At SOS-UK, we provide learning opportunities through our Learning Academy, which are delivered in a variety of methods including face-to-face and online, and to a range of audiences such as students, student representatives and institution staff.

Since launching our Learning Academy last year, we have so far delivered over 20 different trainings & events, ranging from lectures and behaviour change workshops for students, to Carbon Literacy training and UCU workshops for staff. All training is delivered by our in-house SOS-UK staff and is open to any institution or individual, regardless of whether you currently take part in any of our programmes.

Find out about some of our recent work below:

Guest lectures:

We are always excited to be invited to run guest lectures as part of undergrad or postgrad courses. In the last year we have run sessions for City University students on the need for behaviour change within the built environment, while at the University of Surrey we ran a session for students, focusing on sustainability within education.

Sustainability Officer Bootcamp

In September, we led a Sustainability Officer Bootcamp, which took place over two days and trained 10 elected officers from students’ unions. The bootcamp focused on providing the officers with the knowledge, skills, and network to hit the ground running, through deepening their understanding of sustainability and social justice, campaigning and project management skills, and understanding the basics of behaviour change theory and education for sustainable development. The aim was that these concepts can then underpin the future projects and campaigns led by the elected officers at their own institutions.

Lifelong Learning:

Whilst we are student-led and a lot of our work is with students in further and higher education, we also have a strong focus on sustainability in our wider communities. Education shouldn't finish upon leaving school or at graduation: Lifelong learning is a hugely important part of education for sustainable development.

Bespoke workshops:

Since November 2020, we have developed and delivered over 30 workshops for University and College Union members on sustainability and climate education. We have been supporting UCU members to explore and identify how they can mobilise as educators to empower learners to take action on the climate emergency and become agents of change within the context of their academic disciplines. These workshops have engaged well over 300 UCU Trade Union members.

Earlier this month, we also ran a workshop at the V&A Museum which explored theories of behaviour change and communication and how they work in practice, as well as how to overcome potential challenges. The workshop also covered why people get involved in sustainability work, how to engage your colleagues and develop wider support, as well as some top tips for keeping up enthusiasm.

Sara Kassam, Sustainability Lead at V&A said:

“We chose SOS-UK to launch our sustainability learning and development programme due to their vast experience in staff engagement and tailored approach to meeting our needs. The webinars delivered so far have been well-constructed and thought-provoking, with an overwhelmingly positive response from attendees!”

Carbon Literacy:

We have recently begun offering Carbon Literacy training and ran our first sessions at the University of Bristol earlier this month. The sessions were attended by a wide range of students and staff and were linked to opportunities to get involved with the University’s Climate Action Plans. Carbon Literacy training provides attendees with some introductory science on climate change to understand the social and environmental impacts of carbon dioxide emissions, followed by the opportunity to develop their own toolkit and strategies for acting on and communicating action on climate change.

Upcoming event: Students, Alcohol and Drugs Conference 2021

Tickets are now on sale for our first ever national Students, Alcohol and Drugs Conference, taking place online over 3 afternoons from the 22nd-24th March 2021. The conference offers workshops, talks and panel discussions to explore the issues surrounding alcohol and drug use in students across UK campuses.

Head to our Learning Academy pages for more information, or get in touch by email for any bespoke requests! All our trainings are open to any institution, organisation or individual regardless of current or previous participation in our programmes.

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