COEO NEWS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – SEPTEMBER 26th at 10:00am
Our Annual General Meeting will be virtual again this year, taking place on Sunday, September 26th at 10:00am. I urge all members of COEO to attend, not only to get updates about the past year but also to be part of electing our next Board of Directors and shaping the future of our organization.
We are also currently recruiting volunteers to join COEO’s Board of Directors for the coming year. If you are interested in joining the Board or want more information about what this may entail please reach out to current President (Natalie Kemp) or Vice President (Karen O’Krafka).
If you are interested in attending please register through this form so we can ensure the meeting link is sent to you.
If you have not yet renewed your COEO membership for the 2021/2022 year you can do so here.
FALL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION WILL BE CLOSING SHORTLY – REGISTER TODAY!
The 2021 COEO conference organizing committee has been hard at work and plans are well underway for this year’s annual conference. This year’s conference, Embracing Wellbeing & Mindfulness in the Outdoors, will be held at Camp Couchiching, located near Orillia, Ontario.
This year’s conference is going to be a little bit different… Due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and Ontario’s public health recommendations, the COEO Conference Committee has decided to move to a single day conference, which will be held completely outdoors! Our conference theme this year will be Embracing Wellbeing & Mindfulness in the Outdoors. As everyone is well aware, it has been an incredibly challenging year, but while working through this adversity, we have all witnessed a great deal of resilience and innovation. We have seen the personal health and wellbeing of learners prioritized, an increased appreciation of schoolyards and nearby outdoor places as valuable learning environments, and an exciting uptake of instructional strategies that moved learners away from screens and outside to learn. And so now is our opportunity to come together as a community and share all that we have learned during these challenging times, as well as what we have planned for the upcoming school year. This year’s conference theme will specifically focus on the ways in which outdoor experiential education can contribute to the health and wellbeing of learners. We will share best practices for supporting student wellbeing by focusing on experiences that bring students outdoors and have them learning in the backyard and schoolyard, in the local community and on the land and water. Prepare yourselves for a jam-packed and exciting one-day professional development event!
Plan to join us as we learn, share and laugh with kindred spirits from across the province and beyond. Lunch is included in the registration cost, and as always there will be time for (distanced) social interaction and informal learning among peers. You will leave this professional development experience feeling rejuvenated and with many new ideas and resources in hand.
We hope you will be able to join us at Camp Couchiching!
Check out the amazing line-up of workshops & outstanding keynote presenters!
***DON’T DELAY, REGISTER TODAY!***
COEO Outdoor Learning Tips Document – Now available in French!
CLICK HERE to check out the French translation of our popular Outdoor Learning Tips document – Conseils pour faciliter l’apprentissage en plein air. Many thanks to Jennifer Bernier from Ecole La Fontaine, in Kleinburg, ON, for translating the English version and to Danielle Barrett (current COEO Board member) for editing. Feel free to download and share this version of the document with any French speaking colleagues!
OTHER OEE & RELATED NEWS
Book of the Month
Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of the Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry With Web Resource provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to the aerial adventure industry. The first of its kind, this text combines the key components of high and low ropes challenge courses, zip lines, canopy tours, and aerial adventure parks into one essential guide for students and existing professionals.
Written by leading experts with both practical experience and theoretical knowledge in the field and endorsed by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), the Professional Ropes Course Association (PRCA), and the European Ropes Course Association (ERCA), this complete resource contains the foundational information needed to understand the industry of aerial adventure environments. It provides practitioners with the tools they need to lead successful adventure experiences whether they are working directly with participants, designing and building structures, training staff, or conducting operational and marketing activities.
For more information, click here.
Use code B540 to receive 40% off regular price. Offer expires 9/30/2021
National Certificate E-Course for Student Teachers in Environmental & Sustainability Education
We are excited to share the launch of a national online course in Environmental & Sustainability Education (ESE) for preservice teachers and ECE students this September. This responds to the call for urgent action from the International Panel on Climate Change this summer which declared a “code red for humanity”, and aligns with the upcoming launch of the ACDE’s Accord on Education for a Sustainable Future. We aim to bring those studying to be K-12 educators together to learn about ESE collaboratively, ensuring that they have access to ESE at the start of their teaching careers. The course is open to students registered in Faculties of Education and Early Childhood Programs in Canadian post-secondary institutions. Details about the E-Course and how to sign up are found here.
