The Advanced Peer to Peer Training in Engaging Children in Permaculture

The advanced training course took place for a week in September 2017 in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This innovative training course included training adult participants and then supporting them to lead sessions with children. Educators were then given detailed feedback about improving their session/activity/pedagogical style for the future. This was a highly rewarding, deeply immersive experience for educators who came from across Europe to share their skills in engaging children in permaculture; it was wonderful to see our colleagues in action working with children. The children had a great time with several said it was their best day ever in school! The whole school is now working to integrate permaculture into school life.

Resources about engaging Children in Permaculture

CiP are delighted to announce the publication of a survey of resources about engaging children in permaculture. With 314 resources including books, websites, lesson plans across 5 languages anyone interested in the field of outdoor learning will find some useful information within. Check it out here.

We have also publisehd case studies about engaging children in permaculture in 6 different countries around Europe. You can download and read them here.

Outdoor Classrooms: A Permaculture Education with Children with Carolyn Nuttal and Janet Millington

Three teacher training courses were held in Britain with two in London and one in Gatehouse of Fleet, Galloway, Scotland. Feedback from a teacher who attended the training in Gatehouse was "It was the best training course I have ever done!" Delighted with the success of this course led by international experts Carolyn Nuttal and Janet Millington, teachers across the country are now deepening the permaculture education of children throughout Britain.

To learn more about the other training courses, check out the dedicated Children in Permaculture website.

Children in Permaculture in the press

We have been delighted to read articles in the local press about this innovative project, in

The National: Australian permaculture experts help equip Scottish children for challenges of climate change.

Learning for Sustainability Scotland: This month's newsletter highlights Children in Permaculture

The Galloway News article on 26th May included a double-page spread entitled "Aussies' visit was a g'day"

About the Children in Permaculture (CiP) project

CiP is an innovative project of international cooperation bringing together key educators (from different schools, nurseries, practices and countries) in order to cross-fertilise, share and synthesise ideas, which will strengthen the capacities of all involved.

Children in Permaculture is a 3-year project funded through Erasmus+ Key Action 2: School Education, which started in September 2015. The partnership is across 5 countries: UK, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Italy. The lead partner is the Permaculture Association (Britain), and the other partner in the UK is Gatehouse School.

This international exchange will develop, test, adapt and implement practices in permaculture education with children. It will:

•     develop a permaculture curriculum suitable for children
•     create well designed materials for educators
•     collect and create an open education resource
•     foster a cohesive society through learning with people from other countries and cooperation between formal and informal education settings
•     share best practice and new perspectives on designing kindergartens and schools, and promote better outdoor learning experiences for children.

There is lots more information about the partners, the intellectual outputs and more on the dedicated website: www.childreninpermaculture.com