Harnessing our expertise in outdoor learning, climate literacy, and the natural environment here in Argyll and Bute, our Outdoor STEM programme for Mid Argyll launched in 2023.

Why Outdoor STEM?

Learning outdoors nurtures young children’s innate tendency to explore and stimulates their senses. We see the benefits of this in action at MAKI Pups outdoor nursery, and this reinforces our commitment to the advantages of teaching outdoors. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects come alive when using the diverse natural environment of Mid Argyll as our classroom to:

• Nurture a lifelong appreciation for nature and science.
• Build confidence and teamwork skills through group exploration.
• Inspire curiosity about the environment and the wider world.

Students from Lochgilphead Primary School learning about seed dispersal with Outdoor STEM practitioner Susannah

Integrating with the Curriculum for Excellence

STEM development practitioners Susannah Macmillan, Helen Hampton and ACT Now project manager Jamie Joyce are leading the project. By integrating the Curriculum for Excellence in our lessons, we are aligning with the ambitions of teachers and educators throughout the local authority. 

Participants in Outdoor STEM experience activities such as:

• Exploring rainforest ecosystems unique to Argyll.
• Hands-on experiments using natural materials.
• Learning about local wildlife, plants, and weather patterns.
• Fun engineering challenges like building simple structures.

Based at a newly developed sheltered area at our Rainforest Hub in Kilmory, this hands-on programme gives learners the chance to explore the natural world through exciting outdoor activities. Outdoor STEM connects participants with their environment while laying the foundation for critical thinking and problem-solving skills through play, discovery, and experimentation.

Team building in action with students from Lochgilphead Primary School working together to build shelters

Join us

If you're teacher or home educator looking to support children in Outdoor STEM, please get in touch with our ACT Now Project Manager Jamie Joyce: [email protected]

About our funder

Thanks to support from the Drax Foundation, we are working with home educators and local primary schools to strengthen and grow outdoor STEM learning opportunities in the area.

ACT chief executive Julie Young says: “We believe that learning outdoors is extremely beneficial to young children and nurtures their innate curiosity. The Drax Foundation have given us support, which means that we can extend our STEM outdoor learning sessions to a wider age range and number of young learners. We are really grateful for the support.”

Drax Foundation is the corporate foundation of renewable energy company Drax Group. Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.

Drax Foundation funds initiatives that support education and skills development in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity within local communities.

Learn more about Drax Foundation.