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A Brief Lesson in Human History and Child Development

How Big is My Ecological Footprint? Assessing the Sustainability of Our Lifestyles

"A Career in the Environment? But There's No Money in That!"

May 3, 2019
3 min

"A Career in the Environment? But There's No Money in That!"

Children pick up on tiny cues from their parents, teachers and wider society. They are sponges constantly scanning their surroundings for new knowledge and information, shaping their views and opinions on a daily basis. In school, I pursued the sciences and social sciences. I was always interested in the world, by people and by living things. "There are plenty of career avenues for people who study the environment, and there are set to be many more in the fight against climat

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The Challenge to Be Optimistic in the Face of Environmental Disaster

Apr 28, 2019
5 min

The Challenge to Be Optimistic in the Face of Environmental Disaster

This is a blog post I've been meaning to write for a long time, but I could never quite articulate it. For me, it was a dark feeling lurking deep inside that I didn't want to acknowledge or dwell on for too long. But the reality is now inescapable. The natural world is collapsing all around us under the pressure of human industrialized society. Like many, I've spent much of my career as an outdoor sustainability educator to try and help us get on the path towards a brighter f

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There's a Buzz in the Air For Outdoor Education. But Are We Missing Something?

Apr 13, 2019
5 min

There's a Buzz in the Air For Outdoor Education. But Are We Missing Something?

Outdoor education has a long history. But sadly it's not always received the kudos it deserves. For too long it's been sidelined as a "nice to have" or a once-a-year box ticking exercise in the busy school calendar. But now there's an unmistakable buzz in the air for outdoor education, and it's truly inspiring and refreshing to see! Related Posts Is It Time to Re-think Outdoor Education for the 21st Century? Exploring Science Outdoors Encourages a Love of Learning Like Nothin

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Balancing Planet, People & Profit: A New Lens for 21st Century Education

Apr 2, 2019
3 min

Balancing Planet, People & Profit: A New Lens for 21st Century Education

Environmental and sustainability education encourages children to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future in the 21st Century. It relies on experiential teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action. In order to reach a sustainable society we must learn to balance the needs of the planet, with the needs of people and profit. Educating children for a sustainable futu

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Are You "Nature Smart?" How to Awaken Naturalistic Intelligence in Children

Mar 26, 2019
3 min

Are You "Nature Smart?" How to Awaken Naturalistic Intelligence in Children

Multiple Intelligence Theory In 1983, Multiple Intelligence Theory was first put forth by Professor Howard Gardner in his ground-breaking book, Frames of Mind. Over the past four decades, Gardner’s MI theory has become popular with both teachers and parents as a tool for explaining and differentiating the talents and gifts of children. "When planning and delivering educational activities and lessons, combining multiple learning styles in your teaching is essential for fulfill

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Top 10 Tips for Outdoor Environmental Teaching

Mar 20, 2019
3 min

Top 10 Tips for Outdoor Environmental Teaching

Outdoor environmental education is a brilliant way to engage students with hands-on science and ecological understanding that reinforces classroom learning. Teachers and environmental educators alike can always benefit from adapting their teaching approaches, tools and methods to maximize learning in outdoor settings. Check out our Top 10 Tips for Outdoor Environmental Teaching below! We hope you find them helpful! Related Posts Is It Time to Re-think Outdoor Education for th

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5 Simple Ways to Inspire a Love of Nature and the Outdoors Among Children

Mar 11, 2019
4 min

5 Simple Ways to Inspire a Love of Nature and the Outdoors Among Children

Children need surprisingly little to develop a love of nature and the outdoors - essentially it's coded into their DNA. Children didn't evolve to sit day after day in small boxes of neat tables and chairs called classrooms. The key really is exposure to the natural world from an early age. It's in Our DNA Even the most urbanized, citified children in our schools today can quickly learn to appreciate nature and green spaces, through hands-on outdoor education experiences. Afte

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How to Instill a Love of Learning and Prepare Children for the 21st Century

Mar 8, 2019
1 min

How to Instill a Love of Learning and Prepare Children for the 21st Century

Once called STEM, STEAM education is growing in popularity worldwide. It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, and it's designed to equip children with 21st Century knowledge and skills for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Some educationalists also add Electronics and Robotics to extend the acronym to ‘STEAMER.’ When combined with outdoor and experiential education, this type of learning can be extremely powerful. "By getting children to work togeth

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10 Steps to Starting Your Own School Outdoor Education Program

Mar 7, 2019
3 min

10 Steps to Starting Your Own School Outdoor Education Program

Imagine a world where every school has outdoor education built into the school fabric and ethos. Imagine a school where children are truly connected to nature. Imagine a class of children who plant, grow and harvest their own school canteen food. Well, you'll be glad to hear that these things are possible in every school. In my view, schools have a responsibility to support outdoor learning on their school grounds to ensure the children they educate do not develop an acute ca

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Experiential Education Fosters a Love of Learning Like Nothing Else! Ask Albert Einstein.

