On the 26th of March 2026, Learn North Connect and Reflect Community Learning & Development (CLD) Conference was held in Inverness, for Community Learning and Development (CLD) practitioners delivering learning for community based adult learning, ESOL, adult literacy, youth work, community development and volunteering from strategic managers to practitioners. There was attendance from approximately 70 at the in person event.
Learn North is the CLD professional learning alliance that connects over 300 practitioners from eight local authority areas – Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles. It is the biggest geographical region in Scotland. Its goal is to improve professional development for the CLD workforce, offering opportunities based on needs of practitioners across all sectors of CLD.
Education Scotland was invited to support development of the Conference as well as have an active role during the day, delivering workshops on Youthvoice Toolkit, Community Needs Analysis, Attendance in Schools – partnership & multi-agency toolkit and a whole room input on the use of AI in CLD practise. There was further inputs from CLD Standards Council as well as local authorities sharing their practise in relation to a huge range of areas, some included, Highland adult learning voice following funding from the Scottish Education Exchange Programme, Aberdeen Youth Movement, Shetland Youth Voice, Gaelic awareness, learning communities for adults with enduring mental health illnesses and Aberdeen student teacher programme with CLD family learning team. You can read more through the online programme created for the event which details each input.
SIDA’s Global Citizenship Engagement Officer Hannah Clyne joined Mya Chemonges Murzynowska from ACAMHA and Catriona Willis from Highland One World gave a stand out presentation on the importance of anti racist education in community settings. They showcased that through the conference professional learning can go further, stating “It’s about creating spaces where social justice is lived, community voices are heard, and where global citizenship is part of everyday life”. Read more on their blog here entitled “Action is the antidote to despair”.
Learn North, the CLD professional learning alliance is now working on how to promote the learning across the region allowing for those practitioners who could not attend in person to learn and connect from others in the region. A conference with a focus on connection and reflection – including a lasting legacy which Education Scotland is happy to support.