Introducing the Kaymayquinn Youth Paddling Fund – Paddle Canada
Applications are now open for youth, up to the age of 18, to apply for a small grant to help pay for their fees to participate in a Paddle Canada course. Alternatively, a group representing youth could apply for a small grant to help hire a Paddle Canada instructor to deliver a course to their group.
Requirements for application:
- Open to those up to the age 18, as of December 31, 2021
- Applicants will be asked to submit a short essay (up to 500 words) on why they paddle.
- Applicants will be asked to provide the name of the Paddle Canada course they wish to take, and name the instructor (please note, the course must be offered before the end of 2021)
- Applicant must list the amount of the course tuition.
To find out more, CLICK THE LINK HERE
Family Experiences Study
Are you a parent/guardian (18+) with any children under the age of 16?
Tell us about your family’s indoor and outdoor activities during the pandemic!
We are researchers at Trent University, and we need your help to better understand the recreation and play time experiences of parents and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Complete our short (25 minute) anonymous online survey and be entered in a $200 cash prize draw!
To access the survey CLICK HERE
Employer Survey – from CANOPA
Please fill out our survey to help us gain understanding on how we can all work together to make change in the outdoor industry. Employer Survey (surveymonkey.com)
Memoire website for the Bronte Creek Project (BCP)
We are very excited to share with you the Bronte Creek Project Memoire Website. BCP Founder, John McKillop, has been hard at work reflecting and writing on everything from BCP’s guiding principles, to the curriculum, to the different decades of BCP and Trailhead. This digital memoire is a time capsule of sorts, designed to be a template for when someone may wish to resurrect the amazing program, or do something similar. We also hope that those who were involved in the program will find in this memoire a refresher of the experiences and values that were a part of their learning while at BCP/Trailhead.
We hope you can pass this along to any other Creekers you know, and even to organizations that you think may benefit from this documentation. Share your testimonials, stories and photos of BCP/TH in the ‘Mailing List’ section at the bottom of the website. Check it out: https://www.
Survey Request for Outdoor Activity Leaders
Bringing a group outside is a beautiful role filled with important responsibilities. Properly preparing group leaders requires good and accessible training options. To do this, a working group preparing for the Canadian Outdoor Summit in 2022 is developing a proposal for a framework on competencies and training for Led Outdoor Activities. To create something that will work for the sector and honor the quality training already in existence, they have prepared a survey to better understand the scope and distribution of training providers in Canada.
If you have worked and/or volunteered for an organization bringing people outside, your participation in this survey is important and meaningful.
CLICK HERE to complete the survey!
TDSB Launches New Outdoor Learning Website
We are excited to launch a new outdoor learning website for staff and families in the TDSB. This portal brings together information, ideas and resources to help support and encourage learning in the outdoors. While many educators regularly integrated the outdoors into their daily learning, the pandemic has encouraged all staff to look beyond the walls of their classroom and find innovative and creative ways to learn outside.
This portal provides valuable and current information for educators, including research, resources and best practices, to help them get started or explore new ideas. Staff are also encouraged to share their outdoor learning in action with #TDSBoutdoors on social media to inspire other educators interested in trying new learning opportunities outside.
The Family Resources area of the site provides tips for preparing for the weather, resources for why and how to get started as well as a comprehensive list of activities for families to enjoy together in the city. The website will continue to be updated with new information and resources and will continue to serve as a hub of ideas and innovation that educators use not only in the coming months, but for years ahead. Check out the website HERE.
OEE P.D. OPPORTUNITIES
Summer of Pollinators, Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
Tuesday, September 21 from 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Join us for the FINAL installment of a ‘Summer of Pollinators’ FREE virtual event series where you will learn all about butterflies in Ontario!
