Welcome
Hi!
Welcome to the latest YS Magazine - dedicated to young people who are, or will soon be, eligible for a Young Scot National Entitlement Card!
This magazine is a celebration of all things FUN and a great way for us to share information to help you make the most out of Young Scot. So, whether you’re a creative soul, an explorer, a knowledge-seeker, or a change-maker –we’ve got something special for you. Young Scot Team
Our promise to you
Everyone in the world has human rights, including you. And everyone under 18 has a human rights law that’s just for them. It’s called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, or UNCRC. These rights are at the heart of everything we do! Here’s our promise to you:
Inspire you: we’ll deliver interesting articles, uplifting stories and features packed full of ideas for you to have fun and make the most of life.
Your perspective: the information we share will address issues from your point of view, to make sure we give a voice to the experiences of young people.
Empower you: we’ll highlight opportunities for activities you can take part in that ignite your interests.
Diversity, equity and inclusion: we’ll celebrate diversity and inclusion and promote equity to ensure we represent different backgrounds, cultures and identities.
Express yourself: YS Magazine is a place where you can share your ideas, contribute your stories and be creative.
To inspire you, empower you and make you feel your best
To tell the truth and stand up for your rights
To include you and listen to you
To never digitally alter someone’s appearance
Email: info@young.scot
Editorial enquires: magazine@young.scot
Editor: Fiona Pringle
Contributors: Gillian Scott, Reid Aiton, Lenka Murova
Printed: Hugh Clarkson
To ensure showcased products are appropriate and relevant
SPORT’S FUTURE!
Meet the young people who are making decisions about the future of sport in Scotland. We asked them to finish this sentence, what would you say?
Sport is not just exercise, it’s...
a chance to find out more about yourself, build resilience and lifelong friendships.
a way for me to improve my physical and mental wellbeing whilst interacting and meeting lots of new people!
The 20-strong Young People’s Sports Panel, led by sportscotland and supported by Young Scot, is aged between 15 and 23 and come from all over Scotland, from Shetland to Dumfries. Throughout their two years as a panel they work to shape, influence and raise the profile of sport in Scotland.
a way to help your own mental health and push yourself to achieve personal goals.
it’s an opportunity to connect with others and become part of a like-minded and supportive community.
how I met my best friends while making memories to last a lifetime.
a journey of self-discovery, resilience and personal growth.
Trying a new sport or activity is a great way to meet new people and find something you enjoy.
Have a look at what’s on in your area!
Ask your Active Schools Coordinator or Young Ambassadors about what clubs are available in your area. You might feel unsure about trying something new - start with something small, such as going for a walk near where you live.
Meet the full panel!
Using your Young Scot National Entitlement Card
Having a card with free bus travel means that you can use it to get to school, go to shops and visit your friends and family.
This might be the first time you have taken a bus trip without a parent, guardian or carer so here are lots of handy tips on travelling and staying safe to make your journey even easier!
It’s your card and only your card – your friends can’t borrow it. Take good care of it – if you forget it or it gets damaged and doesn’t work, you’ll need to pay the bus fare.
Always keep in touch with your family and friends to let them know where you are – it’s important to stay safe.
• Be aware of the people around you. Are you speaking at a normal volume? Are your headphones plugged in?
• Be kind and respectful to your driver and other passengers
• Stay seated at all times to keep you and others safe
• Put rubbish in the bin or take it home with you
• Keep your feet off the seats On the bus
There’s more to Young Scot...
When you turn 12 you can sign up to be a member using your Young Scot card! Young Scot members can get online discounts, take part in fun activities to collect points and enter competitions to win amazing prizes.
Can you
How quickly can you unscramble these words?
Test your mind and eyes and see how quickly you can unscramble all these autumn themed words!
The colder weather is the perfect time to cosy up and delve into a new fantasy world! Explore tales full of fantastic creatures and wild magic.
The Edge of the Silver Sea
Alex Mullarky
An Illustrated Treasury of Dragon Tales Stories from Around the World
Theresa Breslin & Kate Leiper
Discover tales of dragons around the world, from Russian treasure hoarders to scaly Japanese princesses and winged Mexican gods, in this gorgeously illustrated gift anthology. From the acclaimed creators of the Illustrated Scottish Treasuries collection.
