We believe there has never been a more important time to deepen peoples connection with nature. The agricultural, industrial and technological revolutions have all led to a greater disconnect from nature and we are now entering the fourth industrial revolution, facing existential threats such as man made climate change and the development of artificial intelligence.
Whilst we do not believe that technology in itself is harmful, and is a relative blank slate, we do believe that over dependence on technology would be harmful. We believe that nature should come first, where possible, to aid holistic growth and development, and health and well-being. And above all, a balance needs to be struck, so we can evolve towards a brighter future, where people, nature and technology can live together as one.
Our Mission:
To deepen future generations connection with nature, so they can reach a state of unity, and act for the greater good of people and planet.
Our Vision:
Planet Compassion. A future place where people, nature and technology live together as one.
Our Values:
Compassion. Adventure. Innovation. Collaboration. Play.
Our Brand Purpose:
Inspiring Oneness.
Our Aims & Objectives
- To support the holistic growth & development, and health and well-being of children and young people, by facilitating nature and mindfulness learning.
- To help children and young people build skills and qualities for the future, such as curiosity, creativity, imagination, emotional intelligence and problem solving.
- To facilitate play, experiential based learning, and appropriate risk taking, to aid optimal growth and development.
- To empower future generations to become environmental stewards of the future.
- To provide learning that nurtures spiritual and moral character development.
- To provide learning that supports the national curriculum, and in line with our company values.
Nature connection
Our programmes and events are inspired by a Forest school approach to learning.
The forest schools movement developed as a reaction to the Industrial era, when people’s lives changed dramatically from living and working in the rural environments, to living in urban environments working with machines. Several concerned Individuals pioneered school-based projects for children living in cities to overcome their disconnect from nature, following the realisation that their health and well-being and overall development was being negatively impacted. One of those school-based projects started in 1993, when the early years department of the Bridgwater college in Somerset ventured to Scandinavia, to observe the education of young children in the outdoors. They observed happy, healthy children playing in the woodland, climbing trees, and carving wood using tools, and were surprised at the clear contrast to home, that placed emphasis on desk-based learning, with little opportunity to be outdoors, constricted by health and safety concerns. The Bridgwater team returned inspired and set up their own forest school project, which eventually led to an official course and credible programme.
Forest school is a unique form of outdoor education that takes place throughout all seasons, ideally in a forest, or an outdoor space with at least some trees. Learners are able to witness and take part in the dynamic, life processes unfolding all around them, building their capacity to think, feel and behave through their experiences with nature.
Forest schools is traditionally child led, which means that learners have the space and time to follow their own intuitions, and natural aptitudes, developing confidence in their own abilities, building intrinsic motivation for learning. It also takes place within a shared community, allowing opportunity to develop friendships with peers and leaders, promoting social skills and collaborative working.
Forest schools is a form of integral education, with the ultimate aim of helping learners to develop holistically, so they can reach a state of unity, and act for the greater good.
Mindfulness
At Planet Compassion we are passionate about facilitating practices that ‘inspire oneness.’ Oneness is the state of being unified or whole, it’s our natural state of being, and the place where pure consciousness resides, that unites everything on the planet.
Practicing mindfulness can help us to grow a deeper awareness and appreciation regarding the natural world, and our responsibility to care for it. It has many evidence based health benefits, from cultivating positive mind states, improving social and emotional well-being, to aiding learning, and improving our physical health, including the quality of our sleep.
When we are outdoors, we are naturally more mindful, because our brains are in a more relaxed state, however it can be a bit tricky at times as it’s like we have a little monkey in our minds, jumping into the past and future, so practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can help us to strengthen the part of the brain that helps us to stay present, resulting in greater connection to the source of life.
Connection to the source of life can enhance our inner well-being. When we marvel at the beauty of a tree, a flower, or the stars sparkling in the night sky, we can experience a sense of awe and wonder. We are momentarily dethroned from our separation with nature, and can start to experience ourselves as part of an interconnected picture, one where we can consciously shape a more compassionate future.
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planetcompassion.org 