Arbury Park Leadership Camp 2021
At the start of May Green Adelaide Education ran the annual YEC Leadership Camp at Arbury Park Outdoor School (APOS) in the Adelaide Hills. This stunning undulating property built on a hillside, contains a series of interconnected wetlands, a large area of native woodland, and other outdoors learning areas with views over the surrounding hills.
The school provides an ideal location where students can deepen their knowledge of sustainability issues and increase skills in leadership, problem solving and team building. APOS and Green Adelaide Education staff collaborated to deliver a program that encouraged the students to connect with their surroundings, challenge themselves and think deeply about their goals.
Students were involved in both outdoor and indoor activities with a focus on linking explicit learning with real world practice to further develop and plan the projects they’re going to carry out as part of their involvement in the YEC.
United Nations (UN) Youth Representative Lucy Stronach came along as part of a UN Listening Tour to hear about Generation Z’s views about the state of the environment. She was collecting views from youth around Australia to share at the General Assembly in New York later in the year. Issues that YEC members were particularly concerned with were not limited just to the environment though; topics discussed included climate change, fast fashion, racism, the Great Ocean Garbage Patch, mental health, alternative energy, Australia’s relationship with China, electric vehicles and reducing dependence on hydrocarbons, gender equality, sacred sites, bushfires, soil health and smog. It was great to hear the passion in their voices as the members discussed these issues while maintaining respect for each other’s opinions and experiences.
Other camp highlights included orienteering, a night frog walk, Landcare activities, the quiz/talent show and planning their projects.
The school provides an ideal location where students can deepen their knowledge of sustainability issues and increase skills in leadership, problem solving and team building. APOS and Green Adelaide Education staff collaborated to deliver a program that encouraged the students to connect with their surroundings, challenge themselves and think deeply about their goals.
Students were involved in both outdoor and indoor activities with a focus on linking explicit learning with real world practice to further develop and plan the projects they’re going to carry out as part of their involvement in the YEC.
United Nations (UN) Youth Representative Lucy Stronach came along as part of a UN Listening Tour to hear about Generation Z’s views about the state of the environment. She was collecting views from youth around Australia to share at the General Assembly in New York later in the year. Issues that YEC members were particularly concerned with were not limited just to the environment though; topics discussed included climate change, fast fashion, racism, the Great Ocean Garbage Patch, mental health, alternative energy, Australia’s relationship with China, electric vehicles and reducing dependence on hydrocarbons, gender equality, sacred sites, bushfires, soil health and smog. It was great to hear the passion in their voices as the members discussed these issues while maintaining respect for each other’s opinions and experiences.
Other camp highlights included orienteering, a night frog walk, Landcare activities, the quiz/talent show and planning their projects.
