Local MSP Craig Hoy recently met with Liz and the GetOut team in Gifford to learn more about the benefits of year-round outdoor education for children in Scotland.
GetOut presently leads a regular session for pupils at Yester Primary School where they learn in an outdoor classroom based in Gifford Community Woodland.
He was keen to understand the benefits that come from learning outside, especially for children that may struggle to stay engaged at school or who are neurodivergent.
He said GetOut offers an “engaging alternative method of learning” for local primary aged children.
Speaking after the visit, Craig said: “It was great to meet with Liz and the rest of the GetOut team. They do great work promoting the benefits of being in the outdoors to East Lothian’s young people. There are five volunteers at the moment, and everyone brings different skills and knowledge to the sessions. I was incredibly impressed with the knowledge the pupils had for facts about nature and animals which they had learned at the GetOut sessions.”
Currently the programme supports classes from the Yester Primary School, but the team has plans to expand the programme elsewhere.
He added: “It was interesting to hear about the GetOut vision for having outdoor education at every school, using the green spaces that are local to them. I will be writing to the Scottish government to urge them to support outdoor learning opportunities such as GetOut, as I genuinely believe this style of learning could be a game changer for young people.”
