Education and lifelong learning
Black Country Living Landscape is a great chance for everyone living in the area to benefit from the many education & lifelong learning opportunities that will be offered by the project. From pre-school to retirement there will be something for everyone. Example activities include:
- Practical skills training - training in outdoor practical skills from habitat management to creating sensory gardens and from making bat boxes to constructing footpaths;
- Training in leadership for new and existing ‘friends of’ groups - delivering the skills needed to run and maintain a ‘friends of’ group, including leadership, first aid, health & safety, risk assessment, publicity and fund raising and equal opportunities;
- Walk leader training - training people to organise and run a variety of walks, looking at issues such as health & safety, assessing the needs of the group and what to look out for on route;
- Curriculum-related training - including ‘teaching the teacher’, i.e. equipping education professionals individuals with the skills needed to run school-linked activities. The training will show the diversity of activities that can be run outside from the typical science based subjects through to geography and arts and literature. This builds on the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country’s Natural Curriculum and Natural Connections projects, together with proven techniques from TIDE (Teachers In Development Education) and Learning Through Landscapes;
- Out-of-school learning - assisting schools in meeting the Government’s extended schools targets. The out-of-school setting means children can learn without feeling like they are in the classroom, and by using techniques such as wild play and teaching children forest skills this will foster an appreciation for the natural environment in a safe surroundings;
- Field skills, e.g. wildlife recording - training the next generation of wildlife enthusiasts and nature conservators is an important task. This training will ensure that the people in the local community understand, and can identify trends in nature.
You may also have other ideas…
If you would like to get involved or simply find out more, please contact us