My Square Mile - A New Resource Pack For Welsh Schools
by Lleucu Cooke (www.mypembrokeshire.com)
October 12, 2007

Schools throughout Wales are set to benefit from a free new educational resource pack, focusing on raising awareness of good design and the built environment, thanks to the Design Commission for Wales and its partners.

The book and CD full of free images and notes for teachers was launched yesterday by Deputy Lord Mayor of Swansea Councillor Gareth Sullivan, with a keynote address given by Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.
Entitled 'My Square Mile', the pack is based on an initiative devised by DCFW which encourages pupils to explore their local environment in order to develop a sense of place, design and critical awareness skills and the confidence to discuss issues affecting their environment.

The project was piloted in 33 primary schools in Swansea and subsequently offered to a number of schools in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. Such has been its success in helping teachers and stimulating pupils to investigate and evaluate their locality that the project resources are now being made freely available. DCFW'S intention is to hold inset days to introduce the project and the pack and facilitate other schools to use the resource in their own cext.

The pack shares the innovative work done at the pilot schools, and acts as a framework and stimulus for other schools to develop their own projects using the model and the CD of copyright free images and presentation materials.

Carole-Anne Davies, chief executive of the Design Commission for Wales, said, "The 'My Square Mile' is close to our hearts and uses the particularly Welsh concept of our roots, our square mile, to introduce children to built environment issues which could otherwise be intimidating.

"The initiative has proved a huge success in schools in Swansea and West Wales and we are very grateful to our partners there who have been instrumental in delivering the pilot. It has given pupils the opportunity to get out and about and explore their local neighbourhood, developing a greater understanding of design, architecture the nature of places and the climate change issues related to our physical environment.

"The pack provides a framework for study and offers suggestions for teachers on the introduction of themes and topics, relevant to the national curriculum, such as sustainability and citizenship. There is huge flexibility within the project which can be used to lock into a variety of curriculum areas, including art, design and technology, geography, history, numbers and language.

"Different schools have adopted different approaches and have involved pupils of different age groups. Our partners have done a fantastic job and there have been many wonderful surprises along the way, constantly reminding of the capacity for children to engage in ways we never imagined always responding positively to its challenges.

"I'd like to thank our partners in this initiative, especially the Arts Education Teams, artists and other contributors working with Swansea, Carmarthen and Ceredigion local authorities, and Eileen Adams, project author and DCFW commissioner - without whom this project simply wouldn’t be possible.

"Our thanks also go to the participating schools for their enthusiasm, to our launch partner the National Waterfront Museum and we’re very grateful to the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing for her support and the Welsh Assembly's funding for what we see as a important route to inspiring people and raising awareness and enthusiasm for design and the environment."
Jane Davidson, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, added, "This innovative project is an excellent opportunity for pupils across Wales to learn more about their locality and how it has been shaped, through exploring the relationship between buildings, spaces and people. By looking closely at the surroundings we hope young people can begin to understand how the environment is shaped and managed and that we can enthuse them to take a greater role in effecting positive change in the future.

"The pilot projects have shown how valuable this is to teachers and proved that interest most definitely exists among children if they are offered the opportunity to engage in and celebrate their locale, its identity and distinctiveness.

"I hope teachers across Wales now take advantage of this valuable resource to foster greater interest in design and sustainability amongst their pupils."

The Design Commission for Wales champions high standards of architecture, landscape and urban design in Wales, by promoting wider understanding of the importance of good quality in the built environment, supporting skill building, encouraging social inclusion and sustainable development.
They believe that good architecture and high quality in our built environment is crucial to our quality of life.

The Design Commission for Wales is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, wholly owned by the National Assembly for Wales established under the Companies Act 1985. Company Number: 4391072