Pupils from Ireleth St Peters school in Askam in Furness will be learning how they can play their part in saving the planet next week when they spend three days at the Cumbria Outdoors Centre at Fellside, near Caldbeck, from today (12-14 February).
23 children from the primary school will be learning how they can make the best use of resources and learn more about sustainability issues. They will find out, from first hand experience, how people affect the environment and how they are affected by it.
Over the three days the pupils, aged 7 -11, will develop a better understanding of how the energy we use affects the environment and how each person make a difference, increase their knowledge of the diversity of life in various habitats and look at where food comes from and the different ways of producing what we eat.
Activities will include pond dipping, wind farm visits, bread making and building a rescue rocket, as well as carrying out environmental audits at the beginning of each day.
A number of schools are taking part in the residential courses during February and March. The residentials are being offered to schools at a reduced rate, as the teaching element of the courses is being paid for from the Local Agenda 21 Fund.
Cumbria Outdoors, part of the county council's Children's Services, has recently signed a 'pledge' supporting the national Government initiative 'Learning Outside the Classroom' . The vision of its manifesto is that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances. Cumbria outdoors has three centres - as well as Fellside there is Hawse End Centre and Cottage near Keswick, plus a campsite and water sport facilities at Scarness, Bassenthwaite.
Deborah Hunter, Cumbria Outdoors Project Manager, said:
"Due to the residential nature of the course, the children can have hands on experience of sustainable living from when they get up and go to breakfast right through until bedtime.
"We aim to raise the children's awareness of what is happening to 'their' world, how they can do something positive about it, and promote an attitude that what they do today can make a difference tomorrow."
ENDS
Further information from Alison Lister, media team on 01228 606335
You are invited to send a reporter/photographer/crew to Cumbria Outdoors Fellside Centre, Caldbeck, on Tuesday 13 February from 1.30pm onwards. Staff from the centre, along with teachers and pupils from Ireleth St Peters will be available for interview
For details of other schools attending residential sustainability courses at Cumbria Outdoors, please call on the number above
Notes for editors
Cumbria Outdoors is part of the county council's Learning Support Service and provides activities for educational groups in the county to enhance personal and social development
In 2004 Ofsted inspectors nominated Cumbria Outdoors as a national example of best practice, praising the service for the quality of its teaching, its happy environment, its range of activities for pupils of varying abilities, and its approach to education and social inclusion
In November 2006 the Government launched the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, which sets out specific measures to help schools widen access to high quality educational experiences for every young person and making learning outside the classroom an integral part of school life