Education, Conservation and Community Engagement

Join colleagues from the RSA and our Innovative Education Network, Ignite Teaching School Alliance, the University of Manchester and Chester Zoo for an evening of debate and a ‘big education conversation'. We will consider how to empower change through partnership, and what happens when schools employ creative pedagogies to empower their pupils and staff to take an active role in shaping the future of our planet.

We’ll share exciting initiatives that have been developed in this area, uncovering approaches to curriculum design and teaching and learning that ensure children feel prepared for the complexity, fluidity and diversity of our future lives. In particular, we will focus on the ways in which we can empower learners through creative pedagogies in the areas of education, conservation and community engagement. Through your participation in roundtable discussions, we also aim to bring alive key debates and discussions around making education rich, engaging and stimulating for all children. 

One such debate concerns ensuring our new generation of children have the key skills to deal with the complexities of today’s world and future societies. These include critical thinking, problem solving, communication, empathy, care and understanding for others. How can we make sure that each and every child has access and opportunities to develop the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills? What should this look like within primary and secondary education and how can we support schools, communities and groups to come together to develop the necessary learning environments? 

Agenda
The evening event will begin at 4.30pm (4pm for drinks and registration) and will involve a range of presentations, roundtable discussions, followed by a light buffet and drinks reception.

Prior to the event, registered participants will be able to visit the zoo from 1pm, and meet young people and teachers who’ve taken part in relevant projects, whilst they ‘takeover’ the zoo’s public programme for the afternoon. There will also be a series of short presentations from teachers and others involved in delivering the projects and opportunities to view some of the work produced. Full details of the afternoon activities and how to access the zoo will be provided on booking. 

To book a ticket for this event, follow the link above.

The evening event is free to attend but registration is essential due to limited places.

It will also be possible to join the discussions remotely via Zoom. Register for the online session here: RSA Online: Education, Conservation and Community Engagement.

We plan to produce and circulate a positioning paper and other outputs from this event. Please contact learning@chesterzoo.org if you are unable to attend this event and would like to be informed about related publications or events.

Location: The Oakfield, Chester Zoo, Caughall Road, CH2 1LH (or Online via Zoom).

If you have any access requirements or require any reasonable adjustments, please let the team know: networks@rsa.org.uk. Please also let us know if you have any dietary requirements or severe allergies.