Raising aspiration and achievement through fieldwork
Geography, and geographical field-work and field-research, can support young peoples鈥� aspiration and achievement
Between 2008 and 2016 the Learning and Leading programme provided opportunities for disadvantaged young people to take part in residential fieldwork; geographically focused gap experiences, and higher education field-research.聽 In addition, teachers in schools facing challenges received fieldwork training.聽
From 2017, through support from the Alexander Awards, the Society is offering disadvantaged for A level students, first year undergraduates and also those planning undergraduate expeditions and聽field-research.
The programme聽consisted of carefully managed opportunities for learning and personal development.聽
Placements聽were available for:
- A Level students:聽fully funded geography fieldwork summer schools聽
- A Level geography teachers:聽funded聽weekend fieldwork masterclasses聽
- Gap year students:聽bursaries and mentoring to support an overseas gap experience
- Geography undergraduates: summer fieldwork apprenticeships
Participants鈥� learning experiences have been shared widely to encourage more young people to undertake fieldwork, get the best out of their gap year, and make the most of their studies.
Through the programme the Society has:
- Used fieldwork and gap experiences to promote the learning and personal development of young people and teachers who, through challenging circumstances or lack of opportunity, had not been able to participate in such work before
- Provided mentoring and training to help the individuals gain the most from their placements
- Built a network of young individuals who have faced challenging circumstances or disadvantage, to support them in their future studies and careers
- Supported schools to enthuse and motivate their geography pupils through enhancing the quality of their fieldwork programmes
- Shared the learning, reflections and outcomes of the Learning聽and Leading placements so that other young people and teachers can learn from them
- Developed the Society鈥檚 support for fieldwork and outdoor learning as part of our strategic plan
Feedback from the 2019 fieldwork summer school
This year, 15 students were selected to attend the RGS-IBG Alexander Award A-Level Summer School 2019, held 19-23 August 2019 at FSC Juniper Hall in Surrey. Our application process continues to include teacher nomination forms alongside pre-course questioning upon acceptance. We ask all students to outline their ambitions, motivations and hopes for the Summer School, in order to shape our course to meet their needs. This year, 15 students voiced their hopes for academic learning combined with building confidence, group work, problem-solving and gaining skills from聽experienced staff.聽
鈥淕oing into the summer school I'm not sure any of us thought it would have such an impact on us all as individuals and as a group鈥� 聽
Student Group Feedback 2019
A Level students - fieldwork summer school applications
Each year聽there are 16 fully funded places, including the residential course, all materials and travel to and from the venue, available for disadvantaged young geographers who are currently in Year 12.聽The course will include human and physical fieldwork, first hand data collection and the opportunity to explore techniques and approaches relevant to the A Level independent investigation and Advanced Higher Geography.
This fieldwork聽summer school is aimed at聽students聽who, through challenging circumstances or lack of opportunity,聽have not been able to聽benefit from聽such experiences before. This could be because their school聽was unable to provide fieldwork, because of family circumstances or due to other pressures聽they聽are聽facing.
Due to the situation with COVID-19 we did not聽run聽summer schools in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Details of the summer schools being held in future years will be released in due course.
Aims and outcomes:
As a result of the summer school,聽students could expect to:
- Improve聽their geographical skills, knowledge and understanding, see real-life case studies and try different fieldwork techniques
- Prepare聽for聽and find out more about studying geography at university
- Build聽confidence, independence, initiative, teamwork聽and communication skills
- Make聽new friends from all over the UK
Video:聽The Learning and Leading Summer School 2016. Directed by Nicholas Jessup, Director of Photography Sam Crook, music by Rowan Bishop