Nature recovery learning for young people in Sussex
100 Mile Classroom
The 100 Mile Classroom is an ambitious learning and upskilling project across the Weald to Waves nature recovery corridor in Sussex. Designed to inspire and support the next generation, it connects educators, nature learning sites, and green employers to get more young people learning about and accessing the incredible nature recovery projects on their doorstep.
Our three guiding principles — co-creation, collaboration, and equity — ensure we fill the gaps and join the dots rather than duplicate work already being done. We prioritise groups of young people that need support most including those with highest social and economic deprivation and least access to nature.
100 Mile Classroom works in three ways to help overcome existing barriers and challenges:
Local learning sites
The project aims to link every school in the Weald to Waves corridor with an accessible nature recovery learning site. These sites, ranging from landscape nature recovery projects to community green spaces, give young people the chance to witness, learn from, and participate in local nature restoration projects. The 100 Mile Classroom works with existing and new sites to increase access, participation, and learning.
School resources
The growing urgency of biodiversity loss, rising climate anxiety, and the skills shortage in green jobs mean it’s more important than ever to embed themes like nature recovery, ecosystem health, and sustainable farming in the existing national curriculum. 100 Mile Classroom lesson packs and schemes of work link local nature recovery case studies and data with national curriculum requirements. Additional on-demand resources give schools and young people a suite of ways to engage.
Green skills & jobs
By providing practical and accessible information on green careers, work experience, and volunteering opportunities, and helping young people make every action count, 100 Mile Classroom ensures that nature restoration and learning have a positive social and economic impact for the young people that need it most. We’re working with local Career Hubs and employers to deliver work experience that’s meanginful and impactful.
Sign Up Here
It takes 3 minutes and costs nothing to sign up, so if the above sounds interesting and you’d like to find out more, get started.
Watch for More
Watch the 100 Mile Classroom Introduction film to learn more about what we are doing.
Who can join 100 Mile Classroom?
Any of the following within Sussex:
- Primary and secondary schools
- Colleges and alternative education settings
- Further education and universities
- Forest schools and outdoor learning providers
- Community groups and youth organisations
- Weald to Waves sites that currently offer or want to offer education
Why join 100 Mile Classroom?
If you’re a school or education setting you get free access to:
- Curriculum-linked lesson plans and case studies
- Assemblies and workshops on everything from Actions to Nature to green careers
- Other content for schools from videos to maps and display items
- Work experience, volunteering opportunities, and further learning ideas
- CPD in nature restoration and connection
- Rolling opportunities in and outside of school
- Links with nature learning sites
- Be part of Sussex’s largest nature restoration initiative – Weald to Waves – by becoming an automatic Garden & Greenspace member
If you’re a nature learning site or aspiring to be one you get free access to:
- Training opportunities
- Support and advice on embedding nature themes into learning sessions
- Maps and other resources to support sessions
- A pool of trained facilitators
- A match-making service with schools
- Notifications about funding opportunities
Who's signed up?
Check out our existing 100 Mile Classroom sites on this map!