Does growth in the outdoors stay in the outdoors? : the impact of an extended residential and outdoor learning experience on student motivation, engagement and 21st century capabilities

Introduction: Student motivation and engagement underpin educational success, and recent research has found they are lowest in middle high school, especially for boys. At the same time, education systems are recognizing that academic performance is necessary but not sufficient to prepare young people for the adult world, and so-called “21st Century skills” (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity) have been suggested as critical capabilities across all employment sectors in the future. The Glengarry program is a 6-month residential and outdoor learning experience for Year 9 (14–15 years old) boys at an Australian independent school, The Scots College (TSC) Glengarry. Intentionally located during the lowest point of engagement in their adolescent student journey, the Residential and Outdoor Education experience was hypothesized to boost their motivation and engagement and develop 21st Century skills. Methods: The Glengarry program involves students living in a boarding-style community for 20 weeks away from their families, participating in classes across all regular school subjects at a bush campus, and undertaking increasingly challenging outdoor education trips each week. The study aimed to measure how these factors transferred into students’ traditional school environment after their Glengarry experience. Year 9 was split into two cohorts who both participated in the study: one of which completed the Glengarry program in the first half of 2019, and the other during the second half of the year. Results: Self-reported quantitative and qualitative data supported the hypothesis that the Glengarry program did indeed, boost student motivation and 21st Century skills. While gains in 21st Century skills endured over the next 8–10 months, motivation and some engagement factors decreased upon return to the traditional school environment. Students described key factors in the Glengarry program which facilitated their development, including: an intense residential environment necessitating social growth, a closer connection with teachers in both school and community life, and an appreciation of learning in the natural environment. Recommendations are made for future research to strengthen these findings, and for how these mediating factors could be incorporated into the regular school environment

Rediscovering the potential of outdoor learning for developing 21st century competencies

In this century characterised by rapid change and unprecedented challenges, most education systems have acknowledged the importance of developing interpersonal and intrapersonal skills alongside technical knowledge. This chapter describes how two approaches to outdoor learning develop these 21st century competencies, through the lens of experiential education. Outdoor Adventure Education is an established pedagogical vehicle for developing psycho-social skills. Learning Outside the Classroom is a rising movement of teaching subject content while simultaneously promoting interpersonal, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and conflict resolution skills, creativity and connection with nature. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the potential of outdoor environments to foster transformative competencies, and the inherent challenges for integration into regular school experiences

The impact of time spent in natural outdoor spaces on children’s language, communication and social skills : a systematic review protocol

There has been increasing interest over the past decade with regard to the health and wellbeing implications of time spent outdoors in nature for children. Universal systematic reviews of evidence report benefits to physical health, social-emotional mental health and wellbeing, cognition and academic learning. Internationally, there is indicative evidence to suggest outdoor engagement with nature may also impact children’s language and communication skills, skills that are critical to development, education, social relationships and life opportunities. Yet, at present such evidence has not been synthesised. Despite evidence for the benefits of the outdoors, the amount of time children are spending outdoors is in rapid decline, and has been further exacerbated by the COVID- 19 pandemic. Alongside this are increasing numbers of children starting primary education with significant speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) which remain persistent over time. With established wide-reaching benefits of nature to children’s physical and mental health and psychological development, there is a need to further explore the more specific impacts of the natural environment on children’s language, communication and social skills, which could provide a unique opportunity to consider nature as a universal public health intervention for SLCN. The current review will aim to synthesise existing qualitative and quantitative evidence of the impact of time spent in natural outdoor spaces on the language, communication and social skills of 2–11-year-old children. Literature will be searched across seven databases and considered for inclusion against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Potential implications of the review include informing public health practice and policy for child development and education, informing priorities for speech, language, and communication interventions, and providing directions for future international research

Pathways to Wellbeing, Social Cohesion, Skill Development, and Participation in Disadvantaged Communities: Royal Botanic Garden Sydney's Master Gardener Volunteer Program

