Geographies of Youth Citizenship in Scouting

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leicester
Department Name: Geography

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description This was a fellowship award, building on ESRC-funded PhD research. I have not selected 'key findings' for this specific award number given it did not generate new original data as a stand alone project. However, I have selected 'yes' for contributions to impact given it led to some knowledge exchange with non-academic stakeholders. These include The Scout Association but also a range of youth movement archives. Specifically the time on this fellowship and findings from the PhD were used to create educational resources for The Scout Association. However, more broadly, this time was used to develop new stakeholder relationships and this entry/account on research fish was a clear stepping stone to ES/L009315/I. The activities from this ESRC fellowship 'geographies of youth citizenship in scouting' can therefore be seen as part of that process and wider pathway to impact, detailed in ES/L009315/I.
First Year Of Impact 2012
Sector Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural
 
Description ESRC Future Research Leader Scheme
Amount £249,630 (GBP)
Funding ID ES/L009315/1 
Organisation Economic and Social Research Council 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2014 
End 09/2017
 
Description IHR Scouloudi Award
Amount £806 (GBP)
Organisation University of London 
Department Institute of Historical Research
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2013 
End 07/2014
 
Description Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Small Grant Award
Amount £2,087 (GBP)
Funding ID SRG2.12 
Organisation Royal Geographical Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2012 
End 07/2013
 
Description AAG Conference Sessions Organised (New York) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact These 3 co-organised sessions on Geographies of Voluntarism and Philanthropy: Spaces of Giving (with D. Goerisch) sparked discussion between mainly UK and US based academics working in the fields of voluntarism/philanthropy.

After the session, I was asked by one of the speakers to participate in a number of activities/workshops in relation to voluntarism back in the UK. My own paper was also translated into the output in Area (Mills, 2013) - see outputs.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
URL http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=14792
 
Description AAG Conference Sessions Organised (Seattle) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Two organised AAG sessions on 'Beyond School: Informal and Alternative Learning Practices' (w/ Peter Kraftl). There was lively discussion in the session itself and afterwards. This session was the foundation of Mills & Kraftl's edited volume "Informal Education, Childhood & Youth: Geographies, Histories, Practices" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137027726

The networks formed at the AAG have led to invitations to present my own follow-on research in departmental seminars.

These co-organised conference sessions at the AAG in Seattle, WA with my mentor (Kraftl) directly led into the production of an edited volume with Palgrave Macmillan (see outputs). These sessions/grant have been acknowledged in Mills & Kraftl 2014 as the key driver for this academic text.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
URL http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=11950
 
Description Conference Presentation (New York) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This conference paper was part of my co-organised sessions at the New York AAG on 'geographies of voluntarism and philanthropy'. It was then published in 'Area' (2013). It prompted questions afterwards and useful networks were formed around 'participatory historical geographies'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Conference Presentation (RGS) Faith Walks 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I presented a conference paper 'Faith Walks: Landscapes of Informal Education' sponsored by the Landscape Research Group. This prompted good discussion afterwards and an invitation for a departmental research seminar.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Conference Presentation (Seattle) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact See also AAG organised conference sessions (Seattle). This individual conference presentation was based on my Woodcraft Folk research (ESRC PDF funded) and was translated to a book chapter in Mills & Kraftl's (2014) edited volume, based on this event in Seattle.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Invited Panelist - World Scout Jamboree 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Invited Special Guest to World Scout Jamboree, Sweden as part of a panel on academic research and scouting. Reached a diverse non-academic audience. Made connections/links with Eric Frank Trust, a future funder of research activity.

From this activity, I began to liaise with the Eric Frank Trust and have since created an online research forum via their support. I am also now part of their advisory board. This activity has increased my profile within the policy/practitioner world of scouting through engaging with the EFT.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
URL http://www.eftresearchforum.com/
 
Description Local Scouting Exhibitions: A Beginner's Guide 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An online publication based on my experiences of organising local scout exhibitions. It featured on the Scout History blog, but due to staff turnover in the archives, I can no longer monitor download figures. However, I hope to update this document soon and host it on another server. I have had testimonies from Scout Leaders that found this document/guidance useful.

I have engaged with issues around archives/the voluntary sector and am passionate about improving access and public historical geographies. I was recently asked to join the Strategic Advisory Board for a British Academy Project 'Digitising the mixed economy of welfare in Britain' led by Dr Georgina Brewis (Institute for Education, University of London); Prof. Irene Hardill (Northumbria University); and Nick Ockenden (NCVO). My experience based on the exhibitions/both online publications listed here led to my academic publication in 'Area' (2013) - see research outputs.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011,2012,2013,2014
URL http://www.scoutsrecords.org/advice-guidance.php
 
Description RGS-IBG Annual International Conference Co-organised Sessions (London) archives 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact I co-convened 3 organised sessions at the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference London on 'Me myself and the archive: reflecting on encounters and enchantments' (with Leah Jones, Swansea University). This reflected more broadly on archival fieldwork methodologies, sparked by my ESRC-funded research and PDF.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011
 
Description Scout History: Programme Ideas and Resource Pack 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Online publication with resources for Scout leaders that connects aspects of Scout history to the current badge programme.

I was asked to feed into a similar document for the WW1 Centenary, but due to staff turnover in the archives at the Scout Association, this did not materialise. I also can no longer monitor the downloads for the pdf unfortunately. However, creating this online publication has given me a range of useful skills that I hope to translate to future resource packs and material for volunteers/young people. At a local level, I have testimonies from Scout Groups that they found the resource pack useful.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2011,2012,2013,2014
URL http://www.scoutsrecords.org/advice-guidance.php