TEAM GUC–19

Abigail

UK – Scotland

Typically a sporty and academic girl, my exams were cancelled due to the pandemic which caused a great deal of distress and all of my sports clubs had to close which left me with not a lot to do. I wanted to join the project to have a chance to voice my experience of the pandemic and to hear if it differed from, or was similar to, others' experiences. So far, my research themes focus mainly on mental health and the impact the pandemic has had on education, specifically in secondary school.

Adriano

Italy

I am an Italian scientific high school student who is currently graduating (class of 2021). I chose this kind of school due to my early passion for Design and Engineering. However, I changed my mind in the past couple of years, because of my interests in foreign politics and diplomacy. Besides, with the latest lockdown, I had the chance to master my knowledge and skills through virtual UN simulations, though I could not attend an important meeting in Rome. What prompted me to participate in this research project has been the will to let the adults know teenagers' thoughts on this particular issue, and suggest to governors some possible ideas as well, to enhance the general response to the pandemic. Thus, I would say I want to leave a mark. Moreover, I will draw attention to the education sector, which has been highly affected by this pandemic, especially secondary schools, and how my country managed distance learning.

Ahmad

Lebanon

Covid 19 is a rare pandemic, it might be the only pandemic that makes all people around the world stay inside their homes for this long period of time. Its effects are very difficult to pass and continue your life normally, so I am participating in this research to reflect the situation of the families and youth in my country, especially in terms of work, volunteering and studying. In addition, this research introduces me to a lot of young people and I am one of them, new to the world of researching and making reports.

Beth

UK – Northern Ireland

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Charmaine

Singapore

Currently, 18-year-old me is just trying to juggle my studies and external commitments in the midst of the pandemic. The pandemic has taught me much, from grit to gratitude. I joined this project in hopes of listening and hearing from other young people about how they were coping with the pandemic and their thoughts about how countries were dealing with the pandemic. My research ideas mainly revolve around how our behaviours towards public spaces have changed due to the pandemic. I have a keen interest in vlogging which I hope will be evident in my video recordings about my research ideas.

Clara

Italy

Sono una studentessa in un liceo scientifico, e quando non sono impegnata con la scuola e lo studio mi piace impiegare il mio tempo con la lettura, una delle cose che amo fare di più, ma mi piace anche disegnare e dipingere, cucinare, adoro la fotografia, il giardinaggio, la musica e molte altre cose. Alcuni di questi interessi sono nati proprio durante il lock-down: dovendo rimanere in casa e avendo parecchio tempo libero, ho dovuto trovare vari modi per trascorrere le mie giornate e per non cadere nella noia. Ho voluto partecipare a questo progetto perché ritengo che questa pandemia abbia lasciato un segno in ognuno di noi, e alla fine del progetto spero di poter avere delle storie da raccontare, per non rischiare di dimenticare questo periodo così complicato. Ciò di cui mi occuperò è l'impatto che la pandemia ha avuto sulle persone dal punto di vista emotivo e comportamentale, e come è cambiato il nostro modo di vedere le cose a causa di essa.

I am a student in a scientific high school, and when I am not busy with school and study I like to spend my time reading, which is one of the things I love to do the most, but I also like drawing and painting, cooking, I love photography, gardening, music and many other things. Some of these interests were born during the lock-down: having to stay at home and having a lot of free time, I had to find various ways to spend my days and not to fall into boredom. I wanted to participate in this project because I believe that this pandemic has left a mark on each of us, and at the end of the project I hope to have some stories to tell, so as not to risk forgetting this very complicated period. What I will address is the impact the pandemic has had on people emotionally and behaviourally, and how the way we see things has changed because of it.

