Forest School: Inspiring Education in Canada

Killaloe, ON, November, 2013

Objective

•  Define Forest School •  Demonstrate the growth and momentum

behind Forest School in Canada •  Demonstrate the health, environmental,

developmental, social and educational benefits of Forest School

•  Inspire and engage community, in action, towards forest and nature-based education

What are the Issues?

•  Canadian children and youth are spending less time outdoors

•  Fewer Canadians are accessing parks, and due to urban sprawl, we’re losing access to nature

•  Canadian identity is shifting away from our wilderness heritage

•  Childhood obesity and mental illness on the rise •  Over-usage of technology and excessive amount of time

in structured, indoor activities •  Environmental sustainability is not being integrated into

core curriculum standards

Our Mission: Finding Solutions To foster rich learning experiences, ecological literacy, and healthy living by connecting children to nature in Forest School.

Vision

All Canadian children shall have the opportunity to play and learn in local forests, parks, creeks, meadows, prairie grasses, mountains and shorelines with a wise and skilled educator who understands the power of child-directed learning and how this can contribute to a more sustainable world.

History of Forest School

•  Started in the early 50’s in Denmark, largely influenced by Froebel’s work on Kinder-’gardens’

•  Builds on ‘Environmental Education’ movement in Canada

•  Germany: over 700 ‘Waldkindergartens’ •  Denmark: over 250 Forest Schools •  Sweden: over 190 “Rain or Shine” Schools •  UK: over 10,000 Forest Schools •  Approximately 30 ‘Forest and Nature School’ programs

in Canada, 32 more in process of starting

What is Forest School?

•  An educational approach •  Used widely in many other countries •  Fosters a strong connection to the natural world •  ‘Repeated and regular’ access to local woodlands,

outdoor classrooms and parks •  Full time or part time basis •  Emergent, experiential, and inquiry-based education •  Building a large, grassroots movement in Canada •  Educational approach that is necessary for the 21st

Century for the health of our planet and it’s children

Why Does This Matter?

•  Positive emotional, physical and psychological health outcomes

•  Promotes environmentally sustainable behaviors and ecological literacy

•  Promotes safe risk-taking •  Builds sustainable and vibrant communities •  Fosters empowerment and self esteem •  Supports creativity and resilience •  Links being made to academic achievement/self-regulation •  Increases communication and problem solving skills •  Promotes male inclusion in education •  For more information on this research, visit: [http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-5Z3JVZ]

Forest School Happens:

•  In early childhood education •  In public education •  With special needs populations •  With youth ‘at risk’ •  With homeschooling families •  On a part time OR full time basis •  In all seasons, temperatures, and climates with

appropriate preparation and outdoor gear

What’s the Classroom?

•  Local forests, creeks, meadows, prairie grass, mountains and shorelines

•  Woodlands adjacent to or on school grounds •  ‘Outdoor Classrooms’ built using natural materials,

loose parts, native plants, shrubs and trees, raised garden beds, pathways, and places for solitary hideaways

•  Municipal, provincial and national parks •  Conservation sites

What is ‘Forest School Canada’?

•  Not for profit organization, works in close partnership with the Child and Nature Alliance, registered Canadian charity

•  Strives to connect all children to nature through Forest School within their own educational settings

•  Works within a ‘collaborative leadership model’ •  Governed by board of directors, and advisory board

Goal One: To increase the amount of children learning in nature, in both urban and rural environments in Canada

Objectives: •  Deliver 3 pilot FS

Practitioners’ Courses in the Spring/Summer 2014

•  Establish a ‘Trainers’ Network’ to enhance practitioners’ course through a participatory, curriculum design process 2014-2015

•  Develop course binders and resources for practitioners’ course 2014-2015

•  Begin delivering new FS Practitioners’ Course in each province in Canada by 2015/2016 school year

•  Expand delivery, 2-3 courses per year in every province in 2017/2018

Goal Two: Establish a national ‘Community of Practice’ in Forest School  

Objectives: •  Launch an annual Forest School

Conference in partnership with the Child and Nature Alliance, the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication and North American Association for Environmental Education [Fall 2014]

•  Launch national communications strategy to engage educators, researchers and policy-maker’s [2013-2018]

•  Establish online membership for Forest School Practitioners’ [2014]

•  Launch Forest School ‘Taster’ Sessions across Canada to promote FS model [2013]

•  Develop ‘Forest School Guide’, currently being funded by TD Friends of the Environment Fund [2013-2014]

•  Launch stakeholder engagement process for ‘Forest and Nature School Standards Council’

Goal Three: Support and lead research and policy initiatives that will further advance nature-based education

Objectives: •  Expand on partnership with

HALO research team, University of Ottawa/Faculty of Education, and Carleton University/Happiness Lab for collaborative, inter-disciplinary research project to coincide launch of new ‘Centre of Excellence and Lab School’ [2013-2017]

•  Publish policy recommendations based on findings from research project [2017/2018]

•  Publish research papers in leading health, education and psychology journals in Canada and internationally [2017/2018]

Goal Four: Create Forest School ‘Centre of Excellence’ and Lab School in Ottawa, Ontario

Objectives: •  Secure capital funds for new

building at the Municipal Campgrounds [ 2014/2015]

•  Facilitate community consultation and engagement strategy [Winter, 2014]

•  Deliver part time FS programs on site [Spring, 2014]

•  Establish Lab School with Ottawa Carleton District School Board, regional faculties of education and early childhood education [2013/2014]

•  Recruit leading educators to run Forest School programs in new ‘Centre of Excellence and Lab School’ [2014]

•  Launch programs at new site [Fall, 2015]

Pilot  Forest  School  Prac//oners’  Course  O#awa,  Ontario,  July  2013  

What are the possibilities for FS?

•  Sooke District Nature Kindergarten •  Nature School Sunshine Coast •  Maplewood Forest School •  Tir Na Nog Forest School •  Forest School Canada Centre of Excellence •  Guelph Outdoor School •  Maple Ridge Outdoor School •  Tawingo Outdoor School

Partner Organizations

United Kingdom ‘Forest School Association’ Child and Nature Alliance of Canada HALO Research Team KidActive UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development Evergreen, School Yard Greening University of Ottawa, Faculty of Education TD Friends of the Environment Fund David Suzuki Foundation Ontario Back to Nature Network EYES Project Take Me Outside

Marlene Power, Executive Director www.forestschoolcanada.ca

www.facebook.com/forestschoolcan twitter:@ForestSchoolCan

613-907-1566

Thank You