Please read on to find our FAQs for Youth STEMM Award participants…
Registering for Youth STEMM Award as an independent participant
Q: How do I register for Youth STEMM Award?
Please drop us an email on hq@ysawards.co.uk to indicate your interest to register. You will then receive further information, relevant application forms and we can answer any questions you may have. You can either register independently to take part in the Award or otherwise, we can send you resources to share with your school/college to see if they’d like to take part.
Q: Is there a deadline for when I can register?
Youth STEMM Award continues to be an Award that you can sign up for whenever you want, both when registering for the first time or when upgrading from a Bronze to Silver or Silver to Gold.
Logging into the e-portfolio
Q: How do I find the e-portfolio?
You can access the e-portfolio by clicking the button on our homepage (ysawards.co.uk) or going directly to the log-in page via https://eportfolio.ysawards.co.uk/.
Q: My registration e-portfolio link has expired, what should I do?
Click the ‘Forgot your Password’ on the log in page and follow the steps from there to create your profile.
Q: I can’t find see a registration email in my inbox, where is it?
Check your junk folder, you should find it there. If not, click forgot your password (as above) to trigger a new email.
Submitting an Activity towards your Award
Q: How do I know if an activity can count towards my Award?
The activity should go above and beyond what you are currently learning at school/college – it cannot be school work, homework or revision. Make sure the activity is related to at least one area of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine). One exception we make here is if the activity is for ‘Shaping your Future’, where you can log a certain number of general career and higher education guidance and research (see: Shaping Your Future)
If you are still unsure, or would like further support, please don’t hesitate to ask us on hq@ysawards.co.uk
Q: What happens if I have submitted an activity under the wrong strand?
It is not possible to change the strand of an activity once it is submitted for assessment. Let your coordinator know and ask them to reject your activity – once it has been rejected, copy the text from your original submission and then submit it as a new activity under the correct strand.
Q: Do I need to cover each area of STEMM to achieve my Award?
Yes. For the Bronze level Award, at least one activity must be logged in all five areas of STEMM. For the Silver Award you must cover all five STEMM areas in each strand during your participation. For the Gold Award you must cover all STEMM areas in each strand, and one must be identified as contributing significantly in the Developing and Shaping strands. Please note that a single activity submission can cover more than one area of STEMM, and often does due to the very nature of STEMM being cross-disciplinary.
Q: Can I log the planning of activities on my e-portfolio?
Yes, you can log the preparation and planning time for activities, for example, planning an activity for younger children, in addition to the time spent actually running the activity.
Q: Can I count activities I have done in the past?
You can only log activities that have taken part in recently. As a general rule, we will accept activities dating back to this the start of the current half-term in question. The reason for this is to make sure you can make sufficient self-reflection on the skills and knowledge you have developed in these activities.
Q: Why might an activity submission be rejected?
Rejections most often occur when the activity does not relate to STEMM, is not above and beyond the curriculum, has been submitted under the wrong strand or if there is not sufficient description to describe what happened during the activity and what was gained from it. You are always welcome to drop us an email on hq@ysawards.co.uk for further clarification.
Strand specific questions
Shaping your Future
Q: Do I have to do work experience for ‘shaping your future’?
Work experience is encouraged but not essential. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good placement so there are other ways you can complete this strand. For (only) this strand, you can submit a proportion of non-STEMM based activities in the circumstance that the activity explores/supports further careers and studies – for example, preparing a personal statement or researching further training and education options.
Developing your Skills and Knowledge
Q: Can I log exam revision?
No. Revision is part of your school experience and within the curriculum if you are revising for a subject you are currently undertaking. The exception here is supra-curricular revision, where you may research a STEMM subject above what is being taught in class.
Engaging the Public
Q: Can I log remote/virtual activities?
Yes, activities can be in person or virtual/via video link. They can also involve activities where you produce a resource that is then available ot the public to see or read, such as creatign a blog post for the YSA website.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Q: What counts as the Next Generation?
Young people the same age or younger than yourself. Please note, you will need to work with at least two different individuals or ideally, groups of people, to gain your Award. You can include helping a person younger than yourself the younger pupils’ own curriculum (e.g., homework and revision).
Finding opportunities
Q: Where can I find other opportunities that can count towards my Award?
We celebrate and share several opportunities and activity ideas on various platforms:
- Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive a regular drop of new opportunities from our partners and the wider STEMM network
- Check out the Opportunities section on the e-portfolio
- Find inspiration in the Participants Handbook
- Follow our Instagram for regular Activity Ideas! and inspirations
- Write a blog post for the Youth STEMM Award website
You can find all the relevant links here – https://linktr.ee/YouthSTEMMAward
Upgrading Awards
Q: How can I upgrade from Bronze to Silver, or Silver to Gold?
To upgrade you have two options:
- If you would like to upgrade while undertaking the current level, we can immediately upgrade you. If you are moving from Bronze to Silver there is no charge and you simply need to get in touch via hq@ysawards.co.uk to request the transfer. If you are moving to Gold there is an additional conversion fee. Please contact hq@ysawards.co.uk for more information if required.
- If you have completed the previous level or would like to before upgrading, you can sign up for the next level which will incur fees for the full Award and your hours will begin from zero. You will receive medals and certificates for both Awards.
Please email us on hq@ysawards.co.uk to find out more and further details of the additional costs involved.
Any other questions?
If you have any other questions that have not been answered, please feel free to reach out on hq@ysawards.co.uk and we will get back to you shortly.
