Your CDN Update

Hello

CDN Update

I hope this Update finds you safe and well.

I am delighted to let you know that the Virtual College Expo20 programme is now available, and that the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead MSP, will provide an opening address. This will be followed by a further five keynotes and 14 seminars. You can book your free place now.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme is 'kindness'. With so much uncertainty surrounding us this campaign from The Mental Health Foundation is an excellent reminder that we need to be kind to ourselves. Find the link to Sandy MacLean's blog below.

Finally, I’m pleased to let you know that the CDN College Awards are open for entries. Given current difficult circumstances, we have extended the deadline to Friday 3 July, and this year the entry fees will be waived. There’s so much tremendous work going on across the sector - please be sure to get your entries in!

As ever, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to talk about any aspect of our work, if you'd like to suggest new ways that we can support you, or share experiences and great practice that colleagues in the sector would find useful. You can email me at: jim.metcalfe@cdn.ac.uk

Jim Metcalfe, Chief Executive, CDN

College Expo20

The programme for the first ever Virtual College Expo is now available! Join us on Thursday 11 June for Scotland's landmark event celebrating college excellence. The theme for this year is: The Future Is Now: Learning from Lockdown.

The one-day programme includes keynote speakers, seminars and much more! View the programme here.

Mental Health Awareness Week

CDN's Curriculum and Teaching Lead Sandy MacLean has written a blog about the power of kindness for Mental Health Awareness Week, which is on now until Sunday.

"Kindness is central to our mental health as it unlocks our shared humanity and at times of great stress has the potential to bring us together."

Read blog

Webinar for staff supporting students

This interactive webinar is for all staff working in student support roles within colleges and universities in Scotland. Warren Hughes from Fast Forward's Gambling Education Hub, will explain how gaming and gambling can affect the health and wellbeing of students in Scotland.

Participants will have an opportunity to discuss concerns about the impact of the current Covid-19 outbreak on those vulnerable to experiencing gambling harms. 'Attendees' will also receive information about gaming and gambling behaviours among students.

Gaming & Gambling: Health and Wellbeing, 17 June,

1.30pm - 3.30pm

College Awards 2020

Given current circumstances we are waiving entry fees for this year's College Awards , which will take place on Thursday 3 December. We have also extended the deadline for entries, which means you now have until Friday 3 July to get your entries in for free!

Find the 10 Award categories here.

Enter College Awards

World Skills UK Centre of Excellence

WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence programme is supporting colleges over a three-year pilot to embed a culture of high standards and high performance in vocational and professional programmes.

The deadline for applications is 2 June.

Find out more and take a look at their FAQ's page.

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