The Master Gardener Volunteer Program led by Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. The catalyst for the inception of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program (MGVP) in Sydney arose when Philip Pettitt (the then Community Greening Coordinator) travelled to the United States to attend the Botanic Gardens Conservation International Conference in 2015 and was inspired by the Brooklyn Urban Gardener Course operating in New York and Brooklyn. Upon his return, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust (RBGDT) piloted three short courses in 2016 funded by the Office of Environment and Heritage. Further funding was received from the Department of Social Services Resilient Communities Fund in 2018 to expand the MGVP for a period of three years. This study focuses on the delivery of the MGVP at 17 sites in New South Wales, Australia. These include: Liverpool, Curran, Central Coast, Wollongong, Riverwood, Mt Annan, Auburn, Sydney, Eden, Newcastle, Miller, Telopea, Willmott, Bega, Warrigal, Yallah, and Nowra. The overarching objectives of this research were to investigate the Master Gardener Volunteers’ self-reported changes to wellbeing, social cohesion, skill development, and participation as they engage over time in the MGVP; and identify the reported strengths of the program delivery and areas for improvement

Nurturing Leadership from the Bottom Up: Supporting Leadership and Career Aspirations for Sessional Staff

The higher education experience both shapes the academics' and students' capacity and motivation to contribute to the world as ethical, compassionate and civic-minded global citizens. Western Sydney University has a firm commitment to gender equity embedded into its mission statement. In this report, we demonstrate ways that WSU can fulfill this commitment and can lead the way in creating a socially just and ecologically responsible social transformation by supporting and nurturing leadership and career aspirations of casual staff

Assessing the Impact of the Vision Valley Outdoor Education Pilot Initiative at Pymble Ladies' College

This research project was undertaken by the Centre for Educational Research, School of Education at Western Sydney University (WSU) on behalf of Pymble Ladies College. The study commenced during 2022 and investigated the impact of the recently implemented Vision Valley Outdoor Education program upon student learning beyond the traditional classroom setting. The research parameters were co-designed by Pymble Ladies College in consultation with the Sydney research team. The research project set out to identify if levels of courage, stress and resilience changed as a result of engagement in the Vision Valley outdoor education program. These factors were crucial well-being indicators underpinning the school's desire to develop courage and resilience and to decrease or mitigate stress in their students. Participating in the program had a profound impact on students in several key areas. Firstly, their sense of belonging significantly improved as they engaged in activities and actively participated in the program. Making friends from different friendship groups and building social capacity played a crucial role in this development. Secondly, students displayed increased bravery, demonstrating a willingness to take risks and face their fears. They embraced the unknown, embarked on new experiences, and exhibited courage throughout the program. Thirdly, the outdoor education experience fostered personal growth in students. Notably, their resilience showed the most significant growth, alongside the development of leadership skills, adaptability, tolerance, self-confidence, and self-reliance. Correspondingly, the program was instrumental in enhancing students' gratitude and appreciation for their privileges, such as their family, home, and the natural world. They recognised and valued these privileges upon returning from the experience. Lastly, the theme of transitions emerged, encompassing both positive and negative experiences for the students. While some concerns were raised about academic studies, overall, the benefits of disconnecting from technology and reintegrating into the real world were evident for all involved. Overall, the program fostered a sense of belonging, bravery, personal growth, gratitude, and successful transitions for the students

A systematic review protocol to identify the key benefits and associated program characteristics of community gardening for vulnerable populations

Gardening has long been a popular pastime. There is a growing evidence base for the health and well-being benefits of gardening. Community gardening brings a social aspect to gardening, thereby increasing the potential benefits to include addressing social inclusion and poor community health through sharing of values, support of others, and building networks. This systematic review protocol aims to determine the characteristics of community gardening that could lead to beneficial outcomes such as connection with the community and development of new skills. Thirteen academic databases will be searched for studies looking at the benefits of community gardening, with a focus on vulnerable populations. Data will be extracted from all studies meeting the inclusion criteria and summarized to provide an overview of the current literature. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive investigation into community gardening, its benefits, and how they are achieved for the target population. By gathering and synthesizing this information, the review should allow policy makers and practitioners to work more effectively to address health and social inequities, by highlighting areas of need and enabling optimization of future interventions