Coll

UK – Scotland

Hi, I'm Coll. I'm 16 and I live in Scotland. I'm really interested in politics and a member of the Labour Party, as a result I'm passionate about social and current affairs. It is for this reason I wanted to join the research project. I think it's more important than ever that young peoples' voices are heard, especially in a time when we seem to be at the bottom of the pile in the minds of decision makers. The research project allows our opinions to be heard on issues of importance to us. For this reason, I put name forward. I really wanted to do my best to shine on light on some of the injustices the pandemic has amplified. The project has definitely provided me with a forum to do this. I decided to focus my research on two issues. Firstly, the UK government's incompetent handling of coronavirus and how, because of it, many lives have been unnecessarily endangered. I have found it interesting analysing each failure and evaluating its impact. My second area of research is whether the economy has been put before health in the country's handling of the crisis. As we reopen the nation, I think peoples' safety has been sacrificed in order to rehabilitate the economy. Analysing this offers an insight into the strategy used by our government to combat the crisis and save the economy, however this revealed that the economy is definitely being prioritised over health.

Daniel

UK – Research Network

My interests are politics, history, and current affairs. During the pandemic, I have been studying and playing games with my friends and cousins. Also I have been following current affairs and making videos about this for my Instagram account. I have also been writing articles for my school newspaper and playing with our new puppy Humphrey. I joined the project because I think it is really important to keep a record for future generations. Also I really like the idea that this is an international research project and I hope to get to work with children from other countries.

Ellie

UK – Northern Ireland

My name is Ellie and I'm researching the COVID-19 pandemic through art. I joined this project in order to keep up to date with relevant news concerning the pandemic and so that I could contribute my own thoughts on this unprecedented chapter in our world's history. So far, I've been exploring the effects of COVID-19 on the education system as well as the psychological and social effects a strained school life can have on students. I've been presenting my work as a number of journal entries accompanied by illustrations.

Eve

UK – England

I am 16 years old and I live in a very rural area of North West England with my parents and younger sister. I enjoy swimming in lakes (the colder, the better!) and watching foreign language films and series. I joined the research project not only to contribute how lockdown has been in my tiny corner of the world, but also to find out how it has been for others across the country and share with them. My parents are foster carers so I've been looking a bit into 'looked after children during the pandemic' and also have been keeping little diary entries as well.

Eve P

UK – England

Hello! I'm Eve (they/them, 17 years old); a year 13 applied science college student from the south west coast of England (in the coastal town of Poole). As my studies suggest, I'm actually a mad scientist in disguise, with specific interest in human biology and disease. I also enjoy creative writing in my spare time, especially poetry, when I'm not swathed with assignments. I am a commissioned New Creative tasked to deliver my writing to the world, which is proving an exceptional challenge in this climate, but rewarding nonetheless! I'm also a Foyle's commended young poet :D

Alongside significant adjustments to schooling during lockdown ,myself and my family have had to deal with a fairly sudden bereavement, certainly testing the limits during the strict lockdown circumstances.

As a SUN (Southern University Network) Young Researcher, I received this opportunity through connections with them. It has piqued my interest in elevating the voices of young people, voices that are often lost, especially in such a tumultuous period where we need our voices heard now more than ever. As an autistic person, I am particularly passionate about igniting voices of the disabled, by sharing other's experiences and my own, which are also often overlooked. I hope that by doing this project, we will get a few steps closer to influencing research and decisions with young people's voices in mind, so discussions are encouraged between young people, adults, decision makers etc and changes can be made for the better.

Currently, I am looking introspectively into the impacts lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic as a whole has had on my mental health, the major shift in education, as well as exploring impactful events that have happened to myself during lockdown, especially bereavement during the outbreak. I am doing this using my creative works, as I find this provides a lot of insight into things that have happened and how I process them, whether that be subconsciously or explicitly. I have also had discussions about the government's handling of the pandemic, even though I haven't explored this in depth myself.

I am also looking to explore online relationships, and our relationship with the online world during the pandemic. I hope to explore the impacts of lockdown with my youth group, to see how it has specifically affected people with SEND.

Ewan

UK – Scotland

Hi! My name's Ewan, I'm 14 and I'm from Scotland. My usual hobbies are musical theatre and politics, and my ambition is to go into Scottish politics. This pandemic, like many of you, has impacted me in many ways. As a young person, my life was flipped upside down during the pandemic. No seeing friends or family, isolated in my house for months on end. It's been a difficult struggle, especially since Scotland and the rest of the UK are potentially looking at a second wave of lockdowns and shutting down the economy. My research aims are in two key areas. Firstly, the impact on Scottish young people when compared to the rest of the UK and the rest of the world. This is especially important as my SQA exams have been cancelled in 2021, meaning lots of new stresses for Scottish S4 pupils. My other research area is in LGBT+ young people and how they have been uniquely impacted; as an LGBT+ young person it's important the unique problems that LGBT+ young people have faced are being addressed by Governments and organisations.

