Wales Outdoor Learning Week

From canoeing to rock climbing, and everything in between, hundreds of young people from School's in Wycombe, Stoke-on-Trent, Castleford, Northfleet, Worcester and Wiltshire joined us as they took on new challengers and conquered their fears. Trading in their textbooks and TikTok to try new things and test their limits. Together they took a break from traditional classroom learning to focus on relationship building, what they’re capable of, and how to build self-confidence.

Time outdoors helps young people develop vital skills such as teamwork and communication, helping them in employment and later life. Residentials like Outward Bound help build on this by immersing participants in nature and empowering them with the most important lesson they could ever learn: to believe in themselves. The relationships developed on their residential will also help strengthen the connection they feel with school, as well as build a culture of support and cooperation in the classroom and with their peers.

Mr Adlington, a teacher at Haywood Academy who joined us at Aberdyfi this week said, “Learning beyond the classroom allows students to express themselves in ways they wouldn’t normally. Being placed under controlled pressure to solve problems, work as a team or individual and to be outdoors is vital in this ever changing world. Students get to appreciate their surroundings and explore.

He also added “At first, students have been apprehensive, but all our young people take valuable life lessons from Outward Bound. Fundamental life skills such as working hard, respect, community and aspiring to be a better person. These are our schools’ values but in the mountains and the sea they are developed even further!”

Al Crisp, Head of Centre at Aberdyfi said, “It was an absolute pleasure to have so many schools join us for Wales Outdoor Learning Week. Seeing young people thrive and be themselves as they build their confidence and resilience in the outdoors is what we’re all about at Outward Bound.”