The Institute of Imagination announces the award-winning educator and thought leader Carrie Anne Philbin MBE, as their new Director of Learning.
January 2023, London, UK
The Institute of Imagination (iOi) announces the appointment of Carrie Anne Philbin MBE as the new Director of Learning. The award-winning educator and thought leader joins the iOi following 9 years of leading education at the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Carrie Anne will be heading the team at the heart of the iOi’s activities focused on the programmes, products and platforms.
Children today face an uncertain future and that uncertainty is felt more deeply with marginalised and disadvantaged children. Increased education budget cuts, a restrictive and exam pressurised curriculum, 1 in 3 teachers leaving the profession within their first 5 years and with 65% of children entering primary school today ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist, education systems are failing to prepare children for the future of work. These critical problems are compounded for marginalised and disadvantaged children. As children set their aspirations as young as 7 years old, according to the OECD by that age, they are already facing limits on their future aspirations in work.
Through the iOi’s vital work, they are delivering a practical, scalable and transformative solution. As a leading children’s education charity the iOi’s vision is for every child to have the skills and opportunity to imagine and achieve their fullest potential.
Carrie Anne’s role at the iOi will see her leading all aspects of what the iOi calls ‘Impacting Children’; from live in person programmes such as Digital Heroes, to virtual workshops through its Schools Programme across the country; from products like the Imagination Box for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to partnerships with community leaders; from on-line content for parents on www.iOi.london to their platform Imagination Matters that informs educators on insightful articles on the power of creativity and imagination.
Working in partnership with Executive Director Tom Doust, who leads the iOi’s ‘Impacting The Learning System’ work, which features research and consulting, Carrie Anne becomes integral to the iOi’s strategy aiming to scale its reach by 2025 to reach half a million children.
Carrie Anne Philbin MBE commented:
“I am looking forward to leading the development and implementation of educational experiences, programmes and resources at the iOi that will inspire creativity and innovation to empower children to reimagine the future.”
Martin Allen Morales, CEO, Institute of Imagination commented:
“We are very grateful that Carrie Anne has chosen to join our team at this exciting time of growth for us. As we look to scale our work and transform the lives of many more children, reach more teachers, parents and community leaders, and show more donors and funders our extraordinary work, we believe that Carrie Anne will find a nurturing home here that will help her continue and expand on her phenomenal work and career so far.”
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About Carrie Anne Philbin MBE
Carrie Anne Philbin MBE is an award-winning educator, computing teacher, author, YouTuber, and podcast host who is passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and how imagination and creativity are interwoven within these and other subjects. In 2020, she was awarded an MBE for services to STEM education. Carrie Anne strives to support students, parents, and educators around the world in creative and critical thinking learning experiences.
Alongside her work in formal education in the UK, Carrie Anne also hosts a Computer Science series on popular educational YouTube channel Crash Course and creates technology tutorials on her own channel the Geek Gurl Diaries. She is author of ‘Adventures in Raspberry Pi’ a computing book for teenagers wanting to get started with Raspberry Pi programming and is studying for her master’s degree in STEM education at King’s College London.
About the Institute of Imagination:
The iOi is a well established and pioneering children’s education charity focusing on marginalised and disadvantaged children aged 5-11. The iOi designs and delivers creative learning experiences across the arts, sciences and digital technologies that empower children today to believe they can build a just, fair and sustainable world tomorrow. We believe imagination is the super-power of the 21st Century and is one of life’s essential skills.
For further information please contact: Catherine Lambert, Head of Marketing and Comms catherine.lambert@ioi.london