Outdoor Learning Certification Program

Become a certified outdoor learning educator with this 30-hour course

From Kindergarten to Grade 12, educators can have a profound impact on learning and development with students outside of the classroom. This online certification course is delivered by Take Me Outside and the Charitable Non-Profit Outdoor Learning Store.

Outdoor Learning Certification Program

Learn how to integrate the outdoors into your teaching practice using effective strategies and resources in this interactive online course for K-12 educators.

Begin the asynchronous course anytime!
Enroll Now

The course includes:

  • 30 hrs of Self-paced Learning through 10 Online Learning Modules
  • 3 Live Workshops (recorded if you can’t make it live)
  • Hands-on activities for you and your class as you learn
  • Outdoor Learning Certificate (upon completion)
  • $10 CAD Coupon for the Outdoor Learning Store
  • Discounts at the Take Me Outside Store

“This course has been one of the best pieces of professional development I have undertaken in my 15 years as an educator…It’s rich with wisdom and resources, and I genuinely wanted to take my time to absorb as much as I could while completing each module.”
– Jackie Birch, Ontario Educator

 

30 Hours
10 Modules

 

Self Paced
Progress at your own speed

 

Cost
$225 CAD

 

Starts
Anytime!

 

Easy Enrollment
Register

About this Course

Outdoor learning is being increasingly adopted by educators to enhance student learning, and to support the physical, emotional and mental health of teachers and students.

This work and the content you will learn in the Outdoor Learning Certification Program is a key step to support these issues, along with other key social and environmental issues such as Indigenous ways of knowing, environmental and climate change and health and well being.

This certification will give you the confidence to take your learning outside whatever the topic or weather. From setup, permissions and planning to programming and assessment, this course will give you the tools to embed outdoor learning into your teaching practice.

You do not need a background in outdoor education, environmental education or land-based education to successfully integrate the course materials into your teaching. Your willingness to experiment with new teaching practices and the notion of where learning happens is all that is required.

The course includes:

  • 10 online learning Modules
  • 3 Live Workshops
  • 30 hrs of Self-paced Learning Community Building
  • Hands on activities for you and your class as you learn
  • Outdoor Learning Certification upon completion

Please note this certification course is not currently recognized by a governing body; it is part of our extensive offering of professional development.

What You’ll Learn

  • How to implement outdoor learning into your pedagogy
  • How to facilitate meaningful conversations with your students about Indigenous ways of knowing, environmental and climate change issues, and health and well being
  • How to help learners of all levels develop a stronger relationship with the outdoors, which has numerous evidence-based benefits
  • Key strategies for using a sense of place as pedagogy
  • Ready-to-use activities and resources to implement immediately

Syllabus


This course contains 10 modules as listed below. It will take 30 hours to complete this online certification course.

  • MODULE 1 – Introduction To The Outdoor Learning Certification
  • MODULE 2 – Outdoor Learning ‘Outside Of The Classroom’
  • MODULE 3 – Setting Up For Success
  • MODULE 4 – Lesson Planning For Outdoor Learning
  • MODULE 5 – Concept 1: Relationship
  • MODULE 6 – Concept 2 – Respect
  • MODULE 7 – Concept 3: Reciprocity
  • MODULE 8 – Concept 4: Responsibility
  • MODULE 9 – Assessment In The Outdoors
  • MODULE 10 – Embedding The Learning

Instructors and Course Developers

This course has been created for you by two non-profit organizations with over 30 years of expertise in Outdoor Learning in the formal, informal, recreational, and other educational sectors. It reflects the most up-to-date research, pedagogy, and practice from researchers and practitioners in Outdoor Learning and features the support and resources of more than 100 Outdoor Learning organizations across North America and beyond.

Jade Berrill

Director of Learning, Outdoor Learning Store. Jade is a Physical Geographer (BSc), Award-Winning Environmental Educator, Outdoor Instructor and Interpretative Guide.

More About Jade

Ian Shanahan

Ian holds a BEd from the University of Toronto and is an Ontario Certified Teacher. Ian spent 5-years with the Green Teacher magazine, and enjoyed 13 seasons with Ontario Parks.

