Recent Genesis and KEG Member News

A Taunton teacher has won a national award for her education work on sustainability with hundreds of people from primary schoolchildren to adults in business.

Yvonne Mackeson, Education Facilitator for Schools and Community at Somerset College’s Genesis Centre in Taunton, received the Excellence in Enterprise Award from Warwick University for her work around sustainability in building and the wider environment.

She was entered for the award by the Somerset Enterprise Learning Partnership (SELP), a broadly based organisation set up to promote enterprise, financial capability and economic and business understanding in education.

Yvonne, who received the award at the end of last year, has worked with hundreds of students of all age groups from Wales to Devon, running courses and activities at the Genesis Centre and helping to make sure sustainability becomes part of mainstream education.

Based at the Genesis Centre, last year she worked with a range including Masters students from the Welsh School of Architecture; Somerset College students learning about sustainable construction through the Genesis Centre; whole year groups or selected schoolchildren involved in activity days and competitions for schools throughout the county.

Yvonne also delivers workshops for teachers and helps write aspects of sustainability into the general school curriculum, as well as working with industry involved in education.

She was chosen for the national Warwick University award because of education activities at the Genesis Centre; for the enterprising way they are delivered and also the way in which she worked with industry to interact with and inspire young people.

Caption: Yvonne Mackeson with her Award certificate.