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Cities of Learning UK

Helping People & Places tell the Story of their Learning

Cities of Learning creates new pathways into learning and employment by connecting and amplifying formal, informal, and in work learning opportunities that exist across Cities via a system of digital open badges. Open badges become a new 'currency' for learning in a place, recognising the knowledge and skills gained through participation in different activities (online and offline).

HundrED 2019

Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED 2019

Web presence

2017

Established

1K

Children

1

Countries
Target group
All
Updated
August 2018
Learners of all ages and backgrounds have hidden skills, talents and interests that often aren’t recognised by the broader education system. Many also lack knowledge about the variety of learning and work opportunities available in their local area, and an understanding about how to access these. Cities of Learning aims to connect different learning experiences across localities and places to enable learners to see new pathways to opportunity which may not have been visible to them previously. Digital badges create a new language for learning and skill development, which helps learners identify, develop and articulate their skills and capabilities in different contexts. More broadly, Cities of Learning looks to mobilise the potential of place based networks, new forms of civic leadership and new technologies in creating places that value and promote lifelong learning as core to their culture and civic identity.

About the innovation

What is Cities of Learning UK

Building on the work of LRNG Cities in the USA and the UNESCO Learning Cities movement, the RSA & DigitalMe have devised a new way to connect people with opportunities at scale across our cities, unlocking untapped potential for all individuals, employers and communities.

Cities of Learning is orientated around three key design principles - leadership, networks and platform. In practice this means establishing a new local leadership model in localities (engaging and bringing together civic, business, third sector organisations and education leaders), mobilising diverse networks of learning providers, and augmenting this with a digital platform which connects learners to networks of employers, formal and non-formal education providers.

Learning experiences across Cities are recognised via digital open badges, which demonstrate the knowledge, skills and capabilities gained by learners through different learning activities. Each City of Learning has its own 'skills spine' which learning experiences are connected to, and from which learning pathways into further learning or employment are created.

The technology platform uses data insights to create new pathways into learning and employment, and drive better commissioning of services and opportunites. An inclusive approach that promotes and recognises learning wherever it happens and leads to new pathways into education and work.

The concept was prototyped in three UK Cities in 2017 - Brighton, Greater Manchester and Plymouth - and the RSA and DigitalMe are working towards the launch of two evaluated pilots of Cities of Learning in 2019.

Impact & scalability

Implementation steps

Want to find out more?

Please contact Rosie at rosie.clayton@rsa.org.uk to find out more!

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