Empty Classroom Day - Friday 20th June

June 17, 2014 - PRLog -- Empty Classroom Day is on Friday 20^th June. Our goal is for there to be empty classrooms all over the globe, with pupils learning outside. Every school can participate, they sign up and pledge to spend at least one lesson outside on the day. What they do is up to them! From pond-dipping to planting, tree-climbing to picnicking; the possibilities and learning opportunities are endless.

The event is supported by a host of environmental organisations as wide ranging as The Eden Project, The Wildlife Trusts, ZSL and many many more, who are working together to promote outdoor learning. This is an opportunity for us all to find out about the fantastic work they do all year round with schools.

Outdoor learning is hugely valuable for pupils, and is a flexible and essential part of a progressive modern curriculum. It creates a stimulating environment for children and adults alike, with benefits to health such as enhanced social skills, increased physical health and huge SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural) development opportunities. Pupils can extend their personal horizons through greater appreciation and understanding of the world and its peoples around them, and gain an understanding of the need for sustainable relationships between people and their environment. On a more hands-on level, outdoor learning enhances practical problem solving and team work skills, and teaches life skills such as food production and habitat maintenance.

Learning outside gives pupils direct contact with nature and it's wonders, which can lead to transforming events and experiences. These experiences are essential for developing conscious and responsible future citizens, something which will be very important for future generations in dealing with environmental and socio-economic problems.

Empty Classroom Day was created in 2012 by London Sustainable School Forum to celebrate outdoor learning and make it easy for any school to get involved. Since its first year, the day has grown and spread worldwide. This year, 300 schools are already taking part, from Torpoint to Inverness, and from countries as far and wide as China, Australia and Pakistan.

Sign up @ www.projectdirt.com/emptyclassroomday to join hundreds of schools having fun and learning outside on Friday 20^th June.

#EmptyClassroomDay
@emptyclassroom