Provider delivers NCS residentials enhancing pupil wellbeing
Derren Hayes
Thursday, March 28, 2024
A growing number of studies suggest that being in green spaces significantly contributes to improvements in young people’s mental health, wellbeing and stress coping mechanisms. Yet, the British Mountaineering Council reports that substantial numbers of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged households, have restricted access to outdoor spaces.
Action
A growing number of studies suggest that being in green spaces significantly contributes to improvements in young people’s mental health, wellbeing and stress coping mechanisms. Yet, the British Mountaineering Council reports that substantial numbers of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged households, have restricted access to outdoor spaces.
To help address this, the government has offered free-to-access outdoor adventure education (OAE) residentials to 16- and 17-year-olds via the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme.
The residentials were targeted at young people who may be experiencing challenges to their mental health and wellbeing while adjusting to the rigours of a post-covid climate. The programmes were delivered by evidence-based outdoor learning company Inspiring Learning at its Kingswood activity centres. Young people experienced five days of activities based on 21st Century Skills development via three core modules presenting different challenges designed to help them learn essential life skills.
During well-constructed OAE programmes, children are encouraged to experiment, work as a team and view failure as an opportunity to learn, not an excuse to give up.
The innovative Skills4life programme of adventure and vocational skills activities aimed to hone the four Cs of 21st Century Skills – creativity, collaboration, communication and critical – to support the development of positive adaptive behaviours of young people to combat stress, bounce-back from adversity and to follow a trajectory of growth (bounce-beyond ability).
Impact
Kingswood partnered with Sheffield Hallam University to evaluate transformation and outcomes based on 1,000 participants across 10 Kingswood residential centres.
The project revealed a 36 per cent increase in resilience and 23 per cent boost in wellbeing following evaluation of qualitative data, surveys and feedback.
Significantly, the most powerful experiences within the programme which boosted participants’ resilience and wellbeing included learning new skills, freedom of choice, solving personal problems, and being immersed in nature,” says Dr John Allan, head of learning and impact at Inspiring Learning.
