Nesta talks to… Iesha Small: Using evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for young people

Online, Thursday 8 December, 12:00 – 13:00

Research has shown that the circumstances of a child’s early life dictate their future outcomes, from health to career and life expectancy. However, we also know that evidence-based early interventions in education and care can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.
The Youth Endowement Fund (YEF) focuses on finding and funding interventions that show promise in reducing youth violence and improving outcomes for young people. Building an evidence bank on the most effective ways to support children, the YEF evaluates ideas, scales up what works and takes action to improve the system.

Joining us to discuss their work is Iesha Small, Head of Change for Education and Families, in conversation with our fairer start Mission Director Jenny Gibson. As Nesta embarks on our fairer start mission to eliminate the school readiness gap by 2030, Jenny and Iesha sit down to discuss how interventions can improve childhood outcomes.

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Why you should come

This free event is for anyone working in education or with young people, whether you’re a practitioner, campaigner, researcher or work for an organisation committed to improving educational outcomes.
Iesha and Jenny will discuss how we design good interventions, the role of parents and the impact that educational leaders can have on children’s learning and behaviour.

Iesha Small

Ieshais a writer and charity strategist passionate about creating a fairer society, particularly for young people, she also has a passion for nature and the outdoors.

Iesha is Head of Change for Education and Families at The Youth Endowment Fund. She was previously Head of Strategy and Policy at the outdoor charity, YHA. She has 15 years experience in the education sector as an assistant headteacher, governor and think tank researcher. Iesha has written and spoken about education, society and nature for various publications and national media and believes storytelling can powerfully complement research to create positive change.

Iesha was an advisor to Split Banana, a social enterprise harnessing creativity for effective sex and relationships education in schools. She is currently a member of the Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel.

Professor Jenny Gibson

Jenny is Mission Director of Nesta’s fairer start mission and Chief Scientific Advisor. Jenny joins Nesta from the University of Cambridge where she leads the Play and Communication Lab (PacLab), a team investigating the role of play, language, cognition, and neurodiversity in human development.
Jenny completed her undergraduate studies and PhD at University of Manchester School of Psychological Science before going on to do postdoctoral research at University of Cambridge Department of Developmental Psychiatry. She joined the University of Cambridge in a permanent academic post in 2014 and was part of the founding team establishing the LEGO Foundation funded centre for research on Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL).

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