CASE STUDY || CHESHIRE EAST LIBRARIES

Training Cheshire East Libraries as
Futures Wonder Lab Practitioners and run Creativity &
Innovation Challenges empowering
young people across the region as problem-solvers 
for the planet
​

CHESHIRE EAST LIBRARIES

Cheshire East Libraries, in the North West of England, receive more than 1.8 million visitors per year and issue more than 2.7 million books and resources. With public libraries in 16 towns across the region, Cheshire East Libraries sit at the heart of communities providing equitable, inclusive access to people of all ages to build knowledge, skills and wellbeing.  

WORKING TOGETHER

Cheshire East Libraries partnered with Elaine France in 2020, to train staff to run the Futures Wonder Lab in all 16 libraries and as an online activity during the COVID lockdown, to support young people through creativity to keep developing their creative thinking skills and learning through play. 

The purpose of the Futures Wonder Lab was also to empower young people to share their innovative ideas as problem-solvers for the planet and share their voices in their communities.

THE APPROACH 

Elaine gave staff from each public library Futures Wonder Lab training, taking a learning-by-doing approach, to enable each team member to lead a Futures Wonder Lab Challenge. The training included a ready-to-go pack with challenges and materials to enable Cheshire East Libraries to get started immediately during the challenges of COVID lockdown, and to create a consistent appeoach across all 16 libraries.

POWERFUL RESULTS 
  • A Master Trainer group of Cheshire East Libraries staff trained as Futures Wonder Lab Practitioners.
  • Monthly Futures Wonder Lab Challenges run online and in 16 libraries.
  • Young people ages 6-16 years reached across the region and empowered to value their creativity, innovative ideas and be local climate change problem-solvers.
Discover how we can work together
​to empower young people as problem-solvers