To register visit Summer of Pollinators
Outdoor Learning Webinars, hosted by LSF:
- 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
Check out the recorded webinar sessions for each grade group:
- Kindergarten/Early Years: Webinar recording | Webinar slides
- Grades K-6: Webinar recording | Webinar slides
- Grades 4-10: Webinar recording | Webinar slides
Webinars from Natural Curiosity:
Recordings for all past Natural Curiosity webinars series are available through a “pay-what-you-can” model on the University of Toronto Press website! CLICK HERE to access these webinars.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
Youth Summit for Mother Earth
September 25-26, 2021
The 2021 Youth Summit for Mother Earth will be held as a series of online and offline events, with key events happening on September 25 and 26, 2021. It will feature workshops, speakers, and plenty of group activities and “challenges” to get participants outdoors like nature scavenger hunts and connecting with the land through art. Youth will receive a package in the mail containing resources and tools to develop their cross-cultural literacy with Indigenous knowledge systems and take meaningful environmental action in their community.
Registration is currently open on our website at a subsidized rate for youth to participate at $25.
Canadian Outdoor Summit
FALL 2021 – Virtual conversations covering 7 objectives will be taking place this fall. Conversations focusing on four of the seven objectives will occur one Monday per month. Conversations focusing on the remaining 3 topics will occur one Wednesday a month. Your role is to participate in the conversations, springboarding from what the workgroups created for you to develop tangible action plans to be adopted at the Summit in September 2022. Want to join a conversation? Find out more HERE.
Topics
Create a national framework of competency training for outdoor leaders
Synthesize accepted practices, structures, and systems related to running an outdoor program in Canada.
Promote greater access to the outdoors for individuals with differing mobility.
Design an Anti-racism plan for the national outdoor community
Develop a consensus statement about the value of Led Outdoor Activity in Canada.
Support the development of learning outside in k-12 institutions.
Increase capacity for inclusion for 2SLGBTQ2 in outdoor programs
This inaugural event is about bringing people together to celebrate contributions and tackle some key structural challenges affecting all outdoor programs from coast to coast to coast. This national gathering is aimed at celebrating our contribution to Canadian society and solving key challenges faced by outdoor programs. This project is a collective effort of the outdoor sector, therefore your perspective and contribution offers tremendous value. More information can be found on the event website: http://canadianoutdoorsummit.com/ and social media channels. Please follow and share: Instagram, Facebook, Canadian Outdoor Summit Promotional Video
Association for Experiential Education (AEE)
November 11 – 14th, 2021, Virtual
AEE’s 49th Annual International Conference will convene attendees to promote, define, develop, and apply theories and practices of Experiential Education. Our Conference is intentionally designed to create a collaborative environment where you can grow your career, discover valuable new strategies to integrate into your work, and develop lasting personal and professional relationships.
Join hundreds of Experiential Educators from around the world for four days of engaging workshops, meaningful networking, and informative presentations…all from the safety and comfort of your own home!
Find out all the details and how to register HERE
Coalition for Education in the Outdoors Biennial Research Symposium
February 11 – 13th, 2022 Black Mountain, NC, USA (Virtual Option too!)
From February 11-13, 2022 an international research symposium will be held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC, USA (https://blueridgeassembly.org/) The purpose of this gathering is to advance the empirical, conceptual, and theoretical bases of outdoor education. Like the first fourteen CEO Research Symposia, this symposium will bring together a wide array of researchers to explore current and future trends in using the outdoors for educational and therapeutic purposes. In addition to spotlighting current research, the program includes featured presentations on timely issues and ample time for both structured and informal dialogue.
Call for abstracts- due October 1, 2021 CLICK HERE
Registration is open for the Fifteenth Biennial Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) Research Symposium to be held February 11-13, 2022, at the YMCA’s Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC, USA just following the Wilderness Education Association’s International Conference on Outdoor Leadership to be held at the same location February 9-11, 2022 (register for the WEA conference at: www.weainfo.org) This year, for the first time, CEO will offer an exciting option. The presentations will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person. Attendees will register for the livestream option ($55). All research presentations must occur onsite. There is also an option to arrive Thursday night, February 10, 2021 to support those traveling from greater distances and those wishing to enjoy the Asheville and Black Mountain, NC area and the YMCA grounds prior to the symposium.
To register, go to 15th Biennial Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) Research Symposium | 2ndnaturetrec.
