professional accreditation iconProfessional Development - Beyond APIOL

Accreditation beyond APIOL -
Leading Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning (LPIOL)

Who/what is a Leading Practitioner?

Leading Practitioners demonstrate in-depth, professional development in outdoor learning, and have made a significant regional contribution to the outdoor sector.  Leading Practitioners are the next generation of movers, shakers and leaders in the outdoor field; they are ambassadors for outdoor learning and guides for younger practitioners.

What do LPIOLs have to demonstrate?

As you develop beyond the 8 APIOL criteria, to become an LPIOL you will need to demonstrate four areas of excellent practice:

  • Extending the boundaries of best practice (INNOVATION)
  • High standards of continuously evolving reflective and ethical practice (REFLECTION)
  • Building and helping the practice of other practitioners (DEVELOPMENT)
  • Promoting the ability of the outdoor learning field to continue to operate and add value. (SHAPING AND CREATING)

What this means is explained in full in the LPIOL criteria and benchmarks:

How do I become an LPIOL?

You will need to:

  • Read the LPIOL Benchmarks and Criteria to see whether you are in the ballpark
  • Resubmit your APIOL Parts 1 and 2, howing the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) that you have been involved in since you did APIOL*. 
  • Attend an Information/Leadership workshop.... 

This gives you the opportunity to:

  • Get answers to your questions about LPIOL
  • experience the required mindset for LPIOL through practical activities
  • get Leadership tools and techniques

If you decide to go forward and submit an LPIOL application, you will then need to:

  • Write a Personal Statement about your values and how they have been challenged and developed by the changes in the sector during your career.
  • Provide a 8 statements (2 for each criterion) about how your experience meets each of the 4 areas of achievement at LPIOL. 
  • Submit the names of 3 referees and a statement from the coach who has helped you to prepare your Personal Statement.
  • Your application will then be reviewed by The LPIOL Review Board, and you will be invited to interview.   
  • *At present, LPIOL is only be available to holders of APIOL.  Setting up a direct entry process to LPIOL will take additional work, and may become available later.  Rest assured, direct entry to LPIOL will not be a short cut, so the best route to LPIOL is through APIOL.

What does it cost?

LPIOL costs £250.  This covers:

  • The Leadership workshop
  • Application
  • Review by the Review Board
  • Interview.

    The LPIOL Leadership workshop is not mandatory, but is highly recommended, as it includes all you need to know about how to apply, plus activities to practise the LPIOL mindset, and leadership activities tailored to the requests of the group.  NB the fee is still £250, even if you do not attend the workshop (we still incur the expense of running it, whether or not you attend!).

    Most people pay the workshop fee first (£90) and then pay the balance (£160) when they submit their application.  However, if you want to pay the full fee up front, you can.
  • On achieveing LPIOL you will receive a framed certificate.

How do I get started?

If you are thinking of doing your Leading Practitioner of IOL in 2009-10, you need to know about the winter 2009- 2010 dates for the Leadership Workshops.

  • LPIOL Workshops
    The next workshop will be held in Belfast on 16-17 April 2010
    To download a PDF with information about the workshop click here.
  • To book a place on this workshop, please download the enrolment form click here and send it to the IOL office with your payment.
  • Click here to see the Initial Information for LPIOL Participants

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