Educators Unite
Over the last year it has become apparent that the World/Ecosystem is ready for a different form of 'Education' to emerge, that plugs into regenerative systems for a better world - believing that the old paradigms are dying and the potential to be building a replacement.
Shift Bristol has been contacted by various people in different circles, organisations, projects, institutions to talk on this subject.
Asking how we bring together all the threads of education from our different perspectives and desire to cross pollinate - and how from that something spectacular will emerge.
This is about holistic education that engages humans through their heart, head and hands; that is connected with the natural world and framed through looking at the niches we play in helping humanity and nature to thrive, whilst meeting our needs for food, shelter, comfort, culture and connection.
This is about developing systems where humans are educated in ways that centres on their innate joys and passions (their regenerational energies), and how humans are held, facilitated and mentored into following pathways to develop roles/crafts through a successional pattern.
It is recognising that this successional pattern changes over time, that at different stages we evolve through; student, to apprentice, to expert and then mentor. How this is a cycle of self actualisation and then passing the baton to the next generation; through legacy and inheritance; connecting youth work, right through to the elders.
This is about how as educators, we can redesign systems to facilitate and illuminate these pathways and cycles; and how we can integrate them within our living systems - both the natural world and how we live as humans within villages, towns and cities.
How this is about how we need to look at education through the lens of intersectionality, and identifying the various blocks to education for different humans, and how we take responsibility for dismantling those blocks so that we can unleash the collective genius that resides within us all.
This is about making space for emotion, vulnerability, humility, and letting the curtain fall that educators need to have all the answers and hold all the power.
There are many, many models, approaches, and strategies that education is taught through, and we each have our own language, narrative, identity and inherent 'shape', and because of that we each have our own recipe cards for creating the most delicious educational experiences.
It is time to get into a room together and share these tasty ingredients, and allow space where we can dream up feasts of future education that are super sustaining and nourishing, with a view to planning the emergence of a 'Commons College' to be piloted in Bristol, as part of the Bristol Commons movement.
Those who have been invited to this event come from the following educational backgrounds;
- Permaculture Design
- Transition Towns / Together
- Biomimicry
- The Work that Reconnects
- Land Workers Alliance
- Sociocracy / Huddling
- Working with marginalised groups
- A plethora of courses teaching hands-on skills
- Commoning
- University lecturing
- Academic Research
- Mentorship
- Circular Economies
- Story telling
- Consultancy
- Coaching
- Integrated alternative course providers (like Shift)
- Systems Design
- And others that we’re not aware of!
Huge gratitude to each of you, for the work that you do, and we look forward to seeing you in a couple of months!
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Save the date!
Wednesday 29th May - 10am to 4pm
Please register your attendence and interest in joining Educators Unite <HERE>
Venue TBC
We had wonderful response to our date poll for our first ever Educators Unite Gathering. The 29th May was a clear winner but there will be several of you who are unable to attend in person.
Collaboration is key, and therefore we will be growing our network of busy, brilliant people, by also designing a process of remote participation around the event - so that those who cannot attend can still contribute and feed into the discussion. We will keep you posted!
We would like to extend a welcoming invitation to anyone who would like to take part in designing/facilitating the Gathering to the following working parties;
- 13 May : 12-4 : Gasworks Studio, 27 Narroways Rd, BS2 9XB.
- 19 May : 10-3 : The Pickle Factory, 13 All Hallows Rd, BS5 0HH
Please see here for more information about facilitating/helping at the event, and to register your support.
Here is the draft agenda for the Gathering, and we welcome everyone to leave their comments to help shape the day.