Blair plunges into a magical world of fey creatures and troubling secrets when an otherworldly woman offers her an irresistible deal. But here on the island at the edge of the silver sea, the rules are different, and a promise to the fey cannot be broken...
Don’t forget that you can get 30% off all Kelpies books with your Young Scot National Entitlement Card!
Do you need to research a topic for a school project?
Search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo will put the most popular at the top of the list.
You found some promising looking search results. Great!
The internet is an amazing place to be creative, chat with friends, find fun stuff and help with schoolwork.
Perfect Passwords
Passwords are a secret series of letters, numbers and symbols used to keep an account private.
Creating a perfect password can keep you safe online and help you explore the digital world safely
Are
you
a password whiz?
Best to first check and see if the results show any of these signs, which can mean that a website is not reliable:
It is messy and hard to read
There are lots of spelling mistakes
There are a lot of adverts popping up
You can’t see any details on who made the website
The information is out of date
Malware is like a sneaky computer “bug” that tries to do bad things to your device, like stealing information or making it act weird. It can hide in emails, apps, or websites, and once it gets inside, it can mess up your computer or phone. That’s why it’s important to be careful about what you click on or download.
Match the questions with the answers
Questions
What do you think are the most common passwords?
How often should you change your password?
What should you do if someone finds out your password?
How can you make your passwords strong and hard for people to guess?
Get more cyber skills!
FUN FACT!
The term “debugging” was popularised by trailblazing computer scientist Grace Hopper when a moth was found causing issues in a computer she was working on.
Answers Change it.
Use letters and numbers
Use a minimum of 8 characters
Use a mixture of capitals and lower case letters Try combining three random words
Change your password regularly and use different passwords for different websites and apps.
A pet’s name and the word ‘password’
Secrets to a happy healthy you
Good mental health means being able to think, feel, and do the things we need and want to, every day. Just like we all have physical health, we all have mental health too, and it’s important to take care of it!
There are lots of things we can do every day to support our wellbeing including:
Chatting to a friend about how you’ve been feeling
Getting activetry going for a walk or a new sport with a friend
The Land of Nod
Getting better sleep can have a positive impact on all aspects of your life - including your health and wellbeing. From helping your brain to remember and solve puzzles (great for school work!), sleep can also keep our hair shiny, skin clear and help to fight colds.
Try out the ‘Brain Dump’ technique! All you need is pen and paper!
Set a timer for 1 or 2 minutes.
Take a seat, this can be at a desk or even on the floor, but try avoiding your bed.
3 4
Stop and breathetake a moment for yourself. Try a calming activity like colouring or check out our puzzle page.
Find out more ways to look after your mental wellbeing.
As fast as you can write down everything that’s going through your mind right there and then.
After your timer is done, you can crumple the paper and throw it out or seal it shut in an envelope or a drawer. secs 1 2
You can use bullet points, it can just be words or phrases - you can write anything you’re thinking, not just things worrying you.
Writing out your thoughts on paper and then putting it away will help to clear your mind and help you settle before going to bed.
Your rights
Your rights as young people are listed in the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
How Young Scot help you access your rights
• Your rights apply ALL the time, not just in school.
Children’s charity UNICEF works to protect and promote rights around the world for all children.
These are in place to ensure that young people under 18 get what they need to be safe, healthy and thrive.
• Young Scot has lots of opportunities and activities to help support you to make the most of some of your rights.
Express your views!
Did You Know?
Volunteer with Young Scot, take part in a survey or create content on young.scot and have your opinion heard.
Trust the info we share!
What are Rights?
Rights are the things every child should have or be able to do.
Test Your Knowledge!
The UNCRC is:
A) For everyone under 18
B) Signed by 196 countries
C) Has 54 articles
D) A, B and C are all correct
The Convention has 54 articles and 196 countries have signed the UNCRC!
We share reliable information on lots of topics in a way that is easy for you to understand.
Save money and have fun!
You can save money with hundreds of discounts in over 1000 locations and take part in exciting experiences using your Young Scot National Entitlement Card.
Take part!
We share information about opportunities you can take part in to relax, play and have fun.
Standing up and Making a Change
Your Rights in Action!
Having your voice heard can make real changes in your own life and in your community. Knowing the right person or group to help you is a great start to make sure your rights are respected when you’re in and out of school.
You’re at the local park, and one of the accessible swings is broken. Your friend who uses a wheelchair can’t play at the park.
