How to get the most out of the Teaching Citizenship Conference 2023

How to get the most out of the Conference

The ACT Teaching Citizenship Conference is fast approaching! Taking place on 29 June 2023 at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society in Central London, the event will bring together teachers, practitioners and other interested parties to amplify and exchange ideas that support quality Citizenship teaching. As we have a schedule full of stimulating sessions, here’s some advice to get the most out of the day:

1. Take notes

Pens and paper will be provided at registration. You might consider bringing your laptop to the conference, but keep in mind laptops can be heavy and you may find you never use it during the day. A simple pen and paper can go a long way instead.

2. Plan your day

A digital conference programme and booking system will be made available on the events page ahead of the day. Before the conference, we will also ask you to review the workshop sessions and decide which ones you’d like to attend. Allocation will be done on a first come basis. You may decide you want to change sessions on the day, which is fine, but we’ll have a queuing system for people who didn’t stipulate their preference earlier in the process. We recommend you review the pre-conference information and confirm your choices ealry to avoid disappointment.

3. Network

The ACT Teaching Citizenship Conference is an opportunity to meet or reconnect with colleagues who are as passionate about Citizenship education as you are, so we hope you use this opportunity to take inspiration from others. Some suggestions for networking are:

• Common interests – The best way to network is through genuine connections, so start conversations from your experience and interests.
• Use Social Media – Twitter is a great platform for engaging with others and also seeing what the buzz might be at the conference. #ACTCON23 will be trending at the conference this year and it’s a great way to interact with presenters and see what else is being discussed in workshops.
• Exchange contact details – Social opportunities may be limited, but there are many options for exchanging details while networking. You might choose to carry around business cards, write details in a notebook, or exchange directly through email or telephone.
• Explore the marketplace – we’re lucky to have a selection of interesting organisations present at the event who would love the opportunity to share their support offers with you. Go and say hello!

4. Mental health

Learning is important, and the connections are too, but nothing is as important as your own wellbeing and keeping yourself happy, comfortable, and healthy. To check in with yourself and avoid burnout here are some suggestions:

• Ask for support – ACT staff and Teaching Ambassadors are always happy to help. Make sure to speak to staff if you need any extra support, including seat reservations or scheduling suggestions.
• Mental and emotional self-care – The Conference is a great time to simply think, soak it all in and be inspired. Take the space and time to reflect on your own if needed. Large social gatherings can be a challenge.
• Physical self-care – Don’t forget to eat food and drink lots of water! Carry a water bottle around so you can stay hydrated as you may do a lot of walking and talking throughout the day. It might be a hot, London summer day, and you may be on your feet, so dress comfortably. But bring a rain jacket just in case, you never know with UK weather!

We hope these tips will give you the confidence and resources to get the most out of your conference experience. We look forward to seeing you there!

There’s still time to register for the Conference.