Education Through Expeditions: Following These Fellows

Education Through Expeditions

ANTONY JINMAN, PROJECT FOUNDER:
“My aim is simple. It is to inspire and educate children globally about world climate change and to do so through my interactive expeditions and related school outreach work. My focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on the arctic regions, its Inuit people, its animals and landscape.”

Education Through Expeditions is a Community Interest Company which aims to provide educators with current and innovative distance-learning resources to support climate change education.

The Portal. The principal learning vehicle that will reinforce this aim is the Education Through Expeditions world website; a two dimensional interactive portal which will act as a show-case for ongoing global expeditions and research projects and create a hub of learning about climate change within the home, at school and other community settings…

..Visitors to the map e.g. students, teachers and the broader community, will be able to immerse themselves in the day-to-day existence of explorers and expeditions. They will be able to access first-hand knowledge of their immediate environment through expedition blogs, audio recordings, videos and photographs. They will even be able to establish dialogue with the explorers through the use of specialised tried-and-tested IT applications. In contrast to books and many other classroom aids, the world map will not become obsolete or irrelevant; its content will reflect and exhibit environmental change as it occurs.

Living Case Studies. Expeditions are living case studies of our complex and dynamic natural world. By engaging with the features of the map, students can join them in real time, as they are taking place. They can explore locations, learn about how the landscapes were formed, how populations migrate, monitor the impact of climate change, watch the interaction of its inhabitants with their surroundings and investigate the interconnection between diverse economies, societies and environments.

At a more advanced level, through an expedition’s scientific research and projects, students will watch and follow fieldwork as it takes place. They will be at the interface of scientific theory and practical experience, inspiring curiosity of world phenomena and its possible explanations.

The world map is pertinent to formal, informal and non-formal learning of adults and children, although its principle target group is children through connections with the school curriculum. It will feed directly into the learning of geography, sciences, citizenship and community. Through working in groups and teams the resource is designed to develop interpersonal communication skills, confidence, self-esteem, critical thinking, co-operation and conflict resolution. All are core to building motivation and achievement in young people.

Education Through Expeditions is now looking for expeditions to contribute to its website. If you have an expedition travelling to any region in the world get in touch! Education Through Expeditions provides a searchable map for children to learn from expeditions. Email at info AT educationthroughexpeditions.org for more information.

The Project Website: www.educationthroughexpeditions.org.
Follow educators’ expeditions also on Facebook.