Hello
CDN Update

We hope that you continue to be safe and well.

We're delighted to announce that this year's CDN College Awards are now open for entries! We have introduced two new categories this year: the College Community Learning Award, and Learning and Teaching Colleague of the Year. The Awards recognise the talent, innovation and achievement demonstrated by our colleges, their staff and their learners. The deadline for entries is Friday 2 July at 1700, and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 9 December. We look forward to receiving your entries, and I wish you the very best of luck! Find out more about the Awards and submit your entries here.

Last Thursday, we were excited to launch CDN's new Research and Enhancement Centre to a virtual audience of over 150 delegates. The Centre brings together existing research work related to Scotland’s colleges, and is driving new research and enquiry in the sector. Find out more about the new Research and Enhancement Centre and launch event below.

And this Friday, we launch this year's highly anticipated Virtual College Expo programme. Virtual College Expo21 will take place on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 June, with the theme - 'Press the reset button: Reimagining college learning and life.' Not to be missed...watch this space!

We continue to offer a wide range of courses and events to support your professional development. Take a moment and have a look at what's on offer below and on our events section of the website.

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
What Matters to Us Virtual Conference
Only Four Days to Go - Book Your Place Today!

With only four days until the inspirational and thought provoking What Matters to Us Conference - book your place today!

The virtual conference is designed to support final year HN students and staff in social care and early years at this important time.

The conference themes of human rights, human dignity and person-centred care will include reflection and learning from delivering services through the pandemic.

The programme includes the following four fantastic keynote speeches:

  • Human Rights in Social Care During a Pandemic - with Dr Donald MacAskill, CEO, Scottish Care
  • Adult Social Care Real Experiences, Challenges And An Innovative Way Forward - with Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi, Film-maker
  • The Power of Positive Relationships - with Ryan McCuaig, Chair, Who Cares? Scotland
  • Becoming Headstrong - with Brian Costello, Company Director, Headstrong

Plus, eight inspiring Parallel Workshops!
Scotland’s colleges collaborate on national #ChooseCollege showcase event
The national #ChooseCollege campaign highlights the importance of Scotland’s colleges and encourages potential students to – Choose College.

Organised by the CDN Marketing and Communications Network, Scotland’s 26 colleges have come together with one voice to support the campaign and share positive stories of how vital colleges are to the educational, economic and community health of the country.

The first phase of the 2021 campaign focused on a collaborative six-week digital campaign. The campaign finished on Friday 16 April, and was a great success, with Twitter statistics recording 3,153 mentions, 8,810,377 impressions and an estimated reach of 1,737,084! Thank you to everyone who got involved.

The next phase of the campaign focuses on the inaugural Choose College Virtual Showcase, which takes place on Wednesday 26 May. Colleges from all over Scotland will come together on one virtual platform to showcase all that colleges have to offer.

Aimed at prospective students, attendees will get the chance to hear about some of the exciting opportunities colleges offer, the support services available and what college life is like at the seminar sessions. You will also have the opportunity to browse the exhibition area and ask as many questions as you like at virtual college stands.
CDN Governance and Leadership Summit 2021:
Preparing to Build Back Better –
Developing Our Vision for the Future
The Governance and Leadership Summit is aimed at College Chairs, Board Members and Senior Staff. The Summit will focus on how the sector is emerging from the twin challenges of the impact of COVID and Brexit.

The day will be an opportunity to focus on the potential for positive change offered by the ‘wicked issues’ emerging from these events rather than the negatives, and to do this in the context of the ongoing SFC Review.

There will be the opportunity to hear from key stakeholders and to discuss creative approaches for the future and inform the work of the CDN Research and Enhancement Centre in the coming years.
Launch of CDN Research and Enhancement Centre:
Event Summary


Last Thursday, we launched the newly established CDN Research and Enhancement Centre, to over 100 delegates in a virtual event.

CDN’s new Research and Enhancement Centre brings together existing research work related to Scotland’s colleges and is driving new research and enquiry in the sector.

The event was a great success, which included key speakers:
 
  • Grant Ritchie, Fellow and Associate, CDN, and former Principal of Dundee and Angus College
  • Christine Calder, Academic Development Lead, Dundee and Angus College
  • Professor Martin Doel CBE, Chair of FE Leadership, FETL/University College London
 
We were also delighted to welcome Julia Belgutay, Head of FE at Tes, who chaired our panel discussion.

First Ever Scottish Esports in Education Conference:
Event Summary

Over 100 delegates virtually attended Scotland’s first ever #EsportsinEducation Conference on Wednesday 24 March 2021. The conference was delivered in partnership with the British Esports Association on CDN’s Virtual Conference Centre platform.

We were delighted to welcome delegates from all over the UK, as well as an international audience from countries including Australia, Denmark, Iceland, India, Japan, Nigeria, Sweden and USA.

If you missed the conference or want to revisit the event, then you will be pleased to hear that the event is now available to watch back on CDN’s event platform here.
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