Outdoor & Ecological Learning - School District 47 qathet, BC
Mission: We believe education can (and must) change the world. Every lesson we teach and every action we take serves to make the world a more inhabitable place for all beings.
Sustainability
We are committed to the acting on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More specifically, our core activities focus on the following areas.
Who we are: We are district-level programs of the Powell River Board of Education (British Columbia, Canada). We are a collaborative of passionate educators from diverse academic backgrounds. We share the belief that education plays an integral role in developing a learner’s sense of self and belonging in the context of community and place. We believe that meaningful learning should inspire, motivate and galvanize learners to take care of themselves, each other, and the planet.
What we do: We are dedicated to providing students with exceptional place-based learning opportunities that help them to better understand themselves within a greater cultural and ecological context. In doing so, we hope that our students will become spirited citizens and ambassadors of their passions. We focus on providing students with the necessary skills to deeply engage with the world. We facilitate opportunities for inquiry and reflection on personal choices, and the relationships between society, economy, culture and the environment.
Where we work: Our work is centered on the Northern Sunshine Coast in, British Columbia, Canada. We are uniquely situated on the edge of the Salish Sea in the heart of the traditional territory of the Tla’amin people and we are truly honoured to work here. The ocean, lakes, forests and mountains of the region are our classroom.
"The Outdoor & Ecological Learning Programs in School District 47 help to fill a huge void in modern society: the void between what’s taught in the classroom and the day-to-day miracles happening outside. I can think of no better way to close this gap than to get kids into wild areas where Nature does the teaching, affecting students in ways that stick with them
for the rest of their lives."
- Karsten Heuer - Explorer, Film Maker, Author & Wildlife Biologist
