students happy

Visit from internationally renowned poet, philosopher and author David Whyte

Posted: 20th February 2019

Brampton College students receive talk from renowned speaker and TED Talk host David Whyte as part of the college’s programme of ‘Inspire’ talks to promote student wellbeing and personal development

Brampton is proud to have hosted its latest event A Timeless Way: The Art and Practice of Deepening Any Conversation led by renowned poet, philosopher and author David Whyte. Held on Wednesday, the talk was split into two parts with the first section of the event held for staff and the second aimed at helping Brampton’s students to develop ‘wholeheartedness’ in relation to their studies and lives as well as addressing ways to find meaningful work.

Over the course of the talks David addressed how conversations with others as well as ourselves our key for shaping identity. He explained the importance of not being confined to a set of labelled identities: mother, father, teacher, student and so on. He stressed the need to ask yourself what’s on your horizon and question who you’re practising at becoming. He also spoke to students about being courageous about what they care about as well as the use of technology and social media, challenging them to go for a short walk without their phone and to have their eyes lifted to a different horizon. Throughout the talks, David quoted several of his own poems to illustrate his points in addition to words by Dante and Wordsworth..

Apart from his poetry, David has worked extensively on the themes of work and vocation, collaborating with many large corporations including Standard Chartered Bank, The Gap, The Boeing Company and The Royal Air Force. A highly acclaimed public speaker and TED Talk host, David is known for his belief in the importance of conversational leadership, as well as inspiring workforces through poetry and commentary to promote creativity and engagement in the workplace.

With student and teacher wellbeing an important area of Brampton’s focus and currently a much discussed topic, the College hopes that this talk, which forms part of a series aimed at students, teachers and parents, will help both young people, and adults who support them, deal with the stresses that adolescence often brings. As a college which places great emphasis on helping its cohort develop positive attitudes towards work and wellbeing to help them succeed in their academic studies as well as later working life, Brampton is proud to have hosted such a prominent speaker.

Bernard Canetti, Principal at Brampton College, commented on the event,

At Brampton we go above and beyond expectations to provide opportunities for our students to hear from prominent and highly valued leaders in their respective fields. The chance to hear from David, one of the foremost speakers on inspiring business executives in the corporate world, is an example of Brampton’s commitment to promoting wellbeing amongst its students and helping them to prepare for their future studies at university as well as working life.”

David Whyte said,

It is an absolute pleasure to speak at Brampton College and to address staff and students on what I firmly believe is an essential topic for young adults. As technology increasingly alters the way we work and study, preparing students for their future careers and inspiring them to be passionate about the subjects that interest them is crucial. It is great to see a college with such a positive attitude toward developing their students as well-rounded individuals”.

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