OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WEEK
By John Driver – Let's Go…Outdoor Learning & Adventure

In November 2006, the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto was launched to set out a vision to enable every young person to experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of their learning and personal development. Learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through direct experience and is not only about what we learn but how and where we learn.

May 25th marks the beginning of Outdoor Adventure Week for Wirral’s Schools. A week devoted to increasing awareness of and promoting the benefits that learning outside of the classroom can bring to the school curriculum. Outdoor learning experiences can take place anywhere outside of the classroom; in school grounds; nature reserves; parks; farms and the countryside; remote wild and adventurous places; heritage and cultural sites; zoos and botanic gardens; museums, theatres or even music venues. It can include a wide range of activities such as outdoor play, school grounds projects, environmental education, recreational and adventure activities, personal and social development programmes, team building, adventure activities ... and more.

Outdoor Learning is active learning in the outdoors where children learn through what they do, through what they encounter and what they discover. They learn about the outdoors, themselves and each other, while also learning outdoor skills. It broadens horizons and stimulates new interests. Children discover potential, abilities and interests that surprise themselves and others. Every child deserves the opportunity to spend time in the natural world. This simple expectation is now enshrined in government legislation which ensures that each child has at least one residential experience during their school years.

Environmental issues are of increasing importance in the political agenda, yet many children live an urban life which does not allow them to experience the relationship between their actions and the natural world. Outdoor Learning allows children to develop values and opinions informed by first hand experiences. Learners who usually struggle can excel in the outdoor classroom which provides such a different climate for learning that they become motivated and capable while learners who already excel become more versatile.

Children of all ages and abilities frequently report personal breakthroughs, especially when taking part in adventurous activities. Likewise on many outdoor programmes, and especially on team building exercises, participants discover just how much they can achieve when working as a team. Outdoor Learning is an engaging, effective and enjoyable form of learning, whether the emphasis is personal, social or environmental. It provides first hand experience of learning about our natural world and is a powerful medium for personal, organisational and cultural change. Contact us for further details.