More than 50 nurseries and primary and secondary schools set to pilot programme
Pupils at Edinburgh schools will begin a pilot of outdoor learning next year when pupils will connect with nature.
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful are beginning the Learning about Forests (LEAF) pilot programme in January 2023.
Pupils from Calderglen Early Learning and Childcare and St Mary’s Music School will take part in the programme running until July with the hope of opening up LEAF to all schools from August next year.
Fifty-five schools from 21 local authorities will be part of the pilot and will take part in training to help support them in working through the award which accompanies the pilot scheme.
Feedback from the pilot schools will help Keep Scotland Beautiful shape the award to make it as accessible as possible.
Nicola Davidson, Education and Learning Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “We are delighted to announce the 55 schools that will form our LEAF pilot programme.
“These schools, while working towards their Learning for Sustainability goals, are also helping us develop the programme for other schools in the country.
“By participating in the LEAF programme pupils will gain a better understanding of the natural world and learning lifelong lessons about their environment and how to protect and promote it.”
LEAF is a programme from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). This is an opportunity for schools and nurseries to meet their Learning for Sustainability goals whilst supporting pupils to connect with nature.
The key focus of the LEAF programme is to promote and expand outdoor education and connection with nature for young people. In doing so, Keep Scotland Beautiful hopes to give young people a deeper and more involved understanding of the natural world.
There are important benefits for pupils who take part in LEAF due to increased access to outdoor education and connection with nature, including improvements in focus, mental wellbeing and academic outcomes.
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