Dr Verity Jones
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education and Childhood | UWE Bristol
Bristol, England, UNITED KINGDOM
Her area of interest is developing young people’s education on sustainability.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Public Engagement
Eco-fashion
Sustainability Education
Natural Food Sources
Edible Insects
Biography
Dr Verity Jones is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education and Childhood at UWE Bristol. Her area of interest is developing young people’s education on sustainability - working with children, for example, through the understanding of fashion-sourcing and of edible insects as a natural food source. She is exploring how to support young people in the climate and ecological emergency amid the related eco-anxieties that are being reported. Anxiety and how we support young people navigating this is central to many of her projects. There are many uncertainties relating to global food security and the place of edible insects may be one potential dietary change that occurs in the west. Working with Bug Farm Foods she has undertaken research with children relating to edible insects and this resulted in the incorporation of edible insects into school canteens in schools in Wales.
Verity has worked with a multidisciplinary team on developing a children’s picture book and teaching resources that guide young people through the concerns of water scarcity in the UK, winning the silver medal in the Geographical Association’s publishing awards (2020). Verity has worked in the charity, public and private sectors - all in the field of young people and sustainable development. She has been Education Officer for Europe’s leading eco-centre (The Centre for Alternative Technology), Oxford University Press’s first Primary consultant, advisor to the National Botanic Garden of Wales and she continues to work with the international charity, Fashion Revolution, where she co-wrote and lead their online course ‘Who Made My Clothes?’ (delivered via FutureLearn platform).
Media Mentions (2)
Children are happy to eat insect bolognese to save the planet, UWE researchers discover
Bristol Post online
2020-02-25
UWE’s senior lecturer in education, Dr Verity Jones, led a research project that gave school children in Wales the choice of eating their regular school dinners, or meals made using insect protein substitute instead.
Children open to seeing insect-based meals on school dinner menu, study suggests
Jersey Evening Post online
2020-02-21
Study lead Dr Verity Jones, from UWE Bristol, said: “This is the first time that a study like this has focused on young people and the first time that practical tastings with edible insects have been conducted. “In what might be a surprise to many parents, the reception from children was overwhelmingly positive.”
Education (3)
University of Wales, Aberystwyth: Ph.D., Geography 2003
University of Wales, Lampeter: M.Phil., Geography 1999
University of Wales, Lampeter: B.A., Geography 1997
Affiliations (2)
- Associate of the Dyslexia Guild
- Fellow of the Higher Education Authority
Links (1)
Event Appearances (5)
Teaching climate emergency through drought
Geographical Association, Geography Teachers Annual Conference (2020) London, U.K.
Key Note: Paralysis of choice and the action of paradox
Communicate (2019) Bristol, U.K.
Providing young people with sustainable choices: Introducing entomophagy into schools in Wales
The SW Royal Entomological Society’s Annual Meeting (2019) Bristol, U.K.
Ethical Clothing and the classroom
Geographical Association Annual Conference (2019) Manchester, U.K.
Teaching the Sustainable Development Goals
Geographical Association, Geography Teachers Annual Conference (2019) Bristol, U.K.
Articles (5)
Discovery approach to fieldwork
Geographical Association2020 Sarah Whitehouse and Verity Jones present their research on understanding urban spaces from a personal perspective through discovery-led fieldwork.
Celebrating ethical fashion
Geographical Association2019 Primary Geography is the Geographical Association’s journal for all Early Years and Primary teachers and is published three times a year.
Adapting our diets for global climate change: could eating bugs really be an answer?
Geographical Association2019 The author suggests different ways of looking at the global food crisis and asks if we can consider making radical changes to our diets.
A potent mix: When science and poetry combine
Association for Science Education2018 Teaching science through the unexpected route of poetry can establish new and interesting understandings for learners. This article considers how to merge these two disciplines.
After PISA: Real approaches to science in Wales
Association for Science Education2017 Following the media response to poor PISA results in Wales, this article considers the role of private business and how they can support education. Using a case study from Pembrokeshire, Wales, it is argued that if we want investment in education, we may need to look to this sector for support.
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