In 2022, the SCQF Partnership was asked by the Scottish Government to administer a small amount of funding for learning programme providers to bid into to support the work they are doing in the area of Learning for Sustainability. The project aim is to increase the understanding and participation of young people in this area and build skills for future green jobs. This follows on from a report we developed for Scottish Government in 2021 which identified some of the barriers faced by providers to having programmes in this area credit rated on to the SCQF.
Eight of the bids submitted were successful and work on each of the projects has already begun. These are:
East Lothian Council Outdoor Learning Service
The Outdoor Learning Service manages East Lothian Council’s HSE Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) licence and offers advice and support to the community. The fund will allow the service to credit rate their AWE (Adventurous Week of Education) programme, designed to integrate outdoor learning, local adventurous activity journeys and school based learning to support delivery of curriculum outcomes, specifically focused on Learning for Sustainability, Literacy, STEM and Health & Wellbeing.
Young Enterprise Scotland
Young Enterprise Scotland offers a wide variety of enterprise & financial education programmes and development opportunities for young people across Scotland. The fund will enable the credit rating of their Circular Economy Challenge, designed to introduce young people to the benefits and principles of the Circular Economy through case studies and interaction with business ambassadors.
Daydream Believers
Daydream Believers are a group of passionate, award-winning educators, and employers who have come together to embed creativity at the heart of education because they believe that innovation, curiosity, and resilience are crucial to unlocking the potential of the future workforce. The fund will provide for the creation of new materials to support their Creative Thinking and Innovation qualifications which will be offered in S4 to S6.
Keep Scotland Beautiful
Keep Scotland Beautiful is a long-established organisation with significant experience in delivering Learning for Sustainability related learning to pupils and the wider community. Targeted at S1 to S4, uniform and local climate community groups and organisations providing learning opportunities, a new Biodiversity Action programme will be created and credit rated, which aims to develop understanding of biodiversity and local and global threats, and will encourage local action to prevent biodiversity loss.
SSERC
SSERC is a local authority shared service, offering a broad portfolio of services, principally in support of the STEM areas of the curriculum. The fund will support the credit rating of their Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) at SCQF level 7.
Royal Highland Education Trust
The Royal Highland Education Trust is a charitable organisation with the aim of educating young people and teachers about food farming and the working countryside through offering free resources, visits and training in schools and on farms throughout Scotland. It has been funded to develop a suite of Learning for Sustainability and food resources for use in its learning programmes.
Social Enterprise Academy
The Social Enterprise Academy is a social enterprise that connects change-makers with transformational learning and development. Social Enterprise Schools enables every young person to step up, realise their potential, and create the change they want to see in the world. The funding will support production of resources to support schools to embed Learning for Sustainability in everything they do at the same time as setting up a sustainable social enterprise.
Youth Scotland
Youth Scotland is the national charity supporting the delivery of community-based youth work and the largest national youth work organisation in Scotland. The funding will cover the cost of the creation of new materials in the area of Learning for Sustainability to support its existing Hi5 and Dynamic Youth Awards.
Later in the year we will focus on each of the projects in more detail and catch up with those involved to hear about progress, the new materials created and the results of the credit rating activity, meaning that relevant programmes will be listed in the SCQF database
For more information on the Learning for Sustainability projects, contact Nicola Smith, SCQFP Development Officer.
