YOYO CAMPAIGN SPRINGS BACK IN TO ACTION

The YOYO campaign funded by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner will be back visiting South Yorkshire schools in the coming weeks.

The campaign stands for You’re Only Young Once and provides media training in schools to year nine pupils and above, providing them with the opportunity to produce podcasts, radio advertisements and videos.

Using social issues such as Child Sexual Exploitation and Guns, Gangs and Knives, YOYO will be bigger and better than ever as pupils are encouraged to learn about spotting the signs and the dangers of engaging in activities that could affect their futures.

YOYO provides pupils with a five hour workshop in their school free of charge, producing media materials that are added to the www.yoyosyorks.co.uk website and shared through the school and on social media.

The young people research for themselves what can happen if they are invited in to circumstances that they may feel uncomfortable with.  It helps to educate them on the dangers and provides further opportunities for them to share their findings through media.

The project is funded by Dr Alan Billings, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, he said: “All too often we try and educate young people on dangers by telling them what they can and can’t do.  YOYO offers them the opportunity to research for themselves what could happen if they did get involved.

“It not only allows them to research issues in a safe environment, it encourages them to share their learning through media with their classmates, their year group and their family.

“We delivered YOYO last year in 29 South Yorkshire schools and received positive feedback from pupils and teachers.  They were all impressed with the way in which YOYO engages pupils to learn in a fun way with a final product to call their own.

“This year we are taking it one step further, with some of the finished products being turned into awareness raising radio advertisements.  Each phase of the campaign will produce a radio advertisement from the pupils that will air on a local radio station across South Yorkshire.

“This will mean that South Yorkshire’s young people are educating their peers on South Yorkshire issues.

“We have seen a number of violent incidents in South Yorkshire recently and child sexual exploitation is still an issue.  We need to continue to educate young people.

“YOYO is the perfect way of allowing young people to change how they live their lives and choose different options based on facts and research.”

The YOYO sessions are delivered by the Bauer Academy, the education and training arm of Bauer Media, who bring media and education on social issues together.