Through a critical examination of the colonial underpinnings and assumptions of the camping movement in general and Camp Chief Hector specifically, Dr. Brown and Dr. Bensler will reflect on the ways camp shaped their white settler identity and relationship to Indigenous peoples and Land. They will share their stories of how the colonial curriculum at […]
The presenters will gather in a circle on the land. Our Elder will share circle teachings and smudging protocols. Participants will be invited to participate in a smudge. The presenters will provide a brief history of the project and provide examples of land-based practices shared with many visitors to the site such as Indigenous ways-of-knowing […]
In our technology-driven world, we need to ensure that youth, our future leaders, are connected to nature. In this workshop, hosted by Outward Bound Canada in collaboration with the Nature Education Collective (NEC), participants will experience the immediate benefits of learning in nature through simple outdoor activities. They will learn about the many benefits of […]
Join us for a presentation about how school staff and community members explored what land-based learning could look like from kindergarten to grade 12; situated in a remote, Yukon community. We explored place-based literacy and numeracy, while connecting relationships to local First Nation’s culture, language and its connections to the land to build real world […]
This workshop will support teacher leaders who are interested in facilitating professional learning around outdoor play and learning using the Teacher.Outsideplay.org tool. The framework for this tool was developed by experienced teachers across the province of British Columbia and exemplars of what outdoor play and learning looks like in elementary schools were submitted by teachers […]
This hands-on workshop will explore outdoor play-based learning, including the role of the educator, fostering children’s self-agency in play, the outdoor play-based learning continuum and the conceptualization of a play-based experiential learning model. Participants will be guided through hands-on experiences, small break out groups, and larger discussion to explore the content and potential of play […]
Dynamics of power and privilege created by colonialism and white supremacy culture have seen the Forest and Nature School (FNS) movement thrive to serve mostly white, settler families across Turtle Island. Together, we will unpack questions of for whom and by whom when creating forest and nature school programs, while deepening awareness around how to […]
Outdoor play and learning in the early years are essential for physical, mental and environmental health and development. However, efforts and best practices surrounding outdoor early childhood education (ECE) learning and play are rarely shared across sectors to effect sustained change. In 2023 we launched the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play, a centre of excellence […]
The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, will engage delegates in a hybrid workshop to, first, gain a deeper understanding of the Red River Métis and their unique history in Canada. Then, showcase hands-on, cultural activities as part of the MMF’s Métis Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow (MELT), Métis Community-Based […]
Join us, Dorothy Thunder and Tiffany Smith, on the land as we share with you how we braid Indigenous and Forest School epistemologies into relationship building with ourselves, each other and the land at our land-based education program, Blossoming Flower. Workshop participants will gain hands-on experience as they participate in activities the same way our […]