Active Stirling is working in partnership with the University of Stirling and Stirling Council to support and deliver Outdoor Education and Training.
Providing practical training to the Environmental and Outdoor Education undergraduate degree students at the University of Stirling, to learn Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Expedition skills, which they in turn deliver to young people at Wallace High School.
Hear from the team and how works!
This cross-partner training programme was developed to best support the increasing number of students enrolling onto Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes across Stirling. Active Stirling have seen a consistent increase in the number of students looking to take on the Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions across Stirling.
The increase in demand is a positive indicator of the growing interest young people have in Outdoor Adventure Activities. At Active Stirling we faced a challenge as to how we could help train and prepare a growing number of participants, to give them the skills to take part on the expedition phase of the awards.
At the same time the University of Stirling were looking to provide practical learning opportunities for the students enrolled on their Environmental and Outdoor Education undergraduate degree programme.
We’re keen for our students to have real world learning, and this kind of ‘dirty knees’ experience is valuable for future career paths. Our students are also able to volunteer and assist Active Stirling with other outdoor work, which both enhances their CV and gives them valuable experience.
By working together, the organisations put in place a collaborative approach to training, with Active Stirling’s Outdoor Team training the University Students in the skills to competently lead in the activities needed to take part on their DofE expeditions.
The students learn the skills required to deliver and teach the following.
- how to build and use a stove for the purpose of camp cooking
- how to choose the correct camping spots and put up a tent
- how to teach navigation skills
The degree students then deliver practical activities to groups of pupils from Wallace High School who are planning to take part on a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expedition supported by their DofE leaders from within the school.
This programme of partnership work provides excellent opportunities and benefits for the students at the University and the High Schools, to develop new skills and put them into practice in real world situations.
