Donna Anderson

Location: Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire

Role: Community Learning and Development Assistant

I live in Strichen and spend much of my time with my two sons, Hamish (15) and Bruce (14). We enjoy walking our rescue dog, Storm, around the local area, and football plays a big part in our family life — whether it’s supporting my sons or going to Pittodrie to watch Aberdeen Football Club. I also have a real love for cooking, which I see as another way of bringing people together.

I work as a Community Learning and Development Assistant based at Mintlaw Academy, alongside my role as a Pupil Support Assistant within the Additional Support Department. My work focuses on supporting learning opportunities for people of all ages, with a particular emphasis on youth work during key transition stages — from primary into the academy years and through to leaving school. On a weekly basis, I support young people to improve attendance, build positive relationships, and develop essential life skills that help them navigate their learning journey.

Within my own community, I support learners by creating opportunities beyond the traditional classroom environment. This includes outdoor learning, relationship-based work, and peer support, all of which help ease transitions from primary to secondary school and from school into the wider community. I am passionate about helping young people build confidence, resilience, and practical life skills, enabling them to move forward positively and feel a strong sense of belonging within their community. Seeing learners try new things, grow in confidence, and connect with others who may share similar experiences is the most rewarding part of my role.

As part of this professional learning exchange, I hope to gain insight into how a small community delivers literacy across schools in Nyeri and how this impacts young people’s life chances. I am keen to bring back fresh perspectives and ideas that can strengthen learning opportunities within the Mintlaw area.

My aspiration for this experience is to fully immerse myself in another culture, explore meaningful connections, and understand the differences — and similarities — in how communities support their young people. I am particularly interested in seeing how literacies are delivered in Nyeri and what we can learn from this approach. At home, many of our young learners face challenges such as the influence of social media, and I am eager to experience the reality of how other communities support learning and wellbeing in different contexts. I hope this experience will inspire new ways of thinking and ultimately help us make positive changes for our own community.