EKC Broadstairs College joins a select few to be coined “Trailblazers”

EKC Broadstairs College is among 35 sixth forms and colleges across the the UK to partner with the Leadership Skills Foundation for their new qualification pilot.

The new qualification focuses on environmental leadership and making positive conservational change and will take place between February and July 2024. Staff and students involved in the pilot project will be teaming up with WWF and the RSPB to develop a programme of work that will mutually benefit student progression and the ecological community. As a College which is passionate about biodiversity and encouraging sustainability, we are thrilled to be involved in such a fantastic opportunity.

Jess Clarke, Head of the Forest School provision at the College said: “It’s an exciting time for all of us being involved in this pilot and we are looking forward to working with the Broadstairs Town Council, Cllr Mike Garner and Cllr Kevin Pressland on some exciting projects as well as joining forces with the local RSPB.”

The curriculum aims to improve essential leadership skills in students as they take on projects for positive environmental impact. Jess and her team will be selecting a group of 10 students who they feel will benefit most in taking part. Students selected will be among the current pool of students who access the ‘Nurture Forest School’ and will achieve a Level 3 qualification in ‘Leading a Project for Positive Change’. This qualification will run alongside a student’s full-time study programme. This will provide them with unique work experience opportunities to support their studies which can be added to their CV and boost applications for higher education. Students will be supported via online resources and classroom-based learning alongside the practical community projects they are allocated.

As part of this pilot phase, our staff and students are excited to be among one of the first colleges to provide valuable feedback which will help shape the future of this qualification. The hope is to get the new programme commissioned and rolled out to all further educational establishments across the UK next year; with the aim to have the qualification as an optional add-on for students who study across all six College’s within the East Kent Colleges Group.

Read about our Nurture Forest School provision.

Source: broadstairscollege.ac.uk