Youth Experiential Learning Simulation: Reflections One Year On

Back in March 2024, we hosted our third Youth Experiential Learning Simulation (YExLS) at Cardiff University and our first independent of our American partners. In attendance were a mix of frontline staff from local authorities and the Third Sector, research and policy professionals, and Welsh Government Officials, who we have asked for their reflections on the impact of the simulation, one year on.

The YExLS was developed in the USA by lawyers Angela Vigil and Brian Blalock, who worked with disadvantaged children and young people they have represented in their legal practice to create this incredibly immersive training designed to put professionals ‘in the shoes’ of these young people. Aspects of the Simulation are based directly on the lived experience of the young people, and this is what makes it so powerful.

Brian and Angela have traveled all over the world delivering the Simulation, facilitating important conversations and impacting real change amongst professionals in dozens of different countries and industries. Wales, however, is the only country that they have allowed to run the Simulation independently. You can read more about this journey here.

After our attendees had completed the Simulation, we asked them (as we always do) to reflect on what the experience taught them about our social systems and, importantly, to make a pledge based on those feelings about how they will act differently over the course of the next week, month and year, in working to drive forward change on behalf of young people across Wales.

A year later, we asked the participants to reflect on the pledges they made last March, and on how the experiences has influenced their professional practice over the last twelve months.

Here are some of their responses:

“I'm more vocal about pushing for systemic change and raising the challenges many of our young people are facing”

“I still remember the sense of injustice I felt when participating, which has been a constant driver for me to continue the fight to end homelessness.”

“I have thought about the simulation weekly, the experience was incredibly powerful and I’ve found it motivating to tackle the challenges we face to create a more joined up system.”

Some highlighted the challenges that came with attempting to change broken systems, highlighting the need to not only outline the current problems, but to work collaboratively to create a better system:

“There seems to be more awareness that systems are broken but not really the ability to change it!”

Since March 2024, we have run a further two simulations, one in Bangor and one again in Cardiff and plans are ongoing to run a number over the course of 2024/2025. If you would like to learn more about YExLS or discuss hosting one in your locality, please do not hesitate to get in touch.