1. The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom annual conference 2017 will take place on Thursday 16th November at Ingestre Hall Residental Arts Centre. There will be inspirational speakers reflecting on topics relevant to LOtC, and sharing their experience of implementing high quality LOtC provision, and a series of practical and informative workshops to allow you to find out more about specific aspects of LOtC. You can find out more here. Book before Friday 21st July 2017 to access the earlybird discount rate of only £160, or £115 for members of CLOtC. Details of the speakers and full programme will be available shortly.
2. Project Dirt has announced that between 15 and 17th September it will be taking its online network and going Offline for a weekend of connections, collaboration and creativity. This Offline Festival is an ‘unconference’ in the countryside – a collaborative weekend of inspiring speakers, hands-on workshops and insightful experiences where connections are sparked, inspiration overflows and ideas come to play. Dirt want to harness the knowledge and brilliance of its network. As it said, “The power you guys have to positively transform your community never fails to inspire us, and we want to help accelerate your impact even further.”
3. This link takes you to the latest news round-up from the Children and Nature Network. Recent articles include
- Back to Nature: Getting Dirty Boosts Child Development, Say Experts
- The Child and Nature Movement Grows in Brazil
- Great Outdoors Colorado Encouraging Kids Under 12 to Get Outside
- How Crowded Barcelona Plans to Shoehorn in 108 Acres of New Parks
4. The Countryside Jobs Service website has, unsurprisingly, details of lots of jobs, but there is also a News section. This includes details of a Groundwork recruitment drive to encourage young people to sign up to an initiative to develop environmental leaders. This initiative provides support for 16 – 24-year-olds to develop their leadership potential and connect them with like-minded people to lead debate and delivery aimed at making their place – and the planet – better now and more sustainable in the long term. By 5 July it aims to have recruited 12 young people to the Groundwork Youth Advisory Board to help shape the initiative’s future direction and 100 Young Green Ambassadors to act as champions for the positive contribution young people make in their communities and lead campaigns highlighting issues that matter to them. For more information about Groundwork Youth, click here.
5. Permaculture is a design process that helps us create systems which meet human needs whilst enhancing biodiversity, reducing our impact on the planet, and creating a fairer world for us all. People across the globe are transforming their communities with permaculture. You can learn the basics here. The Permaculture Association Website has details of the following activities and events across the country:
- Forest Gardening in Practice, Edinburgh – 6 July
- Summer Skill share at The Inkpot, Lincolnshire – 7-9 July
- North East Permaculture Convergence, Newcastle – 29 July
- London Permaculture Festival, Camden – 30 July
6. The Commonwork Trust at Bore Place is offering a 3 day residential to create leaders who are empowered and skilled to achieve fundamental aspects of school improvement by embedding sustainability into their organisation’s curriculums, campus and community. The course offers those attending a chance to challenge assumptions and use different ways of thinking to enhance the effectiveness of your leadership, and to explore how the sustainability agenda can link to and potentially boost measureable School Standards, promote SMSC, British Values, resilience and the health and wellbeing of staff and children. Click here to download course details. For more information please contact juliee@boreplace.org 01732 463255.
7. Doug Bourn, founding Director of the Development Education Research Centre and now-Co-Director alongside Massmiliano Tarozzi, has just been appointed Professor of Development Education at UCL Institute of Education. Doug said:
“I regard this appointment as an important recognition of the work of the Centre I established in 2006. I believe it is the first such post of Professor of Development Education in this country. My aim in setting up the Centre in 2006 with funding from Department for International Development was to secure greater academic recognition and status for this area of education. The appointment of my professorship I see as the culmination of the progress the Centre has made in raising the academic profile of development education.”
You can contact Doug on: d.bourn@ucl.ac.uk
8. PEE POWER® has a prime location at the Glastonbury Festival just a few hundred metres from the Pyramid stage to showcase turning urine into electricity. You can read some background and see a video of the technology here. How long will it be before this sort of thing is standard in, say, schools and offices?
9. The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is looking for an education & engagement officer. More information is available from rita.mercer@yorkshiredalesriverstrust.com. Applications need to be in by Friday 14th July 2017.