Rob Carmichael
As Head of Outdoor Experiential Education at UWC Thailand, Rob Carmichael creates and facilitates rich out-of-doors learning experiences for students from nursery to diploma. Over the past 15 years, Rob has worked in Europe, North America and Asia and is a firm believer that taking learning outside the classroom helps students to increase attention, develop creativity, and decrease stress and anxiety.
Rob, with technology playing an important part in the lives of today's learners, how important is outdoor learning to balance learning experiences?
I truly believe that Outdoor Education has never been more important than it is today. The need to get all students outside the classroom is incredibly important to restore balance to their lives, given that so many have been inside and had limited access to outdoor spaces throughout the pandemic. For me, the primary reason to get students outside the classroom is to allow them to form connections with the outdoors. If we really truly desire to protect our planet for the future then it is imperative that we allow students to build relationships with these spaces. It is difficult to care for something that you have no connection to. Building relationships with wild spaces is central to the Outdoor Education program at UWC Thailand.
There are many opportunities to be innovative in the facilitation of outdoor learning. It may take the form of teachers using technology to their advantage with plant and wildlife ID apps allowing students to do their own research in the field or using technology to create multimedia documentation of trips and expeditions.
As an outdoor specialist, what are you focusing on when running projects with your students?
When delivering programmes to students between the ages of 2 and 18 there are of course a huge range of focus areas that we try to achieve. For me, these 3 areas are central to all of the programs that I facilitate:
A sense of wonder and stewardship: Fostering stronger connections with the outdoors, creating greater environmental awareness and responsibility to care for the natural world.
Self-belief and resilience: Moving beyond self-perceived limitations in challenging environments, to better understand one's potential.
Leadership, cooperation and collaboration: Developing the skills to both lead and work with others to accomplish individual and collective goals through experiential learning.
You are blessed with stunning surroundings in Thailand, is this an extra incentive to take learning outdoors?
I am a huge believer that regardless of where a school is located there are a number of opportunities to explore learning outside the classroom, in new and interesting environments. It is true that Phuket is an idyllic location to deliver outdoor education experiences but like any Outdoor Experiential Education program, there are still challenges to overcome with issues such as access, wildlife, and weather.
There have been enormous amounts of research done in the past few years indicating a plethora of benefits associated with taking learning outside the classroom, including increased attention, greater creativity, decreased stress and anxiety and improved social and emotional well-being. Yet there are seemingly few schools that offer integrated Outdoor Experiential Education programs in their curriculum.
At UWC Thailand outdoor education is integral to the identity of the school as one of its pillars. Teachers are actively encouraged to take learning outside the classroom where it adds to the learning experience. This is coupled with a specialised Outdoor Education unit for all grades with topics such as kayaking, climbing, hiking, mountain biking and sailing included in the syllabus.
Where do you see outdoor learning going? What trends are you aware of?
There are a number of trends that have been around for a while that are finding momentum in international school settings; including the facilitation of ‘risky play’ for younger students to help develop self-confidence, perseverance, resilience and risk-management skills, as well as the development of ‘place-based learning’ which lends itself well to interdisciplinary units and allows students to better understand their local community and environment.
Additionally, there is greater integration of education outside the classroom into curriculum time, with significant movement from the European forest school approach in early years education and there are a host of schools challenging what a modern and innovative education looks like and I am proud to work at one such school.
There are a number of fantastic programs that I’m currently involved with, from the monthly Secondary School Outdoor Club where students have the opportunity to get out and explore a range of environments across southern Thailand, the Primary School Sailing Club where students from grades 2-5 develop their sailing skills from beginners to racers over the course of the school year and of course the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. The project that I feel is most special is the M.A.N.T.A program (Marine Animal and Nature Trust Association). All of these programs are embedded into the fabric of what UWC Thailand stands for, allowing students to take active leadership roles in driving projects forward, being change-makers, and advocates for a more sustainable future.
Thank you, Rob! Good luck with the new school year. Keep pioneering and stay connected!
Learn more about Rob’s work at UWC Thailand: www.uwcthailand.ac.th/
