The Seeds of Change is proud to have recently been granted membership to four important organisations which support and promote outdoor learning and countryside activities for children, young people and adults of all abilities: The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the Forest School Association, Social Farms and Gardens and Leaf.
The Council for Leaning Outside the Classroom is a registered charity existing to champion learning outside the classroom (LOtC). They believe that every child should be given the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up. They also aim to:
– Influence and challenge learning outside the classroom policy and practice
– Raise the profile of learning outside the classroom and promote the benefits
– Provide support for education and LOtC professionals, aiming for good quality learning outside the classroom that meets the needs of young people.
The Forest School Association is the professional body and UK wide voice for Forest School, promoting best practice, cohesion and ‘quality Forest School for all’. It also aims to promote the wide ranging educational experiences in the natural world that are on offer to children, young people and adults across the UK.
Social Farms & Gardens supports thousands of grass roots projects across the UK that have helped millions of people to use farming and gardening as a way to transform lives and connect with others, putting pride back into communities and improving health and well-being.
They work with community farms and gardens, school farms, wildlife and roof gardens, community orchards, community-run allotments and community supported agriculture schemes.
Leaf (Linking Environment and Farming) works to inspire and enable sustainable farming that is prosperous, enriches the environment and engages local communities. They also organise national events such as Open Farm Sunday, which encourages families to find out more about farming.
The four organisations’ values and missions are aligned with the work that we do at The Seeds of Change and our passion about the benefits of working in an outdoor educational environment.
The majority of our work takes place outside, in the fresh air, surrounded by nature and the open countryside, and we see how it affects our learners in such a positive way: mental and physical stimulation, improved wellbeing and focus, a sense of calm and safety, and renewed enthusiasm for learning.
We believe passionately that young people, in particular, should have regular exposure to opportunities that allow them to learn through the natural world around them and we look forward to supporting these four organisations in their work.
In June we begin an exciting, new adventure which will continue to build on these ideas and take us further into the world of outdoor learning. Wild for Life is a new business stream which we are piloting this Summer term in schools in Bedfordshire and will focus on delivering nature-led learning experiences to children, families, schools, communities and businesses, within the grounds of schools and other outdoor environments. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discover more and to follow our progress.
By The Seeds Of Change
