08 April 2011

Sheffield philosophers represent UK at USA conference

University of Sheffield students travelled to Massachusetts, USA last week (26 – 27 March 2011) following an invite to speak at a prestigious conference on the relevance of philosophy to real life.

Engaging Philosophy took place at Mount Holyoke College, bringing together academics and students from across America to discuss how philosophy can directly affect the world beyond academia, from childhood development to socioeconomic problems.

The conference particularly sought input from philosophers 'in the trenches', engaging with philosophy outside academic circles. The University of Sheffield students were the only delegates invited from outside of the USA, on the strength of their unique outreach programme, entitled Philosophy in the City.

Philosophy in the City (PinC) is an innovative programme run entirely by student volunteers, with the backing of the Department of Philosophy. Formed in 2006, the group aims to widen access to philosophy across the social and cultural spectrum, particularly focussing on children from deprived and minority backgrounds in Sheffield.

The students work with children in primary and secondary schools, developing their critical thinking, writing and verbal communication skills with the help of philosophical arguments and ideas.

"We hope to promote philosophy as a subject worthy of teaching and learning not simply for post-16 education, but throughout school, as is the case in many countries on the continent," commented Ben Arscott, President of PinC. "Philosophy offers so much to children´s personal and social development and it can really help them to make sense of the world and others."

PinC mentors pupils from three schools in Sheffield through their AS and A Level exams. They also contribute to a group called Buzz Club for primary school children. During their sessions at Buzz Club, PinC use the naturally inquisitive nature of the children to start them thinking outside the box. Philosophise is a summer event currently being organised by PinC, which will bring together secondary school pupils from across Sheffield to experience university for a day.

The university visit supports PinC's ambition to promote further and higher education aspirations amongst school pupils, whether they aim to pursue philosophy as a subject or not. Ben continued: "Helping pupils to achieve in education, whatever their ambition, is a key motivator for us. Whether we're helping pupils to improve their grades in exams or to boost their confidence in classroom discussion, it is incredibly rewarding to see them enjoying education."

Ben hopes to build on the experience of PinC's visit to the USA: "The experience at Mount Holyoake was inspirational. It was really informative to see what others do. We have learnt a lot and will definitely look to expand what we do. The colleges in the states had a real focus on marginalised members of society, outside of education. We're now looking at working with prisoners and ex-offenders, following the example we saw in the USA. PinC is also now involved with a local homeless refuge charity, Roundabout, based in Sharrow."

Teacher Paul Moore-Bridger, who is in charge of philosophy at Silverdale School, said: "Philosophy in the City do great work at my school. They help my students engage with philosophy through mini-lectures, one-to-one mentoring, seminars and conferences, which are always stimulating and of the highest quality. Their recent trip to the USA is justified recognition of the importance of what PinC does in Sheffield. They are blazing a trail for how university departments should reach out to the schools in their communities. PinC massively enriches the educational landscape of Sheffield.