Alex ChristidesStuart Close

Robbie CollinsonRoss Yule

Leadership and Sustainability

Bucksburn Academy Sustainability/Environmental Education

Key Themes in our work1 What is the environment?2 How does it work?3 What are we doing to it?4 What can we do to help it?

InfluencesWorld Wildlife Fund –Psychology and SustainabilityNatural Change Project – researchPeople are not making the necessary lifestyle changes

requiredto protect the planet. Traditional approaches are not working.Humans need to experience the natural world to learn how tocare for it. Leadership and good communication also crucial.

• Give young people outdoor experiences to make them want to care for the environment and sustain this interest throughout their lives.

• Cater for every ones needs and interests. Find peoples strengths.

• Give them responsibility to lead outdoor activities, learn new skills and build teams of enthusiastic people who will bring change.

Vision for our Environmental work

John Muir (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914) was a Scottish-born Naturalist and author. He emigrated to America and believed all people should experience wilderness to gain a love and carefor nature. He believed that as human beings, nature is crucial to ourhealth and wellbeing. We need to interact with nature to develop our

loveand care for it.

At Bucksburn Academy we use the John Muir Awards to discover wild

places in our community and look after them. The awards help the pupils

develop greater care for nature and helps them to make lifestyle changes

in a spirit of fun and adventure.

For more information see: www.jmt.org/jmaward-home.asp

Who was John Muir and why is he an important person?

The model that inspired Bucksburn Academy Projects 1&2

John Muir Award Handbook

For their John Muir Award children and adults have to discover a wild place, explore it, take care of it and tell others about their experience.

On June 12th 2010, November 6th 2010 and May 20th 2011, we had “Woodland Community Days”. Here pupils, teachers, members of the community and Aker Solutions staff worked at improving a green space in Sclattie Wood . An outdoor classroom is being created. The activities we undertook were as follows:

Project 1: Sclattie WoodIn partnership with Aker Solutions and Bucksburn Newhills Community Council

The S5/6 John Muir Award class work each week in the wood as part of their new course and these pupils will be trained to deliver the JMA in their communities, workplaces, universities and collages. This will aid life long involvement.

Sclattie Wood

Making and putting up bird/bat boxes

Litter picking

Clearing and marking out the path

Cutting back branches and overgrown shrubs

Planting bulbs and plants

Making clay faces on the trees

Designing tents for an outdoor classroom – in collaboration with the

Art department

In our Castle Project we have been working at Castle Fraser, Crathes, Drum and Fyvie Castles. (see NTS letter and display)

On these projects we have:

Project 2: Community partnerships with the National Trust for Scotland

Working with NTS at local

castles

Put in paths for wheelchair and

public access to the castle grounds

Cut back overgrown plants and shrubs

Planted native species of trees and plants

Played environmental games and learned about nature in the

castle grounds

We discovered wild places and took care of them and gained our John MuirDiscovery Award for doing this.

For more information see: www.nts.org.uk/Learn/community_partner.php

“All people need to have a sense of place and feel they are part of, and belong to a community before effective environmental work can be

done and sustained”Teacher at Bucksburn Academy

Pupil Perspectives. Brain Storm of the skills we believe we are developing

through our environmental work:

Leadership skills through the projects

Preparing

• Making bids for money to fund projects

• Enterprise skills

• Building teams and partnerships which make the most of all the teams experience and skill levels

• Negotiating and prioritising tasks.

Doing

• Assessing on site the jobs to be done

• Delegating and team approach

• Choosing equipment• Developing knowledge

and how to use it safely• Effective

communication skills, supporting, sharing, learning

• Problem solving, building skills, teaching others

Reflecting

• Assessing the work done, evaluating strengths, weakness and improvements

• Sense of responsibility• Working in intergenerational and differing ability groups• Experiences of inclusion• Confidence• Team skills• Physical ability develops• Reporting back successes in community talks, articles• Taking skills learned forward into adult life• Wanting to be involved more in Eco work• Continuing John Muir Awards at University, Collage,

Work and in local community as an adult.

Personal Development

Deepening understanding and skill base.

• What is a leader?• How do leaderships skills develop?• How can we assess and evaluate leadership skills?• Where is leadership in our projects and how can we progress these?

QuestionnaireVideo Interviews

Bucksburn Academy Responses

Comenius Regio Eco Schools’ Net: Leadership ResearchIn partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Italian partners and the University of Aberdeen

• Over 130 pupils have experienced John Muir Awards

• 100 responses to the research questionnaire on leadership.

Results so far are showing:Lots of fun and adventure working and exploring.Great atmosphere on the JMA days.JMA valued personally and as an employment toolJMA work had helped build confidence, improvebehaviour and relationships. “People see me better

now”Pupils exploring the outdoors more in their own timePupils were more aware of the environment now andwanted to care for it.

Questionnaire Responses from Bucksburn Academy

Neighbourhood priorities – meet school and community needs

Intergenerational skill transfer

Lifelong learning in school and beyond

Pupil voice in community councils

Community and business knowledge

utilised in partnership working

Celebrate success in the community. Inspire and motivate. Life long and

sustained

No one off projects. Embed the work in the community

Bucksburn Academy

Community Model

Developing Leadership: The Community Model

JMA now part of the school curriculum in S5/6 personal development courses. JMA foster understanding, motivate, bring action.

1 The importance of Outdoor Learning and its contribution to the Scottish Government’s strategic objectives towards creating a more successful country.http://www.playscotland.org/assets/CE-Outdoor-Learning.pdf

2 Develop self evaluation instruments and tools to aid the assessment of outdoor, sustainability/environmental education at Bucksburn Academy.http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learningteachingandassessment/approaches/outdoorlearning/about/selfevaluation.asp

3 Devise strategies and techniques to develop leader capacity in pupils at Bucksburn Academy both within the school and in their community.

Developing Leadership CapacityCurriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning

Curriculum for Excellence: The Ten Dimensions of Excellence

Promotes well-being and respect

Develops a culture of ambition and achievement

Works together with parents to improve

learning

Works in partnership with other agencies and its community

Fosters high quality leadership at all levels

Develops a common vision among children

and young people, parents and staff

Reflects on its own work and thrives on

challenge

Values and empowers its staff and young

people

Engages young people in the highest quality

learning activities

Focuses on outcomes and maximises success for all

learners

Successful learners

Confident individua

lsEffective

contributors

Responsible citizens

Learning and

Teaching