School Pupils and College Students Serious About Sustainability
Pupils from Dedridge Primary School, Southdale Primary School and Linlithgow Academy joined West Lothian College students last week to take part in outdoor sustainable activities like plant basket weaving, renewable energy workshops, making bog gardens, and eco arts and crafts.
The outdoor event was part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Teach-In, a global campaign to put the sustainability at the heart of education. The Teach-In campaign runs every February and March, and calls on educators to include the goals in their learning and teaching.
This Teach-In was a cross-college event where staff from different subject areas worked with a range of partners to deliver an entertaining and educational experience for the pupils, students and teachers who took part.
Carol Murdoch from local company, Love Outdoor Learning, ran a workshop and said:
“We had a wonderful time supporting West Lothian College with its sustainability day. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm from staff, students and schools. We really enjoyed running our workshop and being a part of the wider West Lothian community.”
Philip Boxhall, a lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at Queen Margaret University, spent the day in one of the forest classrooms assisting students and said:
“It is brilliant to be building a partnership between Queen Margaret University and West Lothian College to support learning outdoors. It’s so important to support educators and learners to get outside and learn together in nature.”
Beulah Miller, a pupil at Southdale Academy said:
“I’m really enjoying being in the forest classroom and being able to use things around us to make lots of fun stuff!”
Anna Styles, a manager in the college’s Care, Health and Sports faculty said:
“We were delighted to take part in the UN Sustainable Development Goals Teach-In campaign. Working with local schools and partners help us to raise awareness of the importance of embedding sustainable development in our teaching to enhance the skills and knowledge of our students. It was a fantastic experience.”
College principal Jackie Galbraith said:
“This was a great example of how committed students and staff at West Lothian College are about tackling the global climate emergency. Building sustainability into learning from pre-school to adult education through campaigns like the Teach-In is essential and will make a difference.”