Outdoor Learning at the Scottish Seabird Centre

We were delighted to welcome Fran Clarke to the role of Education Officer, this year. Here she gives us an update on her first year.

Fran Clarke, was appointed as the new Education Officer in November 2018. A qualified teacher and passionate environmentalist, Fran has worked in several different departments within the charity, before taking on her ideal role of Education Officer. Here she shares an update on all the exciting activities from her first year.

We took the opportunity during our refurbishment closure to focus our time on delivering outreach sessions to schools in Edinburgh and the Lothians, especially those in areas of deprivation, for whom the cost of travelling to the Centre can be prohibitive. Based on feedback from the schools the young people really get a lot out of these engagements as do we – we find them rewarding and motivating and it is an important strand of our inclusive approach.

The summer months of May and June were very busy. One of the strongest features of our learning programme is the opportunity to make use of our stunning coastline to inspire young people and give them early access to nature. We exceeded our target for outdoor learning with 100% of Seaside School sessions heading onto the beach. We were also delighted to receive positive feedback on the content from participants. Activities such as rock pooling, as well as environmental topics like waste and water management, are some of the most popular sessions. We monitor our content continually and work in partnership with teachers and schools to explore new themes and activities that can be delivered either at the Centre or further afield.

Wildlife Club continues to prove popular. Partner sessions included a visit to the Lobster Hatchery and creating seasonal chalk pictures with a local artist. We are exploring splitting the Club into 4 age groups, to enable better interaction with the older children.

Overall we have been able to deliver over 2,760 learning sessions including sign-assisted (British Sign Language) sessions. Over 60% of the schools engaged were from the 15% most deprived areas within travelling distance.

In addition to our core education and outreach sessions, we deliver science engagement and learning events, at the Centre and throughout Scotland. These include Live Science Shows, aimed at young children and families, Meet the Scientist evening talks from experts and events at Science Festivals, including Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian and Orkney. We are keen to widen our target audiences to reach new age groups, from different social and geographic communities in targeted areas of Scotland.

“ I learned so much about seabirds and animals under the sea because of the brilliant 3D film it was so fascinating. I even learned some new fish like sea slater. I learned new plants like sea kale and sea campion.”

Feedback from school children taking part in ‘Seals and Seabirds’ workshop

Rockpooling on Community Day. Image ©Phil Wilkinson

Throughout the year over 400 children and young people were engaged via partnership activities including Youth and Family Outreach, Scouts and Beavers, groups for children with complex needs, school fairs and welcoming education bodies from overseas.

We also delivered our first community science activity day, as part of World Ocean’s Day. This included rock-pooling sessions, beach cleans, arts and crafts, 3D films and a Live Science Show, provided free of charge and in partnership with local organisations. This proved hugely popular and we plan to extend it for next year. Extending our learning events will be supported by the recruitment of a fully funded Marine Engagement Officer, who started this August.

Wildlife club hard at work. Image ©Phil Wilkinson

“ I just wanted to drop a quick note to record our absolute gratitude and joy at being able to experience the science show provided by Malcom this week at our school. During my teaching career I have been fortunate to experience some amazing shows, but I can genuinely say that with regards to pupil engagement, interest and impact, Malcolm’s show ranks amongst the very best. The visually engaging aspect of the show allowed all our young people to be able to access the learning, and the enthusiasm for the topic and delivery meant that each pupil was totally spellbound and focussed on the important messages being delivered. We simply would not have been able to access this show had it not been offered for free, so please do not hesitate in passing on my details to whomever provides the funding for this show to visit under privileged areas as I would certainly be a strong advocate for this show and the associated messages to reach as many areas as possible.”

Feedback from Outreach session Mayfield Primary School