A guest post from Natalie Bradbury, from The Co-operative College, about their forthcoming conference to be held here at PHM on Tuesday 9 December 2014.
The word ‘co-operative’ has been in the headlines a lot lately, but did you know that beyond the front pages there is a diverse and flourishing co-operative movement, with enterprises and organisations of all different sizes, shapes and types all doing business in a co-operative way?
One of the areas in which co-operatives have seen especially strong growth in recent years has been education. A conference at the People’s History Museum on Tuesday 9 December organised by the Manchester-based Co-operative College, which provides both training and education for co-operatives and education about co-operatives for the wider public, aims to bring together all sorts of people who are interested in co-operative education. From those who actively participating in co-operative education and learning in schools, youth groups and universities to anyone interested in the potential of applying a co-operative approach or model to what they do or simply finding out more, the day aims to discuss and explore the links between co-operatives and education, both historic and present-day, and how they can be further developed and supported in the future.
Exploring three core themes of ‘Education about co-operatives’, ‘Education for co-operatives’ and ‘Education in a co-operative way’, the College is bringing some interesting speakers to its ‘Learning Together Conference’ to share their insights, experiences and ideas about co-operatives in an engaging and participatory way that will leave you with ideas and opportunities to take away and explore. Prestigious keynote speakers include Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance, Mervyn Wilson, Principal and Chief Executive of the Co-operative College, and Saskia Neibig of the co-operative movement’s youth body, the Woodcraft Folk, with the day opened and concluded by Ed Mayo, Secretary General of the Co-operatives UK.
By the end of the day you’ll have found out how co-operative models and approaches provide not just a different way of doing education, but are relevant to every aspect of society, and can impact on all areas of our lives, from housing to schools and young people, trade unions to international development.
Attendance at the conference is £95. Lunch and refreshments are provided. Bursaries of half the ticket price are available to students and anyone else facing financial barriers to attendance. For more information about how to apply for a bursary visit www.co-op.ac.uk/2014/10/learning-conference-bursaries.
To see the full programme visit www.co-op.ac.uk/learningtogether/programme. To book visit www.co-op.ac.uk/learningtogether.
For the latest news and updates on the programme, keep an eye on Twitter: @coop_collegeUK/ Hashtag #coopedconf
People's History Museum (PHM) 