Cherish Watton

On the 25th April, I travelled to Norway to present at the Learning Beyond the Classroom Conference at Dahlske High School in Grimstad. I presented to just under 100 Norwegian students and teachers with Malene Melbye, a 16 year old Norwegian who is a regional leader for the environmental organisation ‘Nature and Youth’.

We shared what we had learnt together with the Norwegian participants, as part of the VENN (Vital Education Norway Norfolk) project, which focused on entrepreneurship with a green focus and social networking in teaching. This involved demonstrating Edmodo (an online platform connecting students and staff in a safe and professional way) and Google Sites (an online platform to create websites) as well as asking students’ their views on social media and communication. Students also fed back their tips on how they would like adults to communicate with them...with some imaginative and interesting suggestions!

The VENN Project, as a whole, identified ways in which Norfolk County Council and Aust-Agder County Council worked with schools and colleges so that their outdoor learning/learning beyond the classroom provided the basis for enhanced educational achievement, a more sustainable school and personal behaviour change in response to climate change education.

‘It was a brilliant experience presenting to Norwegian students who seemed to really enjoy finding out about the work that Malene and I had achieved in the VENN project. I would like to say a huge thank you to The Mason Trust and Norfolk County Council’s Environmental and Outdoor Learning Team who have given me this wonderful opportunity to explore the beautiful country of Norway. We are now inspired for more young people to experience the rich opportunities which international collaboration can bring.’