Finlay

UK

I'm a programmer, (casual) runner and activist. Throughout lockdown, I managed to keep sane by writing personal essays and making sure I kept up with friends. I joined this project to contribute to the understanding around Covid and its effect on young people, something I feel is not properly understood. So far, I've been focusing on the effect of the pandemic on schooling. I chair my school's Student Voice organisation and love analysing the effect it has over wider groups, as well as myself and the people closer to me.

Francesca

Italy

Sono Francesca, ho 16 anni e vivo insieme a mia madre, mio padre ed il mio fratellino minore. La pandemia ha stravolto notevolmente i miei ritmi abituali, perché qui in Italia, a causa del lockdown, sono stata costretta in casa per più di due mesi, cosa che ha rivoluzionato le mie abitudini. Partecipo al progetto perché sono una ragazza molto curiosa e spero di riuscire a capire come ragazzi che vivono in contesti diversi dal mio abbiano vissuto questo periodo e spero anche di riuscire a relazionarmi con nuove persone. Al momento sto seguendo una ricerca che mira a capire la situazione nei paesi sud americani e negli USA, tramite dei miei cari amici che vivono lì.

My name is Francesca, I am 16 years old and I live with my mother, my father and my younger brother. The pandemic has significantly disrupted my routine, because here in Italy, due to the lockdown, I was forced to stay at home for more than two months, which has revolutionized my habits. I participate to the project because I am a very curious girl and I hope to be able to understand how young people who live in different contexts have lived this period and I also hope to be able to interact with new people. At the moment I am conducting a research that aims to understand the situation in Latin American countries and the USA, thanks to some close friends who live there.

Grace

UK

I am a sporty and very social person so Covid-19 was hard as it meant that initially these were taken away. However, very quickly I overcame these by having regular Zoom calls and playing hockey in my garden. I wanted to be part of the project because us, as young people, need to have our voices heard as we will be most impacted in the longer-term. So far, my research ideas are to study the social impact of pollution and the release of greenhouse gases on people's respiratory health. This topic is of particular interest to me as I am currently studying Children's Nursing and so advocate for the health and well-being of the population.

Hannan

UK

I am an A-Level student who is currently preparing for university and A-Level exams. I joined the research project as it was an amazing opportunity for me to embark on a project of my own. My project is looking at the impact of COVID-19 on exams. As I am currently experiencing the whole aspect of exam preparation, I am looking forward to seeing what lies ahead.

Isra

UK – England

Hi! My name's Isra and life during the pandemic has been... challenging to say the least. Since I have a large family with a range of ages with different experiences, I joined the project to give an accurate representation of how life during the pandemic has affected young people. It is as important as ever for our voices to be represented so that in the future, if something like this was to reoccur, we are better prepared. For my research, I have investigated the impact Covid-19 has had on education, the environment, leisure, travel, faith, mental and physical health, and much more. I like to present my findings through embroidery, poetry, photography, as well as through 'conventional' methods.

Karli

UK – Scotland

I am 16 years old and live with my foster parents. Groups that I'm part of are Police Scotland Youth Volunteer, Guides, and Who Cares Scotland. I go to a school which helps me as I have learning difficulties. I got to know about the project through my social worker and thought I could try to apply to show others what it is like to have difficulties, be care-experienced and cope with Covid-19. So far, I have talked about Who Cares Scotland and my school and my friends as these are the things that affect me most every day.