Mar 4, 2019
3 min

Experiential Education Fosters a Love of Learning Like Nothing Else! Ask Albert Einstein.

In a world where children spend most of their education cooped up in small boxes called classrooms, real-world experiential learning can be truly transformational for 21st Century youth. As Albert Einstein famously said "Knowledge is experience. Everything else is just information." "Breaking children out of the safety of their boxed classrooms and encouraging them to experience things with their own senses, makes learning fun, exciting and engaging in a way that classroom le

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Creating Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs through Outdoor Learning.

Feb 14, 2019
3 min

Creating Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs through Outdoor Learning.

Children growing up in the 21st Century will need to be adaptable, dynamic and creative lifelong learners in a highly uncertain globalized world. Humanity faces global environmental, social, economic and political challenges on a scale and magnitude never before seen. The pace of technological change will mean that 21st Century workers need to learn, re-learn and keep reinventing themselves as individual businesses and whole industries respond to new opportunities and rapid c

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Is Outdoor Education a Privilege of the Wealthy?

Feb 9, 2019
6 min

Is Outdoor Education a Privilege of the Wealthy?

I've been thinking about this question for a while now, and I've come to learn the unfortunate truth. There is a burgeoning inequality in outdoor education opportunities in our society primarily due to wealth, socio-economic status and ethnic background among children and their families. Is Outdoor Education a Human Right Or a Privilege? Children from wealthy families, in middle-class neighborhoods have significantly more and better quality outdoor education opportunities, an

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What Is the Future of Outdoor Education?

Jan 31, 2019
4 min

What Is the Future of Outdoor Education?

The concept of modern outdoor education is nothing new. It owes its beginnings to separate initiatives. Organized camping was evident in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century in Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The Scouting movement, established in the UK in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, employs non-formal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities. The first Outward Bound center at Aberdovey in Wales was established during

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How to Actively Engage Children in Conservation: A Game of 'Predator-Prey'

Jan 20, 2019
7 min

How to Actively Engage Children in Conservation: A Game of 'Predator-Prey'

So far the focus of my blog posts for Outdoortopia has been on education reform and integrating outdoor and experiential education (OEE) into our education system by focusing on ecological literacy and broader sustainability issues, particularly through the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and provide the know-how to create real change and impact through outdoor learning. The incredible benefits of learning exper

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Is It Time to Re-think Outdoor Education for the 21st Century?

Jan 19, 2019
5 min

Is It Time to Re-think Outdoor Education for the 21st Century?

Outdoor and Experiential Education (OEE) is the perfect vehicle for developing young people into well-informed global citizens. The kind of citizens who are ecologically literate with well-formed values and a changemaker mindset on global sustainability issues, together with a wide range of dynamic (or so-called 'soft') skills that could be used to help the next generation to create social and environmental change, for a brighter future in the 21st Century. OEE develops the i

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Soft Skills Are Now More Important than Hard Knowledge. Here's Why.

Jan 2, 2019
5 min

Soft Skills Are Now More Important than Hard Knowledge. Here's Why.

In the past, people with formal university qualifications from the best education institutions, with the best networks of professional connections tended to get access to the best jobs, and were best prepared for success in whatever profession they set their sights on. This sort of educational elitism still exists but perhaps not for much longer. The Age of Information Things are changing rapidly. In our age of information, now anyone can Google almost anything at the click o

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Best 5 Pedagogical Approaches for Top-notch Sustainability Education

Dec 29, 2018
2 min

Best 5 Pedagogical Approaches for Top-notch Sustainability Education

Environmental and sustainability education means incorporating key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and responsible consumption. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals break down the complexity of worldwide sustainability issues into a comprehensive framework of 17 specific objectives for the global community to achieve by 2030. It also requires participatory teach

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Getting Kids in Nature is Not Enough. Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

Dec 21, 2018
4 min

Getting Kids in Nature is Not Enough. Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

If we are to create a new generation of ecoliterate young people who truly understand and value nature's life supporting systems, we must join up the dots through education. The need for Environmental Education (EE) that begins in pre-school and is completely integrated into the curriculum throughout compulsory schooling cannot be overstated. In arguably the most comprehensive overview of the current state of our natural world, the Living Planet Report 2018 shows the staggeri

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