Resources for Activating Environmental Education
Suggested professional development opportunities and resources for teachers beginning to take students outside for learning.
BC Resources
The Science First Peoples 5-9 Teacher Resource Guide provides educators with resources to support increased integration of the rich body of First Peoples (unappropriated) knowledge and perspectives into classrooms and schools in BC.
Free downloadable resource.
The teacher resource guide In Our Own Words, K-Gr. 3 Authentic Resources (2012) has been developed to offer teachers information and guidance about how to incorporate authentic First Peoples materials into their instruction and assessment practices. Inside, you will find lesson plans, curriculum connections, assessment resources and suggested texts.
Wild Voices for Kids is a curriculum-linked, place-based environment education program engaging local experts in the education of K-12 students on the land, history, and culture of the Columbia Basin Region.
CBEEN provides both professional development opportunities and EE programs that support teachers throughout the Basin. Programs would generate opportunities for teachers to team up with a professional outdoor educator to observe and build confidence providing students outdoor learning experiences. Programs are available for all grade levels.
WildBC is one of the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation’s longest standing and successful environmental education program areas and provides workshops, school programs and support by our province-wide network of facilitators to inspire educators in environmental learning and connecting to nature.
Wildsight Education Programs have connected over 80,000 kids with the natural world. Classroom With Outdoors and Winter Wonder make ecology like dip-netting, water quality testing and examining ice crystals in the snow. Nature Through the Seasons and Ecostewards take students on a deeper dive, providing multiple opportunities for inquiry, action and place-based learning throughout the school year.
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Beyond Recycling: our 24-week sustainability education program tackles topics such as energy, waste and consumption, and empowers students to come up with creative solutions to environmental challenges.
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Know Your Watershed: a program we deliver on behalf of the Columbia Basin Trust, teachers Grade 9 students where their water comes from, how it's used and what happens to it after it goes down the drain. The program culminates in a project initiated by the students to improve the health of their local watershed.
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Go Wild and Columbia River Field School provide immersive multi-day adventures for high school students, challenging them to go beyond their limits and explore the deep and complex stories told by our region's mountains and rivers.
Canadian Resources
YouthSafe Outdoors is a comprehensive, research-based risk management program for schools. It includes safety guidelines and fully integrated support resources for people involved in helping ensure school-based off-site programs and activities are safe.
The Field Leader program offers outdoor leadership certification courses for entry level leaders. These courses, based on industry standards, provide a comprehensive introduction focused on the roles and responsibilities of the outdoor leader.
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New leaders begin by taking the Field Leader course in one or more of three activity areas: ‘Hiking’, ‘Paddling’ or ‘Equine’. These courses can be supplemented by additional modules that provide training for winter environments, overnight trips and navigation skills.
We support individuals and organizations across sectors to incorporate nature-based play and learning into their work. Whether you are an educator interested in starting your own Forest and Nature School or the leader of an organization looking to equip your staff with tools to support risky play, we have a professional learning opportunity for you.
Natural Curiosity introduces a four-branch framework for environmental inquiry based on a transformative vision of education, dynamically combining Inquiry-based Learning, Experiential Learning, Integrated Learning, and Stewardship.
Other
This website has lots of practical ideas about learning and playing outdoors that have written and/or curated by Juliet Robertson, the author of Messy Math and Dirty Learning.
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to inspire and celebrate outdoor learning and play. By getting involved in the annual celebrations, you help send a message to the world that time outdoors every day is important for every child. Outdoor activities can be found on this website.