Wild Awake staff have lead teacher events in over 30 countries. Commissioned by the City of Helsinki Education Department, the workshop objectives were:

 

• Explore approaches which engage young people with the natural environment.

• Experience and share a range of activities for using outdoors.

• Discuss fears, hopes and concerns about outdoor learning.

• Understand how to develop a programme of activities for your school.

 

The workshop encouraged and supported participants to use their local natural environment. We explored the local environment using a range of hands-on techniques, plan actions to conserve the natural world, and discussed how outdoor learning can be delivered within schools.

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Young people of all ages benefit from real life ‘hands on’ experiences. Seeing, hearing, touching and exploring the natural world help young people connect what they learn in school to their life outside it and to the world around them.

Delivery was mainly through practical activities outdoors, group work and reflections on how to develop programmes that work for the participants own situation.

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To develop the training workshop we were inspired by a number of different resources, including:

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• Lessons from Nature - a project Richard led to develop nature--based solutions to sustainability.

• Real World Learning Network - a network Richard lead exploring science, sustainability and outdoor learning.

• Earth Education with great approaches to reconnecting with nature.

• John Muir Award - a programme encouraging everyone to get outside started in Scotland.

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Take a look at the workshop programme here. 

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