All participants add their ideas, inspired by virtual events held around the world by local organizers in each city. The city with the most ideas will receive the award for the most creative city.
Children and their parents. The university would be seen as at the heart of the community. Local businesses could gain a higher profile if they also get involved.
After schools sessions for parents and kids. Support with reading, learning practical skills such as cooking
increased confidence, skills and kids being fed whilst learning. Maths skills around how to cook on a budget. We couild bring in agencies such as money management, health provisions, advice areas for pareents to connect with whilst their children are being entertained. The university would be seen as the heart of the local community. This could then be scaled up to all universities.
Only time. The departtments in teh university could provide a session, local schools could come in to support and run sessions, local community groups (music groups, childrens performance, amateur dramatics etc), businesses who want to promote themselves (children entertainers, food sellers). There would need to be an overall organiser and some type of advertising, but this could be handled by existing groups in the university.
We are a university and have a access to academics, lecturers and students to help bring ideas forward. We also have many business connections which we can partner up with if required.
I would lead/coordinate. My name is Karl McCormack. I am a Senior Lecturer in The Business School and a Pedagogic Innovator at Staffordshire University in the UK.
Short term: coming up with a plan and booking out the six months (1 session a week over 6 months = just 24 sessions). Advertising the sessions to the public. Connect with other providers (businesses and local support services) so they can piggy back onto the sessions.
Long term: assess the days and times of the sessions, how well they are performing, create a bank of activities and start to involve local schools. Learn lessons from previous sessions and connect further with other interested businesses.
It helps to support local families in the area. Stoke is quite a deprived area, high unemployment, very low social economic households, high percentage of single parent families. Anything we can do to connect local people and the university, helping to take pressure off the parents / carers and helping to connect children with education. It is shown that children who have positive experiences of education raise their expectations and are more loikely to improve their grades.
This could also be used to connect families with support services.
Local to the university, Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire in England, UK. However in time the idea could spread to other institutions.
We are a university and have a access to academics, lecturers and students to help bring ideas forward. We also have many business connections which we can partner up with if required.
We also have the latest technology including 3d printers, CAD machines and specialist software. Faculties such as business, arts, mechanical engineering, architecture, bio science etc are able to come together to help bring an idea forward.
There would only be peoples time and volunteering resources required. The rest of the cost would be within the universities normal costs (website updating, security, heating and lighting, marketing costs). There may be an increase in cleaning costs (again managed through the university budgets).
Grants and local development funding could be applied for.
