Every year our fall conference culminates with our Annual General Meeting where we vote in the upcoming Board of Directors. This year, our board is filled with diverse backgrounds and expertise to help steer our organization and serve our membership community.
Help us create this year’s COEO 2026 Fall Conference! If you’re interested, please fill out the form here.
Monthly Zoom meetings — Thursdays, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Meeting dates: Feb 19, Mar 12, Apr 16, May 14, Jun 11, Jul 9, Aug 13, Sep 17
Conference: Sept 25–27 at Camp Muskoka
Proposed Theme: The Importance of Play in Learning for All Ages
Roles available with small or larger time commitments
No experience required; all experience welcome
Join us and help bring this year’s conference to life! If you have any questions, please reach out to conference@coeo.org.
OTHER OEE & RELATED NEWS
Charles “Chuck” Hopkins honoured with the Order of Canada
Hopkins is an internationally recognized leader in placing sustainability as a core principle of education. In 1999, Hopkins assumed the inaugural role of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair at York, leading efforts to integrate sustainable practices into both the curricula and operations of York University.
He has brought those same efforts worldwide through collaborations with UNESCO, the United Nations University, higher education institutions and ministries of education.
New OUTSIDEPLAY Tool for Elementary School Teachers!
OUTSIDEPLAY is excited to announce the launch of a new free educational tool made by teachers for teachers who want to take their classrooms outdoors! Find it at: https://teacher.outsideplay.org
This tool is the newest addition to our OUTSIDEPLAY.org suite, joining existing parent and early childhood educator tools. It is the result of years of practical hands-on experience and the PhD thesis work of Megan Zeni, a teacher who teaches exclusively outdoors. She worked with teachers across BC and Canada to develop the material. The development of the Teacher.OutsidePlay.org tool was funded by the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The 16 modules cover topics that teachers most want to know about, ranging from the basics of outdoor play and learning in schools to practical tips on getting started. We’ll continue to build out the tool with additional resources. We’re planning a speaker weries to dive deeper into the concepts introduced in each module.
For any questions or more information, reach out to our team at outsideplay@bcchr.ca. Also, please follow us on Instagram @playoutsideubc for regular updates and give our posts a thumbs up!
OEE P.D. OPPORTUNITIES
Outdoor Learning Partners – we know everyone is craving spring right about now, and so we have just launched registration for our Spring Online Courses which kick off in March! 🌱☀️🌈
The early bird deadline is February 28, and the first 20 registrants in each course will receive $25 for the Outdoor Learning Store!
Knowing Nature in Winter, Chris Outdoors
Nature in Winter is a free, family- and school-friendly mini-series designed to help people not only identify birds, trees, and animals, but also begin learning how to read and interpret the stories being told by the natural world all around us.
Over the course of a week, participants receive three short videos and simple worksheets that introduce:
Bird Language
Birds don’t just make pretty sounds. They have an elaborate language and communicate information about changing weather, predators on the landscape, and movement in their environment.
Wildlife Tracking As animals move across the landscape, their tracks leave behind a detailed account of where they’ve been and what they were doing. Through the art and science of tracking, participants learn how to read these signs and gain insight into the often hidden lives of wildlife.
Trees How to identify common trees in winter and how trees act as seasonal markers, revealing patterns about weather, habitat, and place.
The series is practical and accessible, while also inviting a deeper way of paying attention to nature. Rather than memorizing names alone, participants begin developing observation skills that help them notice relationships, patterns, and change over time.
Wilderness First Responder Course and Recertification, Brock University
Wilderness First Responder Course and Recertification at Brock University
The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University is hosting a hybrid Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course (February 16-20, 2026) and hybrid WFR recertification course (February 21-22, 2026). WFR is the definitive course in medical training for outdoor educators, guides, and others who work or play in remote areas. The curriculum is comprehensive and practical, including essential principles and skills required to assess and manage medical problems in isolated and extreme environments.
A series of webinars designed specifically for and by secondary teachers Tips for getting outside even in cold winter months! Connecting primary and middle school math curriculum to the outdoors
For an up to date list of upcoming webinars, continue to check LSF’s R4R outdoor learning page Check out the recorded webinar sessions for each grade group:
Missinaibi River Canoe Trip – Earn 3 High School Credits, Headwaters Wilderness Program
Headwaters is running an open enrollment 3-credit high school canoe trip course this summer and we are looking for educators who are interested in sharing this opportunity with students in their school, school board, or First Nation community. Any student across Canada entering grade 11 or 12 in September 2026 is eligible to join. The trip merges academic and land-based learning in a novel way, and is part of a research project by a University of Toronto professor in regard to the educational methods and outcomes. All three of the credits included in the trip are grade 11 or 12 university/college prep level courses, making them applicable toward post-secondary applications.
Elite Camps is now hiring for the spring, summer, and fall seasons at our Outdoor Education Centre. We are currently seeking candidates for the following roles:
– Waterfront Director: $819.40 per week
– Athletic Therapist: $869.40 per week
– Lifeguards: Summer wages vary based on age, qualifications, and experience.
All positions include room and board.
What sets Elite Camps apart is our commitment to leadership development. Every staff member is assigned a mentor to support personal growth throughout the summer. Using our “Game Plan” tool, you will identify areas for improvement and create a roadmap for success. Whatever your goals may be, we are here to help you achieve them.
Canoe Trip Leaders are responsible for planning, packing, and leading backcountry wilderness canoe trips in Algonquin Park with Project Canoe’s youth. Each canoe trip is composed of 2-3 Canoe Trip Leaders and 4-6 youth participants. Canoe Trip Leaders co-lead canoe trips and are responsible for pre- and post-trip prep/cleanup, engaging and supporting youth while on the trip, and making appropriate safety and leadership decisions. At all points of the trip, the Canoe Trip Leaders must maintain a youth focused approach and keep the emotional and physical safety of the youth as their primary concern.
Program Facilitator (Part-Time), Trails Youth Initiative
Reporting to the Program Director, Facilitators work with youth aged 11-17 in an overnight setting. Facilitators provide 24-hour supervision to participants in addition to teaching principles of healthy living and seasonal outdoor activities such as canoeing, swimming, camping skills, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. During the summer, Facilitators are also responsible for leading camping trips at Trails Lakeside site in Stouffville (Years 1 and 2) and/or off-site canoe trips (Years 3, 4, 5) in Ontario’s backcountry (e.g. Algonquin Park, Temagami). https://trails.ca/about/work-at-trails/
For consistency, the COEO electronic newsletter is now published on the first of each month. Anyone having an item of interest to outdoor & experiential educators and desiring publication in this newsletter needs to submit it to newsletter@coeo.org at least two days before the publication date.
The newsletter is generally organized according to the following headings: COEO News, Other OEE & Related News, P.D. Opportunities, Opportunities for Students, Resources, Job Postings. If your organization wishes to post information (e.g., notice of upcoming events, etc), it needs to be an organizational member of COEO.
If you would like to be removed from COEO’s eNewsletter mailing list, please send an email to newsletter@coeo.org and ask to be unsubscribed.
