Talking about the environment, outdoor learning and funding at the Education Show

Last week we attended the Education Show in Birmingham to talk to visitors about eco classrooms and how they, as teachers, parents and role models, can encourage children to reconnect with nature.

It was an interesting three days, packed with conferences and seminars from leading experts that inspired attendees to consider how we can improve the education of future generations. We were one of 350 specialists showcasing at the event, enabling us to highlight the importance of Environmental Citizenship in schools and talk to visitors one-to-one about how they can improve their classroom design.

At the Learning Escape stand we were giving away forget-me-not seeds, which prompted discussions about Environmental Citizenship in schools. It was great to chat with visitors and see what they’re already doing to promote environmentally friendly attitudes in schools and what they think can be done to improve it. We were live tweeting throughout the event, giving us a great opportunity to talk to other people at the event.

Elsewhere in the NEC, the Department for Education kicked off the Education Show by setting up an interactive discussion about the new National Curriculum. Attendees had a chance to add their input to the latest draft. We were amazed by the amount of talk and seminars that we could attend. Some of our highlights included Enterprising Child’s discussion about encouraging entrepreneurship in Early Years and the Outdoor Learning Service’s presentation about bridging the gap between the classroom and the playground. The Royal Meteorological Society sparked some interesting thinking about using the weather as a natural resource for learning while a discussion about beneficial acoustics highlighted the real importance of classroom design.

Throughout the Education Show we received some very positive feedback about our eco classrooms. Many remarked on the quality of our builds and were impressed with the timescale in which we can develop a Learning Escape. One of the concerns we addressed was funding. Finding the money for a new outdoor project at school can be a challenge and we want to ensure that we continue to offer advice on the latest funding options and availability.