Description
GMIT Outdoor Education Conference 2016 Outdoor Education within the school system in Ireland can be traced back to Anton Trant’s innovative work in Dublin schools 50 years ago. This conference offers us an opportunity to look back at how outdoor learning has developed since then and to showcase exciting new projects and to consider how the field might develop in years to come.
The outdoors is now being used in diverse ways for learning, therapy and recreation. The increasing research evidence shows the therapeutic benefits of the outdoors and nature for wellbeing and there is a growing enthusiasm for using the outdoor classroom as a powerful and unique medium for learning and development.
The conference will enable outdoor professionals to come together to look at current projects from the youth, probation and care sector in Ireland, hear from organisations such as Outward Bound in the US and Hong Kong, and explore new approaches such as Forests Schools, Place-Based Learning, Dark Skies and Garden Therapy.
This conference also affords the opportunity to mark 20 years of the Outdoor Education Programme at GMIT Mayo Campus.
The Outdoor Education Department invites all outdoor professionals to join us and help shape the future of outdoor learning in Ireland.
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comA wild education of which Patrick Pearse would be proud
An article in Today's Irish Times following up on the conference. Note the conference website will change at the end of the week as will this page to begin the process of forming a representative organisation. I will post the new links for those interested here. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/a-wild-education-of-which-patrick-pearse-would-be-proud-1.2652367
Patrick Pearse: Nature lover and warmonger
Conference Follow up 2 As a follow on from Stephen Hannon's talk, the Irish Times last week had an article on Patrick Pearce and education outdoors, which Sephen spoke about in his presentation, see http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/patrick-pearse-nature-lover-and-warmonger-1.2629213
First International Dark Sky Park In Ireland Receives Accreditation
Conference Follow up 1 Georgia McMillan spoke on the Dark Skies initiative in Ballycroy National Park, Last week it got a Gold Star award, the only on ein Europe to date see http://darksky.org/first-international-dark-sky-park-in-ireland-receives-accreditation/ for more.
A big thank you to all those who attended today's conference and helped make it a success. The website will change over the next week with an update from the last session of the day regarding establishing a new organisation / representative body / ?
Outdoor Education Conference
some photos of the2016 Outdoor Education Conference
Reminder See you all in the morning and remember avoid the Pay and Display areas. There are over 160 of you booked and there is plenty of parking in the lower car park at the back of the Mayo Campus. Safe Journey
Thanks to all who sent photos, I fell behind in the scanning, etc but will put up some more this week. A prize of a pair of tickets goes to Barry Edwards and another to Aengus Parsons.
53°50'57.7"N 9°18'21.6"W
Thank you for booking on to the Outdoor Education Conference 2016. Some additional information that you may need is outlined below: 1. Our Location: GMIT’s Mayo Campus is located next to the General Hospital in Castlebar - https://goo.gl/maps/JTwRLzWK4J92 2. Parking: There will be parking on campus, It is best to park either around the back of the college, or near the Mayo Education centre. It is usually permit parking on campus but this has been suspended for the day, however clamping will be enforced in the PAY & DISPLAY areas, so please avoid these. 3. Afternoon Sessions: We would appreciate if you could indicate which afternoon session you wish to attend so we may have the appropriate sized rooms set up. You can make your selection by clicking on the link http://goo.gl/forms/r4BX5CIolr If you have any further queries you can email me on Kevin.ocallaghan@gmit.ie
Photos from Outdoor Education Conference 2016's post
These photos are the crew on the weekly outdoor programme of Youthreach Clondalkin in 1994, at Lough Dan /Inchavore and Knocksink Woods. Interestingly, you will note that at lunch time, even in teaming rain, the first priority was to light up the smokes! It was fantastic to see this group grow and change during the programme which ran through all seasons in all weathers. By the end, the group was planning and preparing activities. Sorry- the quality of the second photo isn't great ---Angela
Photos from Outdoor Education Conference 2016's post
These photos have also come from Angela Higgins, interestingly Angela's comments below regarding the absence of mobile phones have been reflected by others who also mentioned the poor quality of some of the 110 films (these are the old narrow cartridge type films used in some of the 'slim-line' cameras in te 90's. The first two were of myself and Heather Noonan, working with the aforementioned Youthreach Clondalkin group, at the top of Winder's in Dalkey Quarry. We encouraged the group to learn to use the camera (mobile phones were pretty basic then!) . The third is a picture of Norah Sweetman and I in my little Jack Wolfskin tent, repeating the night nav section of the ML on Mullaghanattin in 1997 - after we passed! Best wishes,
Photos from Outdoor Education Conference 2016's post
NOW Programme Photos thanks to Angela Higgins These photos are from the Outdoor NOW programme, which started in 1993. Run under the EU N.O.W. (New Opportunities for Women), it was a partnership between NYCI, Maynooth NUI and Tiglin. The programme was designed to train women as role models for young women in an attempt to address the tendency for young women to give up sport in their early teens. I recognise these as being from the Barrow, the only people I recognise in the photos are Angela and Nora Sweetman, anybody able to identify any of the others?
Outdoor Education Conference
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