"Developing outdoor approaches to learning in schools is increasingly being recognised as effective in preparing young learners for the 21st century workplace. We aim to empower all students, including those with mental or behavioural health problems by enhancing emotional wellbeing through the development of creative/nature-based learning skills. With schools currently facing a multitude of external, top-down pressures on educational attainment and health and wellbeing inequalities, there is a need for learning experiences that simultaneously improve health, wellbeing and school engagement whilst addressing curriculum needs. Our collective experiences show that the opportunity to provide high-quality teaching experiences to engage children aged 7-12 in learning is not restricted to the classroom setting. Taking learning outside the classroom/into the natural environment provides the opportunity for an integrated, cross-curricular approach to achieving education aims. There is also an issue with childhood obesity that this project could support to alleviate; >30% of boys aged 11 in all three countries in the project are in the obese range. Our overall aims and objectives will be as follows: a/ to provide teachers, through good examples, with methods, techniques and tools for developing the use of the outdoors for more students' aged 7-12 to increase students’ engagement in their learning and contribute to student wellbeing, b/ to offer teaching staff an approach to teaching and learning that, promotes multi-disciplinary connections, increasing the use and transferability of key competencies to outdoor learning situations c/ to develop attitudes of openness and cooperation and intercultural dialogue between teaching staff and students, to support democratic processes and civil society in an integrated Europe d/ to build systemic organisational culture, that supports whole school development and promotes an interdisciplinary approach to schoolwork particularly in using the outdoors and natural resources to enhance students learning and more importantly their appreciation of the outdoors in their everyday life. Our project group comprises 1 LA, 2 Educational Organisations (NGOs) and 9 primary/lower secondary schools in Wales, Greece and Romania. Our Direct beneficiaries will be teaching staff and we anticipate working directly with 100+ teaching staff in 9 schools in Learning Teaching Training events to develop high quality teacher resources/guidance materials that develop Key Competences from Formal Learning into Outdoor authentic learning situations and IMPACT on students’ learning outcomes positively and contribute to SOCIAL INCLUSION (removing some of the barriers to learning) and emotional/physical well-being. Students aged 7-12 will also be DIRECT beneficiaries as we will include 80+ students in joint LTTs with teaching staff. We will also engage with students as DIRECT beneficiaries through development by STUDENTS of a resource toolkit for children and a film made by children for children on OUTDOOR LEARNING. All students within each of the 9 schools involved will be INDIRECT beneficiaries through receiving enhanced provision with new activities in outdoor setting developed through this project and we expect 1500+ to benefit. We will also conduct a thorough IMPACT REVIEW using a robust FRAMEWORK of various applied methodology including questionnaires/focus group interviews and observational studies. Our project aims to seek solutions that not only increased students’ activity in the outdoors but also make it purposeful and provide ways to show that our methods impact positively on students: • Engagement/retention in learning • Increase in achievement • Promote students’ skills/competences acquisition • Support learners to make the transfer of skills through more authentic/practical learning • Health/well-being, resilience and risk taking • Contribute to developing skills of stewardship that will support Environment and Climate Change issues. For teaching staff our project’s impact will include: • Develop/deliver cross curricular activities from formal to informal learning outdoors • A range of strategies and ideas to promote social inclusion and well being of their students • Support students to develop 21st century skills • Developing strong learning networks locally and internationally The long-term benefit of this project is its contribution to ET2020 targets and creation of more purposeful learning for students that improves emotional/physical health/wellbeing, promotes social inclusion, retains them in education/increases their attainment of basic skills competences and their love for the environment and understanding the links between climate change and more sustainable ways of living/habits.
School leaders and local authorities were eager to achieve the following outcomes: * staff to have a greater understanding of different opportunities that could be delivered in the outdoor environments * share good practice at a local, national and international level * offer high quality CPD opportunities * offer rich life experiences for learners * learners to have a greater confidence to learn in the outdoors environment and to be global citizens Sending out teachers and pupils on international experiences would in time benefit everyone in school. It would also help develop outdoor teaching and learning environments. Being outdoors has many benefits, not only to achieve academic goals, but also to improve mental and physical health. The integration of creative activities and nature-based experiences offered multiple benefits. First and foremost, it enhances staff and students' emotional well-being by providing an outlet for self-expression and promoting mindfulness. Additionally, these approaches foster resilience, as students learn to adapt and find solutions in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. It encourages students to explore their creativity and establish a deeper connection with the natural world.
All schools in this project identified a need to explore and develop Outdoor Education methodology opportunities, due to different background reasons, but with a same objective. Working internationally was seen as a great opportunity to enhance this experience. This project targeted all 4 purposes of the new curriculum for Wales, for children to become: * ambitious, capable learners * enterprising, creative contributors * ethical, informed world citizens * healthy, confident individuals, valued members of society Schools in Greece wanted to enrich the learning process that promotes school engagement, and enhances the health and well-being of students. They wanted to enhance the emotional well-being of all students, including those with mental or behavioural health issues, by fostering creative and nature-based learning. Romania saw this as a great opportunity to explore Europe 2030 for their curriculum, which mission and strategic goals aim to give each pupil the opportunity to develop their personality, to improve their skills in curricular and extracurricular activities, to develop as an educated citizen, able to value information, to use it creatively, able to decide and adapt to the demands of a knowledge-based society.