Outdoor EducationOur activities include adventurous, physical endeavours that are led by our multi-qualified outdoor education instructors. They include hill walking, climbing, abseiling, canoeing, sailing, horse riding, mountain biking, survival training, skiing, paddle surfing, gorge walking, mountaineering, coasteering, etc. Other activities include sports; making use of local resources e.g. fencing, football, rugby, netball, etc. We also make use of arts and crafts (including Art Therapy). |
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Some of these activities are challenging and arduous but are designed to give the individual the opportunity to attain personal achievement and growth and success through new and exciting experiences. These activities are of proven value in raising self-esteem and establishing trust, they also provide an excellent training ground for learning the value of teamwork. As well as the educational and demanding elements of the activities they offer stimulation, motivation and a lot of fun! | ||||||||||||
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| Which areas of self-development can be enhanced by outdoor activities? | |
 Goal Setting |
Pleasure, excitement (positive) |
| Improving confidence |
Learning skills and knowledge |
| Discipline |
Organisation |
| Life focus training |
Self-reliance |
| Health/lifestyle social |
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Improving confidence. Confidence increases as success is achieved. The realisation that one can do something that we previously could not ( and in some cases believed that we could not) creates a positive feelings and building ego strength. It creates feelings that the children want to recreate by rising to further challenges.
Our perception of success can come from within ourselves; but is normally also influenced by those around us. Leaders can enhance confidence b building in pupils by creating a positive and encouraging social atmosphere.
Goal setting goes hand in hand with building confidence. As confidence increases people are likely to create further, and more challenging goals and, providing these goals are realistic, a positive cycle of development is created.
A good leader of outdoor activities is able to boost the confidence of children by setting challenging yet achievable goals and acknowledging the efforts of pupils in rising to challenges. The success created using outdoor activities can be very tangible and immediate, but also long lasting, due to its experiential nature. A combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is used.
Pleasure/ excitement people require varying amounts of stimulation to feel that they are ‘living’. Outdoor activities can provide all levels of stimulation, from perhaps ‘pleasant enjoyment’ to ‘adrenalin-rush high’. Outdoor activities are a positive channel for energies that can create positive patterns and habits.
Learning skills and knowledge experiential learning is an extremely effective way to learn. Outdoor activities offer opportunities to learn practical skills, social skills, management and team building skills, knowledge of environment and related issues, etc.
Hands on learning though outdoor activities provides chances to face real consequences, which can accelerate learning such skills as discipline, self-reliance and organisation.
Focus for life the pursuit of outdoor sports and motivation to do well in them filters into various aspects of life for example; nutrition, staying fit, training, joining certain clubs or groups, lots of positive life skills are being developed. Outdoor education provides an ideal vehicle for developing team work, communication skills, self-esteem, a personal challenge and offers the child healthy alternatives for their-time activities.
Outdoor Education- Peak Award
The outdoor education programme at Country Care is structured around the Derbyshire Peak Award. This is an award based on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award that does not need the minimum 6-month commitment but can be completed in a 3-month timeframe. It includes all the aspects of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, which are designed to improve the child’s personal, social and health education. The child has to choose a skill, a challenge, a hobby a service and show that they have the appropriate skills for ‘Living With Others’ – an area where the child must budget and cook a meal, undertake household chores and perform duties to help their Peak Award Centre. At the end of their award they have to arrange and undertake a short expedition that has an aim and an outcome.
BCU (British Canoe Union)
The BCU is the national governing body for kayaking and open boating. One of the aims of the BCU is to train and assess people within certain areas. Within the scheme, they have numerous star awards, which include the 1, 2 and 3 Star. These levels assess the personal development and ability of each individual in different areas of kayaking and open boating. We are also a centre for the delivery of the child-friendly BCU Paddle Power scheme.
AQA Award Scheme
The AQA Award Scheme is a combination of many different areas, which range from personal hygiene to work within the community. They can have links with the national curriculum and the individual receives a certificate, which indicates what they have completed the module, including testing, to gain the award. The awards count to the child’s national record of achievement.
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