The Yorkshire Dales National Park inspires awe and wonder. It is a fantastic setting for outdoor learning, and we are passionate about encouraging young people to connect with and care for their national parks. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority learning and engagement team offer curriculum-based outdoor learning visits for all ages throughout the National Park. Every session is designed to enhance the wellbeing of the participants through spending time outdoors and encouraging young people to connect with nature. We offer the following support for secondary schools and colleges.
Curriculum-based sessions.
These sessions can be full or half-days, held at a number of different locations within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Key Stage 3
| Investigating a river | Conduct fieldwork to identify changes along the course of a river, identify river features and processes. |
| Farming for sustainability | Visit a farm in the Dales to find out where our food comes from, how the farm functions and to learn about sustainable farming practices. |
| Protecting peat | Learn about the importance of upland peatlands as carbon stores and their role in combatting climate change through a range of practical activities. |
Managing tourism | Carry out a range of human geography fieldwork, such as questionnaires, traffic surveys and land use mapping to understand more about the importance and impact of tourism in the Yorkshire Dales. |
| The Wolf Brother | Rediscover our deeply rooted connections to nature. Take yourself back to the stone age Europe of the famous Wolf Brother book. Learn a variety of practical bushcraft skills. |
| Understanding Climate Change | Learn more about Climate Change in the context of the Yorkshire Dales National Park while visiting one of the amazing places where action is being taken to tackle and mitigate its effects. |
Practical and volunteering opportunities
- Young Rangers programme. Young people aged between 13 and 18 can apply for a place on the Young Rangers volunteer programme.
- Dales Action Days. Get hands on at one of our Dales Action Days. Why not watch our video for an idea of what these days entail?
- Green Careers. Get in touch to discuss careers events and resources and remember to keep an eye out for our popular Green Careers Days.
- John Muir Award. Get in touch to explore how we can help you to set up and deliver the Wild Places Guardian Award with small groups of young people.
Key Stage 4
We are eagerly awaiting news on the new Natural History GCSE.
Most of our education sessions are free of charge and we can loan waterproofs and other equipment. There is also a small transport fund which you can apply to for help with the cost of coach or minibus travel. We strive to be a welcoming place for all and would encourage groups of all abilities and backgrounds to plan a visit with us.
The Dales Countryside Museum
The Dales Countryside Museum offers history-based sessions at the visitor centre in Hawes.
Resources and training
There are a range of education and learning resources to support teachers with classroom delivery on National Parks and planning educational visits to the Yorkshire Dales and teacher training opportunities.
The Ambassador Schools Programme
Our Ambassador Schools programme supports a small number of Primary and Secondary schools to become centres of best practice by developing and embedding outdoor learning and environmental education opportunities in their setting. These Ambassador Schools can then share their knowledge and skills with other schools and support them in improving the quality and breadth of their provision.
For more details about booking events, contact us here.