Nature recovery learning for young people across Sussex
Photo by Alex Briggs
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 of nature restorers and green leaders, it connects educators, nature learning sites, and green employers to get more 11 – 18-year-olds learning about and accessing the incredible nature recovery projects on their doorstep.
100 Mile Classroom works in three ways to help schools, young people, employers, and nature restorers overcome existing barriers and challenges:
More nature 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.
In-school nature content
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.
Better access to green skills and 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.
Our guiding principles and priorities
100 Mile Classroom is designed to fill the gaps and join the dots to accelerate impact for schools, young people, and nature recovery across Sussex. Our three guiding principles — co-creation, collaboration, and equity — ensure we fill and gaps and join the dots rather than duplicate brilliant work already being done. We also prioritise groups of young people that need support most including those with highest social and economic deprivation and least access to nature. While we welcome all schools, our current priority is state or SEN secondary schools and settings. To help ensure equitable access to opportunities, we ask independent schools to fundraise or donate to the project in return for the free resources.
Who's signed up?
Check out our existing 100 Mile Classroom sites on this map!
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
In Sussex? Sign Up Here!
If your land falls within Sussex, we’d love you to join the 100 Mile Classroom community. By signing up, you’ll gain access to resources, expert advice, and opportunities to contribute to the Weald to Waves corridor.