Lara

Lebanon

A passionate teenager who's willing to change her society to be a better one by being involved with several organizations. During the Covid-19 pandemic I've worked on myself to improve my knowledge and personality by attending trainings and webinars and I've come out with an initiative concerning mental health. It was a tough period full of risks, anxiety, stress, depression, etc. due to the pandemic and Lebanon's overall situation. But we can't deny its positive aspects even in this mess. This free time made me rearrange my priorities, realize my strengths and capabilities, recount my blessings and discover gems around me that I couldn't see before due to running to reach the finish line in life. This project was an opportunity to share my thoughts and my painful feelings from my beloved country to other countries, and it gave me a chance to meet new incredible people by applying a specific type of research. Regarding the research ideas and themes: I've worked on daily activities, diaries, and breath-taking locations in Lebanon I've discovered, and shared my perspective on some topics. Finally, I will end this paragraph with one of my favourite quotes "Nothing can dim the light that shines within"; neither corona nor our county's situation will change my hope and perseverance. So rather than seeing the half empty glass, let's focus on the half-full glass.

Lois

UK

Hi. I'm Lois. I'm 18 and am currently on a gap year. I'm super interested in working within social policy in the future, particularly in the education sector to improve social mobility. Therefore, I have focused my research on the personal development of young people. I feel that the pandemic has opened me up to a multitude of opportunities, whilst also preventing us from having a lot of typical experiences that we were able to have in a pre-covid world. I am excited to continue to document the challenges and more positive times that the pandemic has given me. Finally, I hope that by illustrating my personal journey that my research will play a part in guiding organisations towards how to best give young people support in the future.

Maisie

UK

Hello, my name is Maisie, I am 14 and I joined the research to show how mine like many other people's life has changed during lockdown. My research shows the detrimental impact COVID has had on people's lives such as cancer patients. I hope my research brings awareness to make sure cancer services are never neglected again.

Melissa

UK – England

I'm Melissa, a 17 year old A-Level student from the South East of England. I'm interested in psychology, baking, art, reading and creative writing. My life during the pandemic has been a mix of hectic and calm, with some weeks being very busy filled with school work and other commitments while others have been calm and I have had more time to relax. The lockdown gave me a chance to reflect upon myself and helped me build up the confidence to take part in projects such as this one and other opportunities which have arisen since the start of this year. I joined the project as I thought it was be something enjoyable and interesting to take part in, helping me to gain skills in research that would provide useful for my journey to study at university, I hope to achieve greater skills in gathering information and create friends from this project as well from across all countries taking part in the project. I'm focusing on education, mental health and relationships with family and friends and from the research I've conducted so far across the UK, young people have had very different experiences with the pandemic so far.

Mimi

UK – England

I am pretty confident, or at least hope, that the coronavirus pandemic will be a once in a lifetime experience for me, so compelled by this unique opportunity and a strong interest in politics and world affairs, I was excited by the idea of this project as it meant I could be involved in something where I can be heard as a young person. My experience in lockdown has of course included the cliches of baking a million cakes and sorting out my bedroom, but I hope that through this research project I can also display some of the negative experiences surrounding body image and the effect of lockdown on mental health that myself and many teenagers are facing. We have been thrown into this alien experience with many worries and challenges unique to our generation, and I hope I can help get them acknowledged.

Monty

UK – England

My name is Monty. During this pandemic I found that life differed wildly from pre-pandemic, I found this project and immediately thought it was a good idea to join as my friends and I have been affected in terms of our education. I have friends in the year above me who had their exam results determined by an algorithm and this year I will do my GCSE's but with a reduction in content. That is why I decided to do my research on how lockdown has affected pupils/students education.

Phoebe

UK

I'm Phoebe and I'm an 18-year-old first-year Politics student from the Midlands. Life has changed quite a lot for me since the start of lockdown- in March; I wasn't planning on attending university and now I'm here. I joined this project to help document my experiences further. I'm researching the effects of COVID-19 on the education system: quite a turbulent topic so far, but so important for the future of our generation!

Rafael

UK – England

I'm interested in coding, gaming, psychology, and ethical issues. During the pandemic, I have been studying, playing games online and coding, as well as playing a lot with our new puppy. I joined the project because it is something completely different that I can take part in. I can contribute and learn at the same time.

