Outdoor Environmental Education

Why choose this course?

• You understand nature is a powerful educator and are excited to work with and for the environment
• You want to improve mental and physical wellbeing by improving the human-nature connection
• You want to actively engage with environmental challenges and find creative solutions
• You want to find out more about outdoor environment education without committing to a longer programme
• You're looking for course content, which is memorable, meaningful and impactful – similarly that is exactly the type of educator you aspire to be
• You want the opportunity to gain nationally recognised awards in outdoor education – increasing your employability
• You want to learn from an expert teaching team who have experience and knowledge to share
• You want to engage with practical fieldwork in every module
• You want to feel empowered by a range of innovative assessment opportunities
• You share our passion to provide environmental education which doesn't cost the earth.

What will I study?

In this introductory course to outdoor environmental education, you'll gain a rich insight into experiential education theories, place-based education and nature-connection education. You'll be encouraged to make meaningful connections between theory and experiential activities. For example, you could be asked to deliver a project through the lens of an educator, policy writer, government official or stakeholder. This will give you valuable insight into the complexity of situations and how to deliver measurable outcomes. Our course is designed with memorable and rich learning experiences at its heart. You'll engage with fieldwork, including residential and day activities. These are designed to help you develop your current practice or to gain an insight into the sector. Our unique curriculum offers transformative experiences for you to begin to see yourself as both a learner and educator.

You'll immerse yourself in self-managed projects. Even while learning, we'll be expecting you to make a social contribution. Each assignment is audience led, focussing on the requirements of an employer or public stakeholder. You'll be encouraged to collect evidence and demonstrate your knowledge in a variety of ways. For example, you may choose the written word to demonstrate your understanding, or perhaps a podcast, video or photo essay is more your style? We encourage a creative approach to assignments, giving you the platform to make a social contribution in a powerful way.

We adopt a partnership approach to teaching and learning, which spans online, face-to-face and fieldwork activities. Our enriching environment inspires personal and professional growth through co-production. We'll help you identify your passion, your core values and your voice within the sector. Throughout your journey, you'll be encouraged to work with organisations and employers to gain industry knowledge, expert feedback, real-life experience and contacts. We really do believe that employer and sector collaboration is fundamental to our programme. In fact, our course has been influenced by the work of national organisations, like RSPB and YHA and we hope you'll gain knowledge and experience of their work. We'll invite you to attend a seminar series delivered by experts and practitioners in the field. This will increase your understanding of research, policy and practice. Together we'll tackle complex and diverse topics. When you complete your studies, you'll feel confident to incorporate your new knowledge and understanding into your daily life. Whether you work in a school, in adult education, outdoor education, or the environmental sector more widely – we are experts in helping make ideas come alive. We will support you to plan your professional journey.

About the course

The climate emergency and global pandemic have highlighted the importance of spending time in natural environments. Our intrinsic link to the world around us is unbreakable. It demands care, respect and creative solutions. To keep ourselves safe, we have seen all aspects of life, from social, recreation, education, transportation and even employment, benefit from taking a nature-centred approach. Educators have moved away from stationary classrooms and utilised outdoor education more and more. There is a growing need to learn in and from our local environment. There is an urgent need to care for it. The environmental education sector is flourishing.

This course will help you gain a solid foundation to nurture change in educational practices in a multitude of sectors. We'll teach you underlying theories and how to apply them to practice. We'll analyse sustainable experiential education theory through practical fieldwork and consider now we can connect to nature and place. Together, we'll explore equality of access to environmental education. Every step of the way, we'll guide you to become a reflexive and inclusive educator. To foster environments and activities where everyone can join in. To learn, you must experience. To teach, you must first inspire. What greater inspiration is there than the natural world?

Completion of a four year bachelors degree with GPA 2.4 or above.

Careers

There is a rising demand for outdoor environmental education provision, from early years to life-long learning. Education policies around the globe are highlighting the need to engage with nature and mitigate the future climate crisis. This rewarding sector covers every aspect of life. From sport and leisure, hospitality and tourism to conservation, local government, education, healthcare and wellbeing.

The practical fieldwork experience you'll gain in farmland, peri-urban, waterscapes and cities will stand you in good stead to enhance an existing career or take your life in a new direction. This is the first step into the field of outdoor environmental educationThis gives you a chance to consider bringing outdoor learning  into mainstream and special education, alternative provision, higher education, adult learning centres, home-schooling networks and organised youth activities. In leisure, you could work for an adventure education provider. In the environment sector, you could work for a wildlife trust as an education officer. Wherever you imagine yourself working, whoever you imagine helping, the outdoor sector holds a plethora of opportunities for making a positive contribution in society and in nature.

This is a great introductory course if you are wanting to find out more about the sector but don't want to commit to a larger programme. Maybe you want to change your career trajectory and want to give something new a go. You might be an outdoor leader who wants to educate while on the move. You could be a teaching assistant or a teacher who wants to specialise in outdoor environmental education. You might be a volunteer who wants to improve the skills, knowledge and outcomes of groups you work with. If this sounds like you, this is the introductory course for you.

What job can I get?

This course gives you the flexibility to apply your passion for the great outdoors to any role. Whether you want to enhance an existing skill, gain new ones or start your outdoor environmental education journey with us, there is a lot you can begin to work on in this introductory course. Perhaps you've always dreamed of being a park ranger, a farm educator or running an educational programme for visitors at a nature reserve? Maybe you imagine working with nature to improve mental health. If so, you could work as a lifestyle coach, an outdoor counsellor or a community activator. Perhaps you have an idea for a programme, an activity or an event? Whatever your goal, together we'll create the right environment for you to thrive. Wherever your dream is to work, we'll give you the skills to get there.

You may want to apply the knowledge you gain from this course into your current job. For example, if you're an early childhood practitioner, primary, secondary or specialist teacher, every subject you teach can benefit from using the natural world to inspire. You may want to run a school-wide citizen science programme. Or you could develop nature-connected learning in your practice. Incorporating outdoor activities in the curriculum, whether it be through the Duke of Edinburgh award or the first 10 minutes of a lesson, can help focus, stimulate and encourage new ways of thinking and learning. You'll help your learners gain a meaningful connection with their mind, nature and physical activity so they can reach their full potential. Whatever you chose to do, we'll set you on a path to discover a new world of possibility.

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Complex Admissions
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 9AB
UK