University fever

Thought I'd update you on things with the various universities as a lot has been happening.

At De Montford uni I am working with Momodou to help plan his conference on 12th November, which is looking at global youth work training in the HE sector. I am doing a workshop at the conference and also leading a panel discussion, which will look at what makes a global youth worker, someone from an international NGO background who works in the youth department of an NGO? Or a trained youth worker who wants to develop and international perspective? Or something else? and how INGOs with global youth work programmes can provide practise and learning to support training providers, offering real life examples to bring training to life, and in turn can training providers offer more structured support to NGOs, building their capacity and understanding of youth work to help improve their global youth work practice.

Me and Momodou also worked on a concept note which has now been accepted by DFID on setting up a centre for global youth work excellence at De Montford. We would be partners and provide practical examples of gyw and practice for students etc. The details now need to be looked at (and the budget) but whilst this is a big bit of work - if we get it, it will be worth it! I will also continue to lecture once a year on their MA and BA courses

George Williams College is all going well. I am going to deliver two lectures to their foundation studies course on GYW and youth work. They are also continuing to work with us to finalise the accredit module for global life skills at K and W YMCA. This is going really well, but just takes ages. There is always one more hoop to jump through! GWC are also going to do the external evaluation report for the K and W YMCA project, looking in particular at what the added value of a global perspective has been to the life skills course and also to the YMCA in general.

I also worked with GWC and Mickella on a DFID proposal to develop a BA module in GYW. This was turned down last year, but we have rehashed it and resubmitted it. We have also secured 8000 towards it from another trust which is excellent - so both me and GWC continue to look for funding for this project too.

So all in all its very exciting and lots going on