC² Education is now listed in the Massachusetts SDP directory. The SDP helps agencies and prime contractors find certified diverse businesses across sectors. Organizations seeking expertise in education research and program evaluation and educational support services can now find MC² through the directory. We look forward to connecting with others working to strengthen education programs and systems across Massachusetts. #SupplierDiversity #Massachusetts #MCSquaredEducation

As part of our ongoing interview series with Team Plymouth’s Workstream Leaders, we sat down with Debbie Joce MA FCIPD, Lead for the Education (Pre-16) workstream, to explore how the city is tackling educational inequality, raising aspirations, and ensuring every young person can succeed. From improving attainment to creating more inclusive learning environments, Debbie shares how Team Plymouth is working with partners across the city to build strong foundations for future skills and long-term prosperity – making sure growth benefits every community. Read the full Q&A: https://lnkd.in/ex_DfGCc

This Q&A with the Team Plymouth Education Workstream Lead, Debbie Joce MA FCIPD is genuinely inspiring. As a mother of young children myself, it’s reassuring to see first-hand the passion, clarity and empathy driving this work. The commitment to ensuring that no child in our city is left behind comes through and it fills me with real hope for the future of Plymouth’s young people. This workstream is in very safe hands, supported brilliantly by Gemma Goulden-Ham, Isabelle Kolinsky and many others across Plymouth. Their collective drive to open up opportunities, lift aspirations and remove barriers for every child is exactly what our city needs. Motivating to read and a reminder of the impact that purposeful, people‑centred leadership can have. #teamplymouth #education #inspiringleaders

📋👀🙌🏾 Kantahyanee Murray, PhD. Tyler Logan, MA. National League of Cities - Southern Cities Economic Initiative. Birmingham. Need I say more? This is Lift Every Voice Evaluation, Research & Strategy in full effect. 🔥 We’re grateful for our National League of Cities partnership, and the funders making this possible—W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation—investing in cities doing hard, creative, community-rooted work to build real economic mobility. And we get to support their learning journey. 💜💛 If you’re leading an initiative that needs rigorous, people-centered evaluation, this is what we bring. 📌 Follow us at Lift Every Voice for more. And reach out! We’d love to learn about your work!