Christine Smith

As an experienced practitioner, I have undertaken a range of lead roles across the voluntary, community, and statutory sectors, with a sustained focus on community and youth work education and community development as tools to promote social justice and challenge inequality. These experiences have allowed me to work directly with communities and continue to inform my academic and professional practice.

I am currently the Programme Director for the BA (Hons) Education Studies—offering pathways in TESOL, Youth and Community Work, and Special Educational Needs and Disability and Inclusion—as well as the BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families at the University of Hull. I work closely with students, colleagues, and external partners to ensure our programmes are inclusive, practice-focused, and responsive to the changing needs of the sector.

My research explores the role of higher education in the professional formation of youth and community work educators, with a particular interest in how academic and practice-based learning support the development of forward-thinking, critically reflective practitioners.

I have experience of working on policy and professional standards at a national level, including serving as National Chair of TAG: The Professional Association for Lecturers in Youth and Community Work, and as a member of the Education Training and Standards Committee for youth work. I am currently a trustee of the Regional Youth Work Unit in Yorkshire, supporting the development of youth work across the region.

I also contribute to academic quality and professional development through external examining roles, including for the MA in Youth Work and Community Development at Liverpool Hope University and the BA (Hons) Youth Work at the University of the West of Scotland.

I am a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, reflecting my ongoing commitment to inclusive and practice-rooted approaches to community and youth work education.