Matt is Scotland Director at Learning through Landscapes (LtL), a charity which focuses on outdoor learning and play in school grounds and local spaces. As head of their busy Highland outdoor residential centre, he has led the team, projects and training for almost a decade.
He has written LtL’s long-term courses, in collaboration with the University of Stirling, which have enabled more than 400 teachers to achieve ‘Professional Recognition’ awards from the General Teaching Council for Scotland for their work in outdoor learning. He has also taken part in three Erasmus+ projects, collaborating with educators across the continent to develop new resources and tools, including the Europe-wide Standards for Early Years Educators Outdoors.
In Scotland, Matt has led on projects with themes including play for adolescents in school, climate-ready school grounds and online learning for outdoor teachers. He makes advisory visits to schools seeking to improve their outdoor spaces and was behind LtL’s Risk Management System, an exemplar which emphasises the benefits as well as the hazards.
Matt began outdoors teaching before even leaving school: guiding and coaching fellow students and customers in sailing and paddle sports. This drew him into a degree in outdoor and science education, and eventually into teaching in science and humanities departments across Sheffield. He then opted to pursue his love of the outdoors, introducing the next generation to the benefits of engagement with nature, place-based learning, adventure and personal development.
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