New Head of Impact & Breakthrough Learning, Dr John Allan, delivered a keynote session on learning beyond the classroom
PGL Beyond demonstrated its commitment to transforming young people’s lives by supporting and knowledge sharing at the Leaders & Advisors Conference held at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) last month.
Underpinned by the need to create sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative learning, the theme of the conference was ‘Growing Great Education’, and brought together educational leaders from schools, colleges and universities. As the leading force in outdoor education, it comes as little surprise that PGL Beyond was headline sponsor.
Meeting educators from Kent and beyond
The PGL Beyond team were delighted to be on the show floor meeting educational leaders face-to-face and showcasing the full range of PGL Beyond brands. The event was also a great opportunity to speak to Kent-based schools about PGL’s recent acquisition of Grosvenor Hall, a local activity centre formerly owned by Kingswood. With so many exciting changes at this centre, it was great to share updates with the community of educators who stand to benefit.
David Hickinbottom on the PGL Beyond stand at the Leaders & Advisors Conference
Keynote from the new Head of Impact & Breakthrough Learning
PGL Beyond, synonymous with supporting education leaders with experiential learning, reinforced by Dr John, delivering a keynote session on ‘Making breakthroughs through learning beyond the classroom’.
Dr John’s seminar outlined the lasting impacts of purposefully designed adventure learning on vocational skill development, resilience and well-being in young adults. The presentation drew upon findings from Dr John’s peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, and shared insights on the direction of travel for PGL Beyond. Slides for this keynote session can be found here.
Dr John Allan, Head of Impact & Breakthrough Learning at PGL Beyond, presents keynote session at the Leaders & Advisors Conference
Dr John also shared his extensive studies on adolescent soft skill development to a round table discussion on ‘Employability Skills for Future Ready Students’, which touched on the government’s new Youth Strategy and Skills England scheme.
Commenting upon the importance of the event, Dr John stated “PGL Beyond’s contribution to the conference gave us a chance to highlight the importance of delivering evidence-based, impactful experiential learning opportunities for young people across education and into the workplace.”
It is our responsibility to give young people a toolkit of adaptable skill sets that help them to become resilient to the challenges of today and face the demands of tomorrow.”
It is vital that we provide a blend of physical, social, cognitive and emotional literacy in childhood and adolescence, as this is where brain growth is most prolific. This experiential approach helps youngsters not only to distil information but also how to integrate it with other experiences and use it effectively across contexts.”
Dr John Allan joins panel on ‘Employability Skills for Future Ready Students’
A word from the organisers
Dr Finley Lawson, Education Development Lead at CCCU stated “We were absolutely delighted to have PGL Beyond as headline sponsor. The event has grown considerably since its debut last year, in large part thanks to the support of sponsors such as PGL Beyond.”
As an organisation that offers enrichment all the way from primary to HE, PGL Beyond perfectly complimented the conference’s theme and sentiment.”
There was a fantastic response among delegates to Dr John’s keynote session, which shared exciting insights into how the company is continuing to grow its offering for young people’s personal development.”
Dr John Allan presents keynote session on learning outside the classroom