For more information:
Registration: 15th Biennial Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) Research Symposium | 2ndnaturetrec
CEO Website: http://outdooredcoalition.org/ (including Call for Abstracts)
Blue Ridge Assembly: https://blueridgeassembly.org/
JOB POSTINGS
Outdoor Centre Program Coordinator, YMCA Wanakita
YMCA Wanakita is hiring for our full-time Outdoor Centre Program Coordinator position! We are situated in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands and are looking for a dynamic individual to join our team.
To View the Posting CLICK HERE
Outdoor School Instructors, The P.I.N.E Project
The Pine Project is hiring lead instructors for our outdoor school. The contract runs from September 2021 to June 2022. You may be a good fit for the position if you enjoy being in a mentorship role with children, knowing you can learn an equal amount from them as they can from you. You thrive working in an outdoor environment, no matter the weather. You feel inspired by cool nature mysteries and are keen to deepen your personal connection with nature. You embody Pine’s core values – respect, gratitude, awareness, life-long learning, and resilience – and demonstrate a strong personal commitment to equity and social justice.
Please complete an application through our online portal at https://pineprojectstaff.campbrainstaff.com/.
Apply by August 8th, 2021 to be considered for the first round of applications. Applications submitted after August 8th will be considered in the second round of hiring.
View full job description here.
Multiple Positions, Adventureworks! Associates, Inc.
Hiring now! Challenge Course Installers and Program Facilitators. To see complete job postings, CLICK HERE
Including 2021 Fall Facilitator Positions: 2021 Fall Facilitator
Lead Forest School Educator, Nature’s Calling
We are looking for an enthusiastic, nurturing educator that loves the outdoors just as much as we do. Our program follows the Forest School philosophy and is play-based, emergent, inquiry-based, child-led and primarily outdoors. We believe passionately in the benefits to everyone, young and old, of being immersed in nature.
To view the job posting CLICK HERE
Outdoor Educator/Forest School Facilitator, Dogwood Forest
Dogwood Forest specializes in weekly outdoor forest school programs for children ages 5 to 14 years of age, with opportunities to facilitate additional community partnerships, homeschool-groups, schools, parent & tot programs, or adult programs. We are looking for innovative & forward-thinking outdoor educators/forest school facilitators to join our growing team, with options for full-time or part-time contract work throughout our fall, winter and spring terms. We operate entirely outdoors in rain, shine, or snow from 8am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, with some Friday work and a potential of 25-33 weeks of the school year (excluding holidays).
The outdoor educator/forest school facilitator will be responsible for the care and facilitation of learning and child development in-line with organizational values, curriculum, and forest school philosophy. The outdoor educator/forest school facilitator will be required to prepare daily lessons and activities and ensure all necessary supplies are available when needed.
To view the job posting CLICK HERE
Full-Time JK-SK Teacher / Outdoor Educator, The Wild School of the Blue Mountains
We are seeking a multi-talented, dynamic and creative teacher / outdoor educator to
become a key member of our team and help us build our program beginning this Fall.
To view the posting CLICK HERE
Multiple Positions, Outward Bound Canada
OLE Instructor and OLE Support, Pine River Institute
Pine River Institute is an innovative co-ed residential treatment program for teens struggling with addictive behaviours. We are a family-centered program comprised of 4 phases: Wilderness (Outdoor Leadership Experience), Residential, Transition, and Aftercare. Every student, upon entering the program, spends 8 or more weeks in Huntsville before moving to the residence. Day-to-day activities in wilderness include canoeing, hiking, snowshoeing, group initiatives, group and individual therapy, and journaling. Youths live and work in nature in groups of up to eight, with three staff.
Our campus is situated on 200 acres of spectacular Niagara Escarpment land near Shelburne, Ontario. The program here includes outdoor education, individual, group, and family therapy, expressive arts, athletics, and life skills, as well as the more traditional academic offerings.
To view current postings, click HERE
ONTARIO CAMPS ASSOCIATION – JOB BOARD
The OCA Job Board is always an excellent place to find job postings in the field of outdoor education. Check out their website, as many full-time positions at outdoor centres and camps are now being advertised.
Find us, friend us, like us, tag us or follow us online:
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/coeo.org
Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/coeo.org
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/COEOoutdoors
Twitter https://twitter.com/COEOoutdoors @COEOoutdoors
ABOUT THIS ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
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.