Working with John Leggott Sixth Form College, we will deliver a creative challenge to students following a Teaching Encounters visit to our manufacturing facility last year.
Developed nationally to help relate the curriculum to the real-life context of the world of work, the Teaching Encounters project set a target to provide 1,000 education professionals with learned knowledge that they could take back to the classroom.
Course Area Lead for John Leggott, Emma Lattimore, attended a visit to CorrBoard whereby she would learn more about the business, its approach to manufacturing cardboard and commitment to meet with its sustainability targets.
Inspired by what she has learned, Emma approached CorrBoard and asked if the business would be interested in setting a creative challenge for the sixth form students. It would provide them with the chance to learn and research more about the organisation before articulating their findings using visual arts.
As a champion of working collaboratively, CorrBoard agreed to be involved and has worked with the college to put together a brief for the students.
Emma comments: “The Teaching Encounters project was a great opportunity to get out of the classroom and into the workplace. While we were learning more about the world of work and its practical applications to the classroom, it also gave me an idea.
“If we could work together, we could set the students a challenge that would ignite their imaginations and allow them to put their creative flair into practice.
“I wasn’t sure how CorrBoard would react when I approached them, but they have been great. Having supportive businesses that want to get involved with activities like this makes all the difference to the way that our students learn.”
Managing Director of CorrBoard UK, Rob Burgin, comments: “When we agreed to get involved with the Teaching Encounters programme, the aim was simply to tackle the myth that manufacturing facilities have low skilled jobs. The truth is that we have a highly skilled workforce with a focus on personal and professional development.
“When Emma approached the business after the project had ended to suggest we set the challenge, I thought it was a great idea and a further opportunity to engage with the students and to let them know more about the business.
During a 45-minute session, the students will be handed the brief and asked to work in teams to produce a piece of work using a range of mediums and techniques to bring their concepts to life. The final piece will each be judged by Managing Director of CorrBoard, Rob Burgin.
Once the creative challenge is complete, the final artworks and interpretations will be displayed in the 2021 Visual Arts Centre to be viewed by the local public.
Emma comments: “We are really looking forward to the challenge and more importantly, displaying the artworks that the students create in a public setting.”
Rob comments: “We are really looking forward to seeing how they articulate their findings and what creative pieces they produce as a result. It’s a really exciting project to be involved with and we will certainly be making a visit to the 2021 Visual Arts Centre to see the final displays on show.”
