Mulberry Youth Conference

The Mulberry Youth Conference, organised by students and staff at Mulberry School draws together young people from throughout the UK and beyond to overcome difference and promote understanding while exploring pressing national and global issues.

Students hear from a range of adult presenters whose speeches serve to catalyse discussions on a variety of issues. Throughout the day the emphasis is on student voice, student leadership, and promotion of international dialogue and understanding.

Conference History

The Mulberry Youth Conference developed out of the school’s long-term commitment to programmes promoting student voice and active citizenship. Mulberry school is a girls’ comprehensive in East London serving a student population that is largely Bengali.

As this is a fairly isolated community, the school has placed great emphasis upon programmes that give students the opportunity to engage with young people from different backgrounds. In addition, as a girl’s school we believe it is vital to engage our students in programmes that help them to assert their public voice and take a lead role in community life.

As part of this effort, over ten years ago Mulberry sent a delegation to the United Nations Conference on the Rights of Women in Beijing, China. This led to our being invited to the United Nations International School youth conference in New York, a conference to which we have sent a delegation for the past eight years.

In 2001 a group of students attending the New York conference were so moved by the opportunity to communicate with other young people from throughout the world that they returned to Mulberry determined to start a parallel conference in London.

Conference delegates enjoy an excellent buffet lunch

The Mulberry Youth Conference was born, created by a core team of four Sixth Form students and four teachers. Since then the conference has gone from strength to strength. Last year, over 40 Mulberry students were involved in designing and delivering the conference. Guests include delegations from throughout Britain, Slovenia and the US.

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