The Guardian – Matthew Jenkin
“Jen Lynn, head of outdoor learning at Nottingham girls’ high school, says taking students out of their comfort zone and into a culture that is radically different to their own can be extremely empowering. Since joining the school six years ago, Lynn has expanded opportunities for outdoor learning, setting up an “exploration society” which includes archery lessons, horse riding, canoeing and international expeditions. She recently took students to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as trekking in Iceland and kayaking through the Norwegian fjords. All trips open the teenagers’ eyes to different ways of life and help them develop an appreciation of the natural world. They witnessed the power of the Earth by seeing how Iceland’s volcanoes shaped the landscape, and our planet’s fragile beauty in the Norwegian ice-caps. The girls learned how to care for the environment during a biking expedition in south Norway by camping in the wild and employing the “take only memories, leave only footprints” philosophy. One of the students was so inspired she decided to study environmental engineering at university.”(more)