You hear about a local library offering free internet access and resources for young people, but some of your friends don’t know about it because they don’t have internet at home.
Share the information with your friends so everyone can benefit from the library.
Keep the information to yourself and enjoy the library on your own.
Go home and don’t tell anyone about the broken swing.
Speak to your parent or guardian and ask them to help you email your local MP or the council to fix the swing and highlight how important you think accessible play options are.
Your friends visit the library, benefitting from the free internet. This helps ensure everyone’s right to access information and education, Article 17.
Your friends miss out on the opportunity to use the library’s resources, which could help with their schoolwork or hobbies. Their right to access information is not fully realised.
You and your friend will not be able to play together in the park and your friend leaves the park feeling excluded. Article 31, their right to leisure, play and culture is not being respected.
You and your friend can play together as well as other young people. Now, everyone gets a fair chance to use the swings, and you’ve helped to ensure the right to play for all.
Find out more ways you can put your rights into action
Stories from UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools
St Nicholas Primary School - West Lothian
Rights Respecting Captains
Does inspirethisyou for your school?
At St Nicholas, Children’s Rights are at the heart of everything we do. Our children’s voices are always heard and all children are members of a Leadership Group. Our Mini Heath Champions have created ‘Take What You Need Trolleys’ with a range of necessities. Our Health Champs top up the trolley every day with healthy snacks that children can help themselves to when required. Our positive relationship approach ensure that we are getting it right for all learners in our school. Our learners feel happy, safe, respected and included through our promotion of positive relationships.
“We all have Trusted Adults in our school and we always have someone to speak to if we need to. We are all different and we are all given the help we need to meet our needs. It is important that we help each other and respect each other. Our Charters are about showing respect, being safe and being ready to learn. We have our rights on display everywhere to remind us.”
Arkleston Primary SchoolRenfrewshire
Nurtured and Included –Equality and Diversity Group
Does this spark ideasany for your school experience?
This committee group championed Article 14, freedom of thought, belief and religion. Our school has a diverse community, with children worshipping four religious faiths. Working with our Parent Council and members of our school community, the committee organised a variety of experiences, including establishing a prayer room, organising an Eid celebration and children sharing their experience of fasting. Riley in P7 got permission from his parents to fast alongside his friend for a day. These experiences have helped our children to be a nurtured and included citizen of Arkleston.
“I felt my religion was appreciated and I was treated fairly.” Adan, P7
Biggar Primary School - South Lanarkshire
Swarms - pupil voice group
Our pupil voice groups are called swarms and include all children from Digital Wizards to Citizenship and Rotakids. Swarms meet monthly and all contribute to putting rights into action. Such as our Citizenship swarm’s involvement in the UNICEF UK OutRight campaign. They learned about climate emergency, adaptions and mitigations and informed the whole school about their learning at assemblies. They also made cards to send to the Minister for Net Zero in advance of COP 28.
“I know my rights and they are being met. Putting rights into action makes me feel great because I feel that I am helping children around the world who might not be getting their rights met.” Crawford, P5
Youth voice - Giving back to your community
Hi, my name is Lucy, I’m 13 years old and I was born with a rare condition called Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula/Oesophageal Atresia. I also have a gastrostamy button and chronic lung damage.
At times life has been difficult but I have been encouraged by those difficult experiences to try to help others through their most difficult times by fundraising and sharing my story.
Last year I organised a charity ice hockey game to raise money for The Archie Foundation, which is a charity that supports children and their families when they are in hospital or living with disabilities/illnesses. I spend a lot of time in the hospital and this charity has supported me and my family for over 10 years. With the help of friends and family, including my dad’s ice hockey team, we managed to raise around £13,000.
We hosted the game at the Aberdeen Linx Ice Arena. The Aberdeen Linx ice hockey team helped organise the game and also involved a few star guest players on both teams. I helped design shirts for both teams, as well as the trophy and medals. Over the last 10 years my family and I have done various fundraisers such as, bingo nights, fun days, bake sales, raffles, stalls, Christmas fairs and even a 26 mile cycle but this was the biggest achievement by far, and we are hoping to do it again another year!
Do you have a story, a photograph, a poem, drawing or anything you have created that you’d like to share? Send it to magazine@young.scot
I Spy Mindfulness
Name, write down and colour ten things you can spy in the picture.
