Engage Academy

A year-long training programme for public engagement professionals.

Applications for the 2021-22 cohort will be opening in January 2021. 

The provisional dates for 2021-22 are: 11th & 12th May 2021, 22nd & 23rd September 2021, and 19th & 20th January 2022.

Our dynamic, year-long professional development programme for the public engagement sector, enables you to become more confident in your role, develop a strong and supportive network, and embed high quality engagement in your organisation.

The great range of practical tools the NCCPE team has equipped us with on this academy is something I’ll take with me and use extensively. These range from facilitation techniques to the many different evaluation tools shown to us.” Diogo Gomes, Public Engagement Coordinator for the School of Clinical Medicine and Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge

 

Apply now

Are you working to foster a culture of engagement in your organisation? Whether you work in a Higher Education Institution or for a charity or public sector organisation the Engage Academy is for you if your role primarily involves supporting others to engage.

Over the course of a year the programme supports participants to develop a strategic approach to engagement for their organisation. We look at high-quality practice for enabling engagement, embedding it, rewarding it, and evaluating it. Curated by NCCPE, with innovative and inspiring examples from sector leaders, the Engage Academy includes expert-led workshops, peer support, mentorship, as well as an online space to connect with peers throughout the year.

 

Covid-19 Update

In these uncertain times, we wanted to reassure you that we are committed to holding the Academy this year and to continue to provide the richest learning experience we can offer you. This professional development programme provides an opportunity to build relationships, navigate the current context and problem solve together, and we think this may be a much needed space for public engagement professionals to come together to grow their knowledge, skills and expertise.  

With all of our safety in mind and following current guidance regarding Covid-19 we are currently considering whether we will hold the 2021-22 Academy online or in person and will update shortly.  We will support you to engage as fully as possible with the Academy and help you with using the technology and tools that we will use to help you all connect with us and each other. 

If you have any further questions please contact Anja Dalton, Engage Academy Coordinator: anja2.dalton@uwe.ac.uk or 0117 328 7061

Course structure

The Engage Academy cohort comes together (in Bristol when face-to-face) for three two-day sessions over the course of a year, exploring the role of purpose, process and people in underpinning good engagement practice. Each session combines presentations from individuals prominent within the engagement, funding and policy communities; practical workshops; and opportunities for peer-supported learning. Delegates take home practical tools to put into practice in their own institution. Mentors with expertise in public engagement strategy, culture change, evaluation, and community engagement are also available to provide support.

Read our blog post highlighting the experiences of the 2019/20 cohort

Have a look at the photos below or in our Flickr album to see what the Engage Academy 2019/20 cohort got up to!

Engage Academy 2019/20

When (provisional dates)

  • 11th & 12th May 2021
  • 22nd & 23rd September 2021
  • 19th & 20th January 2022
I’ve realised how much fun there is to be had with public engagement, and have been so inspired by the many examples of outside-the-box ideas to get messages across and achieve engagement" Myra Wilkinson, Research and Engagement Officer, University of Winchester

 

Fees

The Academy price of £990 includes; all learning sessions, provision of a Basecamp group during and after the Academy, two sets of our partnership work toolkits and access to a mentor.

 

Bookings will open at the end of November. 

 

 

We will also have a limited number of bursaries available (25% or 50% discount), for those who would find the costs of attending prohibitive otherwise. We may also be able to offer an instalment option for payment. If you would like to be considered for any of these options (only one option is available per application), please make a case for this on booking.

 

NB: participants will need to cover their own travel and accommodation costs to attend the Academy (if applicable). Please note that places at the Academy are by application, and so a space cannot be guaranteed.  We will inform all applicants of the outcome as soon as possible after close of bookings.

 

Benefits

  • Enriched understanding of the wider engagement landscape - including the history, national context, and current and future drivers for engagement, such as the impact agenda
  • Enhanced knowledge, skills and confidence
  • Opportunity to develop a working plan to overcome key challenges
  • Access to mentors, a peer support group, and an alumni network

Apply now

For more information please contact Anja Dalton, NCCPE Project Officer and Engage Academy Coordinator: Anja2.Dalton@uwe.ac.uk, 0117 3287061