Collaborations
Collaboration, networking and industry links are central to the ethos and activities of the New Futures Academy. In addition to the links bought by advisory group members, we have had a range of exciting talks recently with potential collaborators.
John Rae and Julie Richardson of the Schumacher College were keen to create collaborative links between the Schumacher and the New Futures Academy. We discussed various ideas, such as that of the MA Ecological Design Thinking students working as mentors for our year 2 students.
The Ellen Macarthur Foundation have expressed an interest in forging links, have many excellent online educational resources that we will incorporate into our courses on developing a ‘Circular Economy’ in design and manufacturing. They added us to their database of educational providers and pointed us towards their CE 100 Network of industry. We are currently approaching a range of contacts from this network.
Hugh Bellamy, the executive principal of to South Dartmoor Community College has offered to support and advise the New Futures Academy. Hugh was really supportive and is keen to help broaden the scope of educational provision for young people in the area. Hugh has offered to do what he can to help us survey the parents and children that make up our target audience. To this end, he will help us get an article in the SDCC school newsletter and distribute flyers to parents within SDCC school mailshots. Hugh has offered to write a letter of support for us to be included in our DFE Free School application, and also to ask the heads of The Atrium and the all the local primary schools that are involved with SDCC to do the same. He has also offered to try and enlist support from other secondary school heads at their regular regional meetings. Hugh helps the DFE assess free school applications, and has offered to give our application a pre-submission read-through in order to advise on ways to streamline and improve it (obviously he cannot guarantee success). Hugh also contributed some great ideas and sage advice, including; the potential for income generation by the NFA offering short programmes on contract to schools and colleges.
RegenSW are an independent not for profit company that uses their expertise to work with industry, communities and the public sector to revolutionise the way we generate, supply and use energy. Our contact at RegenSW is Chloe Uden, who will work with the New Futures Academy to create live client project briefs. RegenSW have a large regional network of sustainable energy product companies, and will be assisting us in creating work experience opportunities for our students via this network. Chloe has agreed to be one of our Governors and has already begun contributing some great ideas to our plans!