6/1/09

Training courses for hosting school visits to the countryside

Courses will be held at venues around Wales in February for farmers and countryside staff to learn more about hosting visits by schools, colleges and youth groups. The courses are being organized by FACE Cymru in association with the YMCA Wales Community College.

The Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme, or CEVAS, is taught over two days and allows learners to think through all the aspects of having a school visit, including health and safety, the learning opportunities a farm or countryside site can offer, and talking to young people and teachers.

During the course, participants compile a portfolio which is accredited by the Open College Network and will also be useful to them in their future work. All the teaching materials are bilingual and learners may complete their portfolios in English or Welsh. Tutor support is available outside the course hours.

“We ran four CEVAS courses last year, and they were very lively, with a good mix of people – some already experienced in school visits, others still thinking about it,” said Jane Powell, FACE Cymru education coordinator. “This is a great opportunity to see how your farm or countryside site can play a part in teaching young people about food production, the environment and many other subjects, and meet other people doing the same thing. Most participants so far have been farmers, but we have also had staff from field study centres and countryside attractions, as well as teachers.”

There will be four courses: at Bangor on 10 and 24 February, at Dihewyd, Ceredigion, on 11 and 25 February, at Cwmbran on 12 and 26 February, and at St David’s on 17 and 24 February. The course costs £85 + VAT, but farmers who register with Farming Connect may be able to reclaim 50% of the fee, and learners on a low income can also apply for a bursary.

The school curriculum in Wales was revised recently. It emphasizes sustainability, including the natural environment, health and consumer choices, and encourages children to learn from the real world outside the classroom. All of this, together with the need for education on healthy eating and food, is leading to more demand for visits to farms and the countryside.

FACE Cymru works with local partners Learning on the Farm in southwest Wales and the CAFE Project in Powys to support school visits to the countryside. It can provide help and advice to farmers and schools.

To book a place or for more information, contact Jane Powell on 01970 622248 or e-mail jane@face-online.org.uk.

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Further information

Jane Powell, FACE Cymru, Organic Centre Wales, IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Tel. 01970 622248, e-mail jane@face-online.org.uk

Notes for the editor

1. FACE is a registered charity (number 1108241) that was established in 2001 to help school pupils learn about the real business of farming and maintaining the countryside. See www.face-online.org.uk.

2. FACE Cymru is coordinated by Organic Centre Wales in association with local delivery partners Learning on the Farm and the CAFE Project, and works with all types of farm, organic and conventional. For more information see www.face-cymru.org.uk.

3. For more information on CEVAS, see www.face-online.org.uk/cevas.

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