Sunday 5 April 2009

Learning Sustainability and more

I haven't written this blog in a while so there's lots to tell since I've been a bit busy! In terms of mind food activities (thinking and writing), I've returned from a trip to Dublin to talk about New Thinking for a New Generation at the Construction for Health and Industry Conference. Ireland has a school building programme to deal with the increase in the population and the conference was looking at how to make the best of the programme in terms of sustainability. There was a lot of focus on the physical asset - how do we make new buildings carbon zero or carbon neutral, what's the best form of glass structure to prevent heat loss - that sort of thing.
I spoke on the key issues facing us in terms of the growth of technology, the economic crisis, climate change and exclusion of young people from school and the importance of the people in the buildings as well as the buildings themselves. In particular, I emphasised that without new ways of learning and teaching, new forms of schooling, new ways of creating innovation, we won't create the green collar job solution that we need to regenerate the world's economy and the world.
The speech went down well and I made some wonderful contacts of like minded people.

This brings me neatly onto my new venture - the Learning Sustainability Foundation.

Alongwith some like minded others, I am in the process of setting up a not for profit organisation devoted to learning sustainability. The focus for the organisation will be to support schools, councils and other places of learning to create new forms of organisation, learning and leadership that have at their core using the technology to create new green skills. The organisation will be titled Learning Sustainability Foundation and will support the research and development needed to create 21st century learning for 21st century schools and colleges. The Foundation has a webpresence since I've registered the name and we have an email address (info@learningsustainabilityfoundation.org.uk). Over the next couple of weeks I'll sort the website and the charity will get registered. I'll let you know about it using this blog.

So a busy time with much to do for the future.

1 comment:

  1. education is the only way in a generation we have lost the skill to provide food for ourselves. I live 500 yards from a huge allotment area and half of it unused

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