85 results for group: 2024

Land-based Learning: An inquiry about relationships, the environment and our students

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 inquires related to how teaching and learning might look different beyond the walls of the classroom.

To love and protect: How land based learning leads to environmental stewardship

I run a nature-based preschool located on the homelands of the Lekwungen nation. This national award-winning program founded on the partnership between children and their environments focuses on explorative play, land-based learning, stewardship and interactive education. My hands-on workshop invites early years educators to develop knowledge and skills to engage our youngest learners in environmental exploration and stewardship. Through ethics of respect, children learn to see nature as an amazing classroom with boundless learning opportunities. We will practice simple yet effective and accessible techniques to foster young children’s nature-based ...

Climate Learning Takes Root in Climate Action

Eco-anxiety has become a prevalent force facing students learning about climate change and environmental issues. This session will explore the importance of connecting students to opportunities for taking climate action as a tool against feelings of eco-anxiety. Students participating in climate action are able to root their learning to real experiences and people who are working for a better future. We hope to expand and compliment your bank of resources for outdoor learning and inspire you to involve your students in climate action that will deepen their connection to their community and outdoor spaces.

Participatory research with children and educators to support the scaling of outdoor learning practice

In this workshop, we describe research that was designed to capture the experiences of educators and students who were learning outdoors during the pandemic to identify opportunities to implement successful practices more broadly. The study involved three stages: 1) interviews with educators and students, 2) collection of geographical data of school contexts and 3) an environmental scan focused on policy solutions. We will describe the overall study with a focus on the participatory approach and findings related to student and educator wellbeing. Interactive discussion will focus on findings from student experiences of outdoor learning and identific...

Building capacity for outdoor play and learning: Introducing Teacher.Outsideplay.org as a professional development framework

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 from across Canada. Participants will be introduced to 4 thematic components and 16 individual modules of the tool that will support facilitation of outdoor learning in elementary schools across Canada using a train the trainer model. The Teacher.Outsideplay.org tool for ...

Outdoor Play-Based Learning

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 as an emerging pedagogical current in the outdoor learning field.

Forest and Nature School for All

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 dismantle white supremacy culture and decolonize outdoor programming. Through storytelling, play, and considering the ways power and trust play a role in outdoor learning, this workshop aims to collaboratively build knowledge towards creating safer and braver outdoor spaces for BIPOC children and ...

One year in: Our journey launching the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play

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 in outdoor practice, research, and policy to mainstream outdoor play and learning. One year into this project, we aim to use this workshop to share our progress and seek input from all those in attendance, including on the launch of our national outdoor ECE framework.

Red River Métis Environment and Climate Change Education

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 Climate Monitoring (MCBCM), and Stewards of the Homeland (SOHP) Programs in an outdoor setting; MELT has a focus on environment and climate change education for Youth in grade school (K-12), MCBCM has a focus on environment and climate change education and monitoring for Citizens, and SOHP ...

Braiding Indigenous and Forest School Epistemologies on the Land

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 program participants would. The presenter team will reflect on building relationships between Indigenous Knowledge Holders and non-Indigenous educators. Workshop attendees will also have the opportunity to reflect on their practice and experience, and ask questions.