Nature Mary Nugent Programme Developers Summit 5 – 9 th May 2010, Jambville, France

Objectives After this session it is expected that participants will: Review the definition and goal of Education. understand the basic principles in Nature Have explored some challenges faced by each of the age sections, and proposed some solutions

A DEFINITION OF EDUCATION: A life-long process which enables the continuous development of a person’s capacities both as an individual and as a member of society. Take a moment to complete the grid Scouting: An educational System

THE GOAL OF EDUCATION: To contribute to the full development of an autonomous, supportive, responsible and committed individual. Autonomous: able to make one’s own decisions and to manage one’s life. Supportive: able to actively care about and for others. Responsible: able to assume the consequences of one’s decisions, to keep one’s commitments and to complete what one undertakes. Committed: able to live according to one’s values, to support causes or an ideal which one finds important.

Achieving the Aim The main aim of Scouting is to help each young person to reach his/her full potential to be an active and happy citizen when being an adult and, with that, contribute to a better world Scouting is then a non-formal education movement seeking to assist young people in their “ way ” from the child state into adulthood help each young person to reach his/her full potential develop capacities in all dimensions of one ’ s identity “ Non-formal education is the organised educational activity outside the established formal system that is intended to serve an identifiable learning clientele with identifiable learning objectives ” (UNESCO)Particularly useful to develop Life skills and attitudes based on a value system

The System of Scouting The Scout Method is also described as a system. This implies that it has to be conceived as an interdependent group of elements forming a unified and integrated whole. That is why the word “Method” is used in the singular, not in the plural.

Nature

Whether you hike in the mountains

Camp in the snow.....

Or paddle down a river....

If you are camping in the forest...

Or by the sea

Or up above the clouds......

If you choose to be alone for a whille.

Or hang out with the crowd.....

with the sun shining through......

Or the rain pouring down....

Whether you choose to sleep under the stars....

Or safely inside your tent......

For the Individual There are some areas where Nature can really have a very strong impact

In your relationship with others

For being inspired

For the Big Picture

Finding your own limits Nature provides a real environment. When we challenge ourselves here we should not be afraid to fail, but we will learn real lessons from our experiences. In the out of doors we need to be prepared for many eventualities. We practice resilience, and thinking on our feet.

Working together as a Team Everyone has a role in the patrol and when the scouts camp together those roles become even more important. The responsibility is real and the decisions made have real implications. Living together in harmony encourages friendships and resourcefulness. The challenges of daily life helps to build relationship skills.

Being Inspired Inspired by the beauty and richness Inspired by the delicate, ever changing life cycle; of the seasons, of plants and animals, of the moon and the stars. Understanding the magnificence and the power Contemplating your place in the world Choosing a path for yourself

The Big Picture Because of all this, it is through their interaction with Nature that young people have the potential to grow: Socially, Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, Spiritually and in their Character

Nature Exercise 1 In groups of 3. Discuss Nature and it’s place in the programme of the age sections. Identify challenges & propose solutions

Review & Evaluate Objectives: Review the 7 elements of the Scout Method. understand the basic principles in Nature Have explored some challenges faced by each of the age sections, and proposed some solutions

Thank you for you attention

Young People and Scouting Scouting exists for the benefit of young people. While Scouting’s educational system is particularly suited for the adolescent age range, the upper age limit depends on factors which define what “youth” means from an educational perspective within a particular culture and society. Achieving the Mission

“Education is at the heart of both personal and community development; its mission is to enable each of us, without exception, to develop all our talents to the full and to realize our creative potential, including responsibility for our own lives and achievement of our personal aims.” “Learning: The Treasure Within”, Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century,1996.

Scouting’s Educational Approach Scouting’s educational approach is characterized by the following: a) it adopts a holistic approach to a young person’s education; b) it seeks to achieve its educational purpose on the basis of an educational proposal; c) as a non-formal educational agent, it plays complementary role to that of other educational agents; d) it recognizes that it can only make a contribution to the education of young people. The Essential Characteristics of Scouting