We confess that we were unaware that 2015/16 was the Year of Fieldwork, but welcome it anyway. We especially like the logo, and hope that the tread on the boot gets worn away in the next 12 months because of overuse.
Esri UK, the Field Studies Council, the Geographical Association, Ordnance Survey, and the Royal Geographical Society (and IBG), are working collaboratively to provide a range of resources and support as part of this.
The FSC website says that the principal purposes of the Year of Fieldwork are to:
- Highlight examples of good practice and the support we give to schools to enhance the fieldwork that they provide.
- Encourage more schools to undertake geographical/environmental fieldwork at all phase of the curriculum, and examination classes.
- Encourage more universities and other educational bodies to include fieldwork in relevant degree courses and modules.
- Raise awareness of the value of fieldwork to education, and the wider benefits gained by young people.
- Promote the benefits of fieldwork as an invaluable and transferable skill across a range of subjects.
- Work collaboratively to highlight the value of fieldwork during the 2015-16 academic year. The year will see significant levels of planning as schools across all ages continue to integrate and prepare for new models of assessment and content from the various national curricula and examinations.
For more information, and detail on how you can get involved, please email nick.nc@field-studies-council.org
Look out for more details about all of this as the year progresses.