WEA: Learner Led Activities

The Green Skills Challenge!

WEA Bristoln is a national adult education charity with the Bristol centre located on Wilder St. St. Pauls. WEA Bristol is funded by WECA, with the focus of engagement, employability and foundation skills for work for adults from disadvantaged communities. The WEA Bristol Area Manager, Justine Kheffache, has designed and piloted a Step into Schools Program this academic year, set to repeat again in September 2023. The aim of the program is to support and develop the skills needed to work in UK schools.

Within the 6-month program learners complete 3 qualifications; Level 2 Support work in Schools and Colleges, Level 1 Mental Health Awareness,

Step into schools

and Level 2 Mental Health Awareness. As part of the holistic support from training through to employment the learners work alongside the WEA Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) advisor, Katie Goldsmith, to set up a work experience placement in a local school. So far this has been hugely successful and all of the learners on the course have been offered work in schools!

One of the most enjoyable parts of the Level 2 Support Work in Schools and Colleges is the learner led activity. One of the Step into Schools tutors Fiona Childs, has designed a Green Skills Challange to integrate Green Skills into their learning process, and in turn the learning process of the students they will be working with in schools.

This has been an amazing way to share and explore the life experiences of the global citizens on the course. The learners on the course are from all over the world, and they bring with them a diverse and fascinating range of cultural knowledge and wisdom.

All of which is increasingly important in creating innovative approaches to climate change and integrating Green skills into training and employment.

The learner led activity is an opportunity to plan a micro teach session - to plan a 15-minute session to deliver to the group, reflect then implement improvements for the next session. The session can be on any subject, the learners so far have incorporated games, art, maths, science into their sessions. Activities ranging from Somalian games, Jewlery making, sign writing to name a few. The Green Challenge was to integrate either recycling, or nature education into their activity. The learners have created a brilliant range of activities matching the diversity and imagination of the group! Activities such as: Making Chinese lanterns as a cultural art activity, learning about the cuckoo's story by making a nest and eggs as an science/art activity, both using recycled materials from a visit to the Children's Scrapstore in Bristol.

5 little stones game from Pakistan where the learners enjoyed using natural materials whilst playing in nature.

Henna practice from Sudan was shared by another learner, Nawal Abdalla, the process of making Henna from leaves and how Henna patterns are part of Sudanese culture and traditions. WEA Staff also brought in some of their skills by leading a micro–Bush craft session and Art/ Nature project making sun prints using the leaves of pollinator plants to decorate plant pots for pollinator plants. These activities have been a fantastic opportunity to inspire each other in ways to connect with nature, be part of nature, and find ways to make green skills and sustainability part of both children's and adult education.

We are open to new learner applications for the next years Step into Schools Program, this is a free course for eligible learners, please contact Anita Gardner atagardner@wea.ac.uk for more information.