Ronak

Singapore

I like both academics, specifically Biology and Chemistry, and also do several sports like swimming, football,and basketball, amongst others. In Singapore, we switched to home-based learning in March and it brought along with it several challenges. However, the pandemic was brought under control within 3 months and my school resumed with safe distancing measures. I joined this research project to understand how other people around the world are coping with the pandemic and to share my personal experiences and opinions as well. The pandemic has driven me to contribute to the welfare of the community by doing more volunteering projects, like helping the migrant workers and children in Cambodia to maintain their hygiene by cleaning their hands in a more thorough manner. My research is about the impact of Covid-19 on people's everyday lives, and how they are reacting to it.

Sumandeep

UK – England

I'm an extraordinary teen just on a bigger adventure than the norm. Life during the pandemic for me has been a blessing in disguise with just a little disappointment. I joined the project because I was interested in being a part of something big that has been happening around the world and just a small contribution always makes a difference from afar! My research so far has been of a survey based on psychological effects on young people, created by my personal experiences during lockdown.

Tapiwa

UK – England

Hey, my name is Tapiwa (pronounced Ta-pee-wah). I'm 16 and I love writing, cooking and music. Life during the pandemic has been a real rollercoaster up and down and all around. Initially, it was not so great but over time I have developed as a person, found ways to keep motivated and doing things I love even in these unprecedented times. Originally, I joined the project to be a part of a change in the way the government and other organisations perceive and act on young people's views. By the time the project finished, I hope it will have a positive impact on decision-makers and that other young people will be inspired to speak up more and exercise their youth voice. So far, I'm enjoying the reflections I get to make and sparking up different debate points and new opinions/ideas with people around me. Some of those include conformity, exclusion, uncertainty, hypocrisy, and changes.

Tia

Lebanon

I'm a fairly young girl living in the heart of Lebanon's capital. I'm interested in expressing my opinions, fibre arts, and theatre. I joined this program in order to have a platform to share my views, ideas, and opinions without them being disregarded because of my young age. I'm currently researching the impact of the recent economic strike on the pandemic here in Lebanon, and different causes for the outburst of the second wave of the virus here. I have been collecting news articles, observations, and opinions from different citizens for this research and I hope to expand it further!

WenXin

Singapore

Hello! I'm Wen Xin, aged 16, from Singapore! Life in Singapore for me has fortunately been laced with a silver lining as I am lucky to be in the pink of health and with stability all around. Though cooped up at home with the restrictions against going out, I found it a time to rest from the normally hectic schedule. However, I understand that not many people undergo the same experiences as me, and theirs might be more turbulent. Thus, I joined this project to gain a deeper understanding of how Covid-19 has affected the lives of many other people, and to learn more about the situation from different individuals locally and globally. Furthermore, I believe this is a chance for me to gain new insights and perspectives, and be more aware of the situation around us. I also wish to hone my research skills and gain more experience from the research panel. For my research, I will be focusing on the impact of Covid-19 on businesses and how it has affected them, either positively or negatively, and possibly do a multi-country research to compare the government aid packages or benefits from each country.

Yasmin

Lebanon

My name is Yasmin. I am interested in drawing, music and youth issues. I joined the project to make friends from different cultures and develop my research skills. I hope to become a researcher and activist in society. My research theme is the impact of COVID-19 on youth, in which I discussed the impact on the social, educational and psychological situation and some solutions to address the difficulties and challenges that we faced as youth during the pandemic.

Youssef

Italy

Sono Youssef, ho 18 anni. Ho vari interessi, dovuti anche al mio percorso di studio (liceo scienze umane, indirizzo economico sociale), tra cui la politica, l'attualità, la storia, l'attivismo e le questioni sociali. Appena sono venuto a conoscenza di questo progetto ne sono stato entusiasta ed ho deciso subito di mandare la domanda per farne parte, perché credo che in questa crisi la voce dei giovani sia stata trascurata, e grazie a questa ricerca possiamo mostrare la nostra prospettiva.

I am Youssef, I am 18 years old. I have various interests, also due to my education background (social science high school, specialising in socio-economic subjects), including politics, current affairs, history, activism and social issues. As soon as I became aware of this project I was enthusiastic and I immediately decided to send the application to be part of it, because I believe that in this crisis the voice of young people has been neglected, and thanks to this research we can show our perspective.