A West Lothian businesswoman is tackling climate change head on and winning awards as she goes.
Carol Murdoch from Love Outdoor Learning, recently won the Woman Who Achieves Solopreneur Digital Award 2021 Sponsored by SEO Angel.
Her online platform helps teachers deliver curriculum-based outdoor learning and contains lesson ideas, training, and support.
Carol, from Bathgate, is a former teacher who “fell in love with outdoor learning”. She firmly believes learning can encourage sustainable attitudes in her students - something that is a hot topic after COP26 kicked off.
She became a teacher in her late 20s before leaving the classroom in March 2017 to create Love Outdoor Learning.
She has picked up several awards since then and most recently was named Woman Who Achieves Solopreneur.
Award organisers said Carol is leading the way in using technology to support teachers in delivering outdoor learning.
She experienced teaching in mainstream schools and in severe and complex needs schools and autism bases. This experience means Carol can support a broader range of schools.
Carol said: “I quickly discovered that taking children outdoors removes barriers to learning and truly helps children progress and learn.
“But more than that, it helps me and other teachers connect with our classes while reducing stress and anxiety. It makes planning easy and even cuts down on workload. And the best bit, the time learning outside really can change attitudes towards nature and create sustainable attitudes.”
Carol said she believes helping children connect with their natural environment is key, whether that is through writing about their experiences, creating natural art or actively supporting our mental health through mindfulness activities.
Taking learning out of the classroom and into the playground and other green spaces allows children a chance to experience the wonders of nature.
Carol also said helping children understand nature, and the little steps to care for it, helps create a world of change.
Carol continued: “This year we will have supported over a quarter of a million children and 7500 teachers through a mixture of online resources, our members portal and face to face training, pupil experiences and integration programmes.
"We have worked with schools throughout Scotland and as far away as Australia, Canada, Belgium, South Africa and more. Our recent award from Woman Who Achieve is in recognition of all the hard work each of those educators makes in helping support their classes and take learning outdoors. So, to each of them, I say a heartfelt thank you!”
The judges at the Woman Who Awards said: “This lady has a fantastic digital business with an impressive growth plan. The judges were so impressed with her vision to, in her words, ‘change the lives of the leaders of tomorrow’.”
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