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IOL National Conference 2007 - "Adventure Or Learning?"

Sat. 24th March at East Barnby Centre, near Whitby, N. Yorkshire. All the staff, led by East Barnby centre manager Steve Graham, were extremely hospitable and helpful and the catering team provided great food too.


kazworkshopDelegates came from all corners of the UK and Ireland to meet and share their experience and catch-up. A varied bag of workshops provided something for everone.

andysimmsOur new Chair, Andy Simms, was introduced during the AGM and was soon in the thick of it.

As we get them in there will be more conference reports in the next newsletter and on this page.

 

The workshops were...

  • Steve Long Chief Executive, Mountain Leader Training (UK) “Mountain Leader Training; the Governing Body view on continuing professional development and remit of its award holders” Currently MLT Boards put the responsibility for ongoing experience upon the individual and the employer and leave it to their judgement on working on harder/more committing climbs than were involved in the assessment process. Is it time for Change? For report click here
  • Hugh McBride, Senior Lecturer in Business Studies at GMIT in the West of Ireland. “Professionalising the Sector. The Role of IOL?” For report click here
  • John Crosbie APIOL, Director of Calvert Trust Keswick. “Adventure for All – How can we better enable participation by people with Disabilities”. For report click here
  • Louise Edwards of Surrey Youth Service  - presented 'A Youth Work approach to Outdoor Learning'. For report click here
  • Lawrence Chapman, Deputy School Head, on a school's experience that 'Learning Outside the Classroom' should be at the heart of every school' curriculum.
  • Three practical Field Study sessions led by Mike Bagshaw, Deputy Head of Centre at Conference venue East Barnby, on a national global warming beach project, with his colleague Paul Tyler leading a Fossilling group on the nearby Jurassic Coast. They were joined by Tim Burkinshaw, Senior Tutor from the Cranedale Centre with a group looking at the nearby Moor's potential for dual use and 'A' level work. 
  • Author, Frank Grant, asked how Outdoor Learning can resolve trauma issues.
  • Dave Watson of Woodland Survival Crafts with some practical challenges on how these skills can be incorporated into an Outdoor Learning Programme. For report click here
  • Elspeth Mason, Horizons Editor and partner in Mere Mountains and JEM Training led a practical on the processes for extracting and applying learning from Outdoor Education whether Adventure or Environmentally based. 
  • IOL Director, Kaz Brush, member of Lake District Dog Search & Rescue Team (and M. D. of IOL) gave a demonstration of a search dog at work. For a brief film of part of this presentation click here (external non IOL website)
  • There is more and a full programme will be sent to members in the near future together with booking forms.  Members have priority but there is provision for non-members to attend.

The 2007 Conference Sponsors were Activities Industry Mutual www.activitiesindustrymutual.co.uk

Thanks go to Brian Lamb, Conference Convenor, for all his hard work in organising this years event.

The 2006 IOL National Conference

Find out more about the 2-day 2006 Conference here