Identifying key benefits and characteristics of community gardening for vulnerable populations : a systematic review

Vulnerable communities (including people from refugee, Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse, and low socioeconomic backgrounds) represent the most at-risk populations facing inequities and negative health, economic, and social outcomes. Te recent COVID-19 pandemic both highlighted and fuelled these disparities. Community gardening has emerged as a communitybased solution to address these inequities, yet the research literature has largely considered outcomes for the general population rather than those with the most need. Tis paper represents the frst systematic review to summarise the evidence on the broad impact of community gardening on outcomes for vulnerable populations. A systematic search of 13 databases (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, Education Source, Education Resources Information Center, Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection, SocINDEX, and Allied Health and Complementary Medicine Database) for English language articles from 1985 to 2022 was conducted. Tere were 33 studies identifed where females were substantially overrepresented in the studies compared to males, and the main criteria for vulnerability included low socioeconomic-status and culturally diverse populations. Findings revealed that community gardening provides a wide range of benefts for vulnerable populations, with social connection, health, education, and nutrition being the more commonly cited. A relative emphasis on benefts of social connections, education, and nutrition is apparent for vulnerable populations in comparison to reviews considering the general population. Te quality of studies was evaluated as moderate with little information provided about program characteristics. Tese shortcomings reduce the understanding of what characteristics are most likely to result in improvements and limit the capacity of practitioners to translate research into policy and practice for vulnerable communities

The arts and place-based pedagogies : transformative and creative learning to move students from awareness to action

Introduction: Increasingly, children are becoming alienated and detached from their natural world. Predicated on this stance, educators involved in teaching and learning in outdoors environments need to philosophically rethink their modus operandi. ‘Touched by the Earth’, is a year-long place-based enrichment program using multi-modal creative methods with young adolescent participants. Objectives: Past attempts to promote a durable connection of nature with children have at times, been labeled piecemeal and ineffectual. Our paper explores how the Arts may be incorporated into immersive place-based programs and how creative work can heighten connectivity with the environment. Methods: Our research addressed the questions: How does an experiential learning program impact upon participant learning? How can the Arts amplify a personal relationship with the environment? Data was collected through interviews as well as student generated material such as artifacts, video and photos and field observation. Results: The pivotal role the Arts play in embodied and multi-sensory learning for participants was clearly evident from our findings. Conclusion: We posit that the transformation may, in fact, be termed ‘love’ or ‘affection’ and that place-based, interdisciplinary and immersive modalities galvanise a deeper appreciation of the natural environment

New ways of crafting sustainability leadership for educators : looking through Thoreau's lens

To paraphrase Thoreau, asking the right questions relies on how you look at the world, and whether you see. Achieving sustainable well-being will require profound cultural change, not simply amending economic practices. For this reason, sustainability education is crucial for building the transformed worldviews – culturally inclusive, socially acceptable, ecologically feasible and economically viable – necessary for future innovation and thoroughgoing reform. Sustainability is not a narrow concern, but a fundamental change in the way that we ask questions and see the world. As sustainability leaders we share a vision of fundamentally changing human-environmental interaction and feedback. Our goal as sustainability leaders is not to remain a minority, but to make our vision so widespread that we make our own leadership redundant. I will report on a multi-Australian university approach to systematically and strategically integrate Education for Sustainability (EfS) into the practices of academics and students studying to be teachers. I will showcase our pedagogies, language, and curricula used to build capacity among educators who guide the learning of future teachers. Through innovative curricula, online and virtual resources, we scaffold academics to learn to think in the ways that have become habits to the few. In turn, we leverage the resources we have created, through modelling best practice to foster sustainability thinking