We got some good feedback from our session with young co-operators at the beginning of the month; they braved the Scottish Spring to battle their way to New Lanark to discuss ways of promoting co-operatives and co-operative teaching in schools. Here are some of their suggestions:
- Focus on primary schools to get the message across – creates a new generation of co-operators.
- Promote co-op success stories.
- Establish a mentoring program – use existing student co-ops to help new co-ops.
- Incorporate it into the careers service at schools.
- Decide on key messages: co-operatives promote personal development, develop new, practical skills, and offer something new/interesting.
- Create opportunities to meet with other student co-ops (a Young Co-op Network).
- Need to get teachers to recognise that the co-operative option makes sense in a lot of areas in a school – builds upon existing ‘co-operative’ activities.
Plenty to think about for us as educators and co-operators.
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