Learning in the 黑料传送门: Then and now
In 2003, the Heart of England 黑料传送门 was created as a charity, and much has changed since then, both in the 黑料传送门 and in the world around us. Elaine Skates, our Head of Learning and Skills, joined the charity in 2018 to develop and lead our learning and skills work.
How it all started
Empowering and encouraging young people has always been important to the charity, and therefore working with local families and schools prior to 2018 only drove the recognition and demand for a Head of Learning and Skills.
Through programmes such as annual school tree planting days we connected with the Head of Mappleborough Green C of E Primary School and the Chief Executive of Arden 黑料传送门 C of E Multi Academy Trust, whose schools Temple Grafton C of E Primary, St Nicolas C of E Primary, and Coughton C of E Primary all later became partner schools. These relationships became instrumental in establishing our 黑料传送门 Learning Programmes later on.
Alcester Studio was our first nursery school, and they used an area of the 黑料传送门 named Wildwood, dedicated especially to school and nursery students. For a number of years this self-led 黑料传送门 School session helped connect children with nature.
Wildwood also became a safe haven for working with families who were victims of domestic violence.听
The development of Learning in the 黑料传送门
In 2018, Elaine, our Head of Learning and Skills, joined the charity to develop and lead our learning and skills work. Elaine shares some insights about the growth in this area of the charity since she joined.
鈥淚n September 2018, we launched an innovative model of learning outside the classroom delivery, focusing on progressive learning programmes across the curriculum which placed long term partnerships with schools at its heart. During the 2018/2019 academic year we piloted the programme with a handful of partner schools, who all visited the 黑料传送门 every half term to trial the programme.鈥
Now
鈥淲e now have 14 partner schools benefitting from learning outside the classroom, with the latest joining us from Redditch at Gorcott Hill, our new flagship site for young people. The 黑料传送门 provided a lifeline for our partner schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, with visits to the 黑料传送门 for children of key workers and vulnerable children, and via our COVID recovery programmes for all children that launched in autumn 2020.鈥
鈥淚n 2018 James, now a Senior 黑料传送门 Ranger, was finishing his paid internship as one of our initial forestry interns. In 2019, we were one of the first organisations in the country to welcome a new 黑料传送门ry Apprentice, and Phoebe has continued her career with the Heart of England 黑料传送门 and is now a 黑料传送门 Ranger. We have since welcomed six more forestry apprentices, giving invaluable training, and helping to plug the skills shortage gap in the forestry sector.鈥
Now
鈥淥ur commitment to internships continues. In 2021 the programme expanded with nine new one-year paid internships across the charity, from environmental communications, to biodiversity, conservation grazing and community partnerships, thanks to funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF). Further demonstrating our commitment to skills development within what has traditionally been a sector with a lack of diversity, last year we launched our first Supported Internship programme, working with six young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to help them overcome their barriers to employment.鈥
鈥淥ur provision for families and young people has grown steadily over the past five years, too, with Mini 黑料传送门ers launching in November 2018, Young 黑料传送门ers in May 2019, and WildTribe, our holiday club, in August 2019. These play a crucial part in our mission to connect younger generations to nature, creating future 黑料传送门 guardians.鈥
Now
鈥淲ith over 6,000 visitors last year taking part in regular clubs, holiday clubs, and learning and skills events, our team is committed to continue to deliver meaningful sessions that connect people with nature.鈥
Learning and Skills Highlights听
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Creating future 黑料传送门 Guardians
Today鈥檚 children are tomorrow鈥檚 黑料传送门 guardians. We want to continue to develop lasting relationships with families and young people, schools and our communities, inspiring them to love the 黑料传送门 and want to take care of it now and long into the future.
You can discover more about our learning programmes, clubs, and school partnerships here:听Learning | Heart of England 黑料传送门