More About Ian

Alyson McMullen

Alyson (she/her) is of Mushkego (Swampy Cree), Irish and French ancestry. Her work is centered around decolonizing education through land centered inquiry based practice.

More About Alyson

Alysse Kennedy

Alysse is a teacher and researcher who graduated from OISE with her PhD in environmental & sustainability education and climate justice.

More About Alysse

Jenna Jasek

Jenna is on expedition which involves culture, traditions, languages and Knowledge of nature. She believes Indigenous perspectives connect effortlessly with outdoor learning.

More About Jenna

Faye O’Neill

Faye O’Neil was born on her homelands of ?ama?kis Ktunaxa at the beginning of the headwaters of the micqaqas akinmituk (Chickadee River/Columbia River).

More About Faye

Colin Harris

Executive Director, Take Me Outside. Colin Harris holds a Master’s of Environmental Education and Communication, and is pursuing a PhD in Educational Research.

More About Colin

FAQs

How long will this course take?

Answer: This course has approximately 30 hours of content, but is self-paced, and can be done as quickly or slowly as your time allows. The course must be completed within a year to receive certification.

Is this certification accredited / recognized by a governing body? Can it be used toward professional learning hours?

Answer: This certification course is not currently recognized by a governing body; it is part of our extensive offering of professional development. While many of our course and workshop certificates are used for professional learning hours, we recommend you check in with your certifying body to confirm.

Who is leading the live workshops and will they be recorded if I miss them?

Answer: Members of the Outdoor Learning Team will host and facilitate these workshops. These monthly workshops will be recorded if you can’t attend live.

All workshops start at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET. Upcoming workshops are: October 17th, November 14th, and December 2nd. Folks taking the course are welcome to attend all workshops, but attendance at one workshop throughout the course is required for completion.

Can I take this if I am a parent/homeschooling parent or formal/informal educator?

Answer: Yes, of course! This course is meant for a broad range of educators who want to incorporate the outdoors with their learners, specifically targeting educators who work with K-12 learners. While some modules may touch on some broad material that is considered Early Years (ages 0-5), this is not the focus of this course.

Is this course in cohorts or can I start any time?

Answer: To ensure this course is as accessible to you as possible you can begin your course at any time. We will offer ongoing live virtual workshops that you can join throughout the year so that you can access support and the community building aspect of this course regardless of when you start.

How do I access the course after signing up?

Answer: You are welcome to start the course anytime after you receive your Pressbooks access. We are working hard to regularly input registrants into the course, and you should gain access within 48-72 hours of submitting your registration. Please look for an email from Pressbooks inviting you to begin (it may end up in your Spam/Junk folder!). Through this, you will be prompted to create an account and password using your email.

What is the refund policy?

Answer: You may receive a full refund if requested to certification@takemeoutside.ca within one week of registering.

Is there someone I can reach out to if I need help/tech support?

Answer: Yes, tech support will be available. Please email certification@takemeoutside.ca.

Testimonials

“This course has been one of the best pieces of professional development I have undertaken in my 15 years as an educator…It’s rich with wisdom and resources, and I genuinely wanted to take my time to absorb as much as I could while completing each module. Thank you for the amount of time, care and thoughtfulness you have put into crafting this work.”

Jackie Birch, Ontario

A HUGE thank you for this incredible and inspiring learning experience. I have been busy incorporating new adventures, opportunities, learning, and discoveries for my students outside since day one of this course. Thank you for offering so many wonderful resources, inspiration, and “lightbulb” moments!

Christine Halloway

This was a wonderful experience! I am so happy I spent time learning and can’t wait to get outside with my students. I think this process was the most beneficial professional development I have ever experienced! It was practical and inspiring! I highly recommend others educators do this course too!

Tara Frew

The content, the structure of chapters, and the resources provided were all brilliant! It was clear there was a ton of effort put into building this and plenty of consideration for what and how it was being shared.

School System Administrator

Enroll

OUTDOOR LEARNING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Learn how to integrate the outdoors into your teaching practice using effective
strategies and resources in this interactive online course for K-12 educators.
Start the asynchronous course anytime!
REGISTRATION FOR ENROLLMENT

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