You might not consider yourself a superhero and you probably don’t wear a cape. But you ARE passionate about making the world a better place through education, research or advocacy.
In my book, that makes YOU a real-life superhero! 💥
And the world needs more of us right now.
My Mission…
My mission is to empower you to use digital effectively, so you can share your superpowers with the world and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it ís important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030.
The United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals are also known as the SDGs and the Global Goals.
Who on earth am I?
I’m Kirsten Thompson, Founder of ROCK YOUR DIGITAL. I’m a qualified and experienced hybrid professional. An educator, learning technologist, community engagement specialist and digital strategist.
You might call me a little geeky. 🤓🤷🏼♀️
Those who know me well, know I actually used to be a COMPLETE technophobe!
For real.
I guess that’s what makes me good at teaching people about tech though. Who knew, my personal kryptonite 💎 would eventually become my superpower! 😄
I’m passionate about making the world a better place and helping others to do the same.
And we can do that by achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Together.
Some of my SDG-related projects…
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
- Patient advocate: I raise awareness of invisible, chronic conditions and use my lived experience to advocate for ‘Spoonies’ with eg fibromyalgia, chronic pain and fatigue.
- Patient Research Ambassador and NHS volunteer: I’m a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Patient Ambassador and volunteer with Leeds Hospitals, where I’m a member of the Biomedical Research Centre’s Public and Patient Involvement Steering Group. #BePartOfResearch
I blog about some of the above activities on my Medium blog.
SDG 4 Quality Education
- 2018-2020 Special Forces at Innovation Lab Schools: I did communications, PR and whatever else that was needed.
- 2019 Comms Support No.More.Plastic Project.
- 2019-2020 Team Facilitator for The Goals Project: Learn more in this post, Join The Goals Project this September!
- 2019 Team Facilitator for the Climate Action Project
- 2020 Lead on the Kakuma Academy, an offline digital learning platform for refugee children in Kakuma, Kenya. Learn more here: projectkakuma.com
- 2020 Action Amplifier for the Take Action Project by TAG
- T4 Squad: part of the volunteer team organising the inaugural T4 Conference, The New Normal: Education Post-COVID-19 in May 2020.
Superpowers 💥
I have a few superpowers of my own:
- Global educator – teaching, coaching and developing people (online, in-person and hybrid)
- Advocacy
- EdTech
- Equality, diversity and inclusion, including digital accessibility
- Collaborating locally and globally
- Networking and facilitating communities
- Community and partner engagement
- Digital comms
- WordPress
- Project management
- Event management
- Public speaking
Experience
I’ve spent the last 20+ years teaching and training thousands of people in service industries and further and higher education (staff and students) on a range of subjects including:
- Inductions, health and safety, fire and customer service training
- Media, film, communications, marketing, video and print production
- Designing online courses
- Using technology online and in physical education spaces, to enhance learning and CPD
- Inclusive teaching and digital accessibility
- Cultivating communities
- Managing a digital presence, blogging, social media and WordPress.
I am currently self-employed and for the last three years, I have collaborated with Vikas Pota on his start-up, T4 Education. I was previously employed as a Digital Practice Adviser in Organisational Development & Professional Learning at the University of Leeds for almost 14 years.
I’m also a Microsoft Innovative Educator. Find out more about my work experience and connect with me on LinkedIn.
Academic credentials
- BA (Hons) Politics and Media Studies
- PGCE: Further Education
- MSc Technology Enhanced Learning, Innovation and Change
I also LOVE to explore the world (responsibly) and hangout in Bear Country 🐻❤️
Which is why most of my photos are of my adventures! Learn more about those on my travel blog, Kooky Traveller.
