Congratulations to our current Doctoral Fellow, Lauren Christie, for her award of joint-winner of the 2019-20 Honorary Graduates’ Award for Inclusive Practice. This Award is open to both teaching staff and those based in central services. It takes the form of a £1,000 practice development fund and recognises teaching or service delivery which removes barriers and promotes inclusion. Open to Schools and Directorates, the award encourages and supports developing good inclusive practice.
Lauren was recognised for her work in the bibiotherapeutic use of children’s literature. This is a new initiative which aims to address escalating levels of mental health concerns by promoting open and honest discussion through the delivery of dedicated lessons in children’s literature. These lessons are conducted in the form of outreach workshops to local schools, and 10-credit modules and community classes for the University of Dundee.
Lauren says “Through focusing on this brand-new subject, it is my goal to help inspire passion and to help promote positive and honest discussion about mental health and literature. Furthermore, I strive to instil a sense of achievability to individuals that have faced discrimination or challenges surrounding their academic grades, time spent outwith education, mature students, visible or invisible disabilities and also those in areas of deprivation. All of the aforementioned challenges can have a negative impact on an individual’s mental health; it is my goal to address this through a format that all students have thus far been able to relate to and engage with.”
