e of safety at all. Outside the family, opportunities for relief were few and often unpalatable, provided by a handful or charitable organizations. The family shaped the settlements of the Scottish regions. Whole families settled together, sharing towns, neighborhoods, and homes. Regardless of class or ethnic origin, the bilateral extended family remained the primary means of protecting economic well-being. For the working class and poor, family provided security and assistance in case of injury, illness, or loss of employment, but for the better off, too, family was central. For the well to do, family connections provided a means to help capitalize and promote business ventures, and to buffer against the vicissitudes of the market.
             For many young Scottish students, particularly those brought up in towns and cities, the words 'school grounds' conjure up images of drab tarmac expanses surrounded by high walls or metal railings. However, slowly that reality is changing. Across Scotland, school grounds are being developed as learning areas, extending classrooms into the outdoors. By looking at school grounds as a learning resource and an integral part of the school environment, young people can be encouraged to develop an interest in their immediate environment. The Grounds for Learning Partnership Project, launched in May 1995, aims to encourage the development, management and use of Scotland's school grounds. It is a partnership between four organizations - SNH, Learning Through Landscapes, the Grounds for Learning Forum and the Scottish Environmental Education Council.
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