LSK will be a ground breaking venue, a learning centre where children and young adults can explore issues of personal safety and responsibility within a safe and dynamic environment. It will become a resource for the whole community. Initially the centre will cater for two Year 6 class groups of 30+ students. Phase II will open the upper level and serve the education requirements of up to 60 year 11 students.
Learning will be accessible and fun. The flexible learning environment will promote the use of personal judgment in any given situation with the core message of LEARN, UNDERSTAND and take RESPONSIBILITY for your actions.
LSK will closely adhere to the National Curriculum (PSHE and Citizenship in particular) while dealing with the concept of individual rights and responsibilities in society. These are concepts that can be difficult to grasp in the classroom environment and are vitally important for young people to understand.
LSK will be a unique lifeskills centre delivering safety messages in an exciting and memorable way. The centre is being designed with the student at its heart so student ownership of the issues explored and debate is inherent in the building and the visit.
The building uses recycled shipping containers as its building blocks, these are used to create a large communal space that is the heart of a building, framed by themed zones, viewing rooms and a temporary exhibition area.
Environmental learning zones will be created using interactive technologies, sound, light, models and scenic treatment.
The LSK centre will provide a valuable and memorable experience teaching through engagement and participation.
The exciting new learning centre for Thanet is in an innovate building designed to meet the very highest standards in sustainable design.
The building has been developed by HKD working in partnership with Urban Space Management. USM is a specialist development company bringing new and exciting design to educational and community projects.
The shipping containers will be fitted out and prepared off site before being lifted into place allowing the whole building to go up in days instead of months.
The first containers will be delivered to site 12 months early to create a site office and temporary exhibition space.
Inside
A visit to LSK starts and ends with the “Peoples Parliament”. This area will break down users inhibitions and encourage participation and debate. On arrival a quick fire quiz will challenge students and get them on their toes. The students will return here after visiting the different zones then the large screens will be used to display real-time polling data as the students have the chance to have their say and test what they have learnt.
At other times the central hub will provide a flexible accessible learning centre for different community groups.
The different zones will create learning opportunities where Lifeskills lessons can be learnt, tested and explored. Throughout the centre the student will be challenged to understand and question. Real life scenarios will be enhanced with animation, group interactives and specially commissioned exhibits which will enhance the learning experience.
The LSK steering group has raised a significant percentage of the finance needed to realise the LSK project.
The project designers are HKD.
HKD is an experienced Exhibition Design company with an International client base. HKD create projects which enable access to ideas, collections and discovery creating learning environments in consultation with client and community groups.
Recent projects include The Equiano Project for Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, the Future Horizons Gallery at Thinktank, Birmingham, The CELL a centre for Life Long Learning, Denver, interpretation for Uppark and Bodiam Castle for the National Trust.
USM has been at the forefront of urban regeneration for over 30 years, both as a developer and manager. USM specialises in the creation of new locations, concentrating on building up a mix of uses including workspace, arts, retail, catering, sports and entertainment. This is attained with creative use of funds and the re-use and revitalisation of existing buildings, with the provision of new cost effective buildings. Another speciality is the encouragement of small businesses within an active management regime. USM works with all sectors including private, public and voluntary.
The Business Plan has been prepared by Pan Leisure Consulting, supported by the Trustees of Lifeskills Kent, in order to provide the background and detail underpinning the proposal to provide a Lifeskills Centre, in Kent. The business plan is based upon extensive research and consultation initially conducted by Trustees and Project advisors, and subsequently updated by Pan-Leisure Consulting.
Development of this website has been carried out by ON101. ON101 bring there experience of creating educational interactives for institutions including Museum of London, the British Library and Singapore Science Museum. The LSK project expects to develop online: providing accessible interactive games and feedback resources to further engage with students, educationalists and supporters before and after their LSK visit.
