A Philosophy Shop Pops Up

The Philosophy Shop is a UK organization dedicated to "bringing philosophy to the wider community, and in particular philosophy in schools.":

Learning and engaging in philosophy at a young age promotes life-long learning and research has shown that regular sustained philosophy sessions improves confidence, concentration and communication skills, as well as improving IQ by (on average) 6.5 points.

They've recently become a charity with a host of admirable goals:

Reflecting the recent cuts to funding for the Humanities, the group plans to subsidise Philosophy students coming from low socio-economic backgrounds, who will otherwise be unable to continue in Higher Education. It will seek to raise awareness as well as fund research into the impact of Philosophy on learning and education more widely. Finally, The Philosophy Shop plans to offer funded Philosophy teacher placements to schools in disadvantaged areas.

Perhaps the most exciting possibility is the impact on underachieving students and those who need academic and social help the most:

"We find Philosophy is beloved of the most able, but also nurtures the abilities of students far too easily labeled 'difficult' and 'low-achieving' as well as adults who did not respond well to a conventional curriculum, all of whom really enjoy the stimulus of discussion and argument," she adds. "Philosophy can provide all members of our community an outlet for their intelligence and creativity."

Philosophy for Children breaks down barriers between the child and effective communication.  It makes creative and collaborative reasoning fun and engaging.  We wish The Philosophy Shop the very best of luck in their endeavors.  We hope to see the growing body of research showing the positive impact of philosophical inquiry continue to flourish.