Educating for Empathy:
the reading factor
Our landmark, first of its kind conference.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Educating for Empathy conference - and to all our speakers and partners!
On Tuesday 5 December, we launched the first ever Educating for Empathy conference. It was an amazing time of knowlege sharing, which has massively enriched our thinking and practice, as well as our delegates'.
Background to the conference
Empathy is a learnable skill, and a vital element in social and emotional learning. The urgent need for empathy education strategies is highlighted by society’s increased polarisation and the rise in post-Covid behavioural and mental health problems.
We launched the Educating for Empathy conference to explore how to harness reading’s power to build empathy understanding and skills. Through a series of keynotes, panels and interactive workshops from a diverse group of experts, delegates took away a rich understanding of the evidence base for using reading to build empathy, practical tools and next steps to deepen empathy education work.
Keep the conversation going - share your thoughts by tagging us @EmpathyLabUK and using the hashtag #EducatingForEmpathy
Featuring a diverse panel of expert researchers, educators and authors
- Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, and Professor of Developmental Psychology, University of Sussex
- University of Sussex research team
- Sonia Thompson, Director, St Matthews Research School, Birmingham
- Professor Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education , the Open University
- Authors Hannah Gold, Cath Howe and Rashmi Sirdeshpande
- Teachers Kate Clarke, Pembroke Dock Community School, Amy Willoughby, Beck Primary School and Jon Biddle, Moorlands Primary Academy
- Stella Jones, Director of Town End Research School
- EmpathyLab founders
Miranda McKearney OBE
and
Sarah Mears MBE
Look back at the event programme
Clik on the images below to download the PDF
Expert-led workshops
Ticket holders had the option of joining one of our four workshops, led by
incredible leaders in fields of empathy, education and literature.
Workshop one: Choosing and using empathy-rich books
What makes for an empathy-rich book? In this workshop Sarah Mears shares with you the key things judges look for in selecting the annual Read for Empathy collection.
Led by Sarah Mears MBE, Founder, EmpathyLab
Workshop two: Classroom practice focusing on characters and empathy book-talk
What’s different about using an empathy emphasis? This workshop explores the power of focusing on character within the safe space of a story to help children understand themselves and others better.
Led by author Cath Howe and Helen Mulligan, EmpathyLab
Workshop three: Book-inspired social action
How can we inspire children to put feelings of empathy into action? Influential teacher Jon Biddle led his school’s work as a pioneer EmpathyLab school, and shares his learning about using books and authors as a catalyst for developing pro-social attitudes and action - a vital part of empathy education.
Led by Jon Biddle, teacher and blogger, Moorlands Primary Academy
Workshop four: Social and emotional learning through books and characters
How can stories and characters be used to develop key social and emotional skills? Stella Jones shares how using books in a targeted way can develop the five core competencies identified in The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance report.
Led by Stella Jones, Director of Town End Research School