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Education
Facilitation
Learning about and experiencing a landscape reminds us of our
place within a world of meaning and beauty, and stimulates us to ask
important questions of our responsibilities and future. Following a
place-based education approach, we structure experiences of the diverse
elements which make up the venue: cultural history, ecology, land-use,
geology and more. These explorations place us within the rich life of
the area, from which we can draw out discussions on our values and needs, and
the issues that we face. Journeys in wild places, reflection time and
good old fashioned hard work, provide the chance to reengage our bodies and
senses. We can also reflect on our sense of identity and place.
Fundamental to a place-based approach is a reciprocal relationship: this will
involve some work towards the health of the venue we use.
Experience
Open Ground has worked with many organizations
using this approach, including: The GalGael Trust, GREAT, Sustainable Oban,
Eda Frandsen Sailing, the Wilderness
Foundation, and the Glencree Centre
for peace and reconciliation. The summer of 2009 was full of exciting
projects: with Dalmally Primary School, Edinburgh University’s Outdoor
Environmental and Sustainability Education diploma, and the completion of the
‘Project about my Place,’ with the North Argyll home-schoolers. Through
the autumn and into the spring of 2010 some of Oban High School’s geography
students have been out with Open Ground looking at geographical research techniques.
The ‘Learning Landscapes’ project has caught the attention of
the local education services and more detail can be seen on their
website. Achaleven Primary
School and Soroba pre-5 unit will be exploring their local landscapes this
summer with Open Ground.
Training
Open Ground also trains other educators in the
techniques of place-based education, running open workshops or tailoring
bespoke courses for your organization. 2009’s place-based education
training weekend was a great success, with one participant commenting
“thinking about the importance of the place and the context whenever and
whatever we do, I think that is what I valued most.” There are still places on the 2010
course from the 21st to 23rd of May.
Flexibility
Educational projects with Open
Ground can take place
over a single day or be spaced out over several months, including extensive
time in the hills. Projects are charged on a daily rate.
Accommodation, food, transport, and equipment are additional and can all be
organized by Open Ground.
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