Go Forest
Published
September 2008
Download
Go Forest case study
Introduction
Go Forest! enterprise challenge is organised by the Forest Education Business Partnership (EBP).
The event is held during the time of Enterprise Week, an annual UK-wide week of activities inspiring young people to pursue ideas for enterprise. Go Forest! involves over 30 local businesses and around 500 pupils from six local secondary schools. The focal age group is Years 9 and 10.
Young people are given a choice of four challenges to work on over a period of two weeks, including Enterprise Week. Challenges have included designing and building the most efficient wind turbine and producing a promotion leaflet for the Forest of Dean aimed at teenagers.
Students carry out these challenges in school, with employer input, and hold their own events to present their findings. Following school-based events, the Go Forest! day is held in the Miners Welfare Hall in Cinderford where pupils are involved in additional problemsolving activities through a series of workshops.
Around 30 local businesses are involved in the workshops which include challenges on such issues as town planning, business enterprise and creativity. For example, a design company set a ‘sheepscape’ challenge, in which students decorated three dimensional sheep in innovative ways, resulting in sheep by the names of ‘Gordon Ramsay’ and ‘Supermarket Sheep’.
In the evening, parents and teachers attend to view students’ work, and local businesses, colleges, Connexions and other partners host interactive stalls. This is an opportunity for young people to explore various career options.