COEO NEWS
COEO ANNUAL FALL CONFERENCE 2018!
WOW!!! AMAZING! Wow, wow, WOW!!!
A big thank you to all who made this past weekend’s 46th Annual COEO Conference, “The UNCONVENTION II” such a great success!
Soooo many people to thank:
First of all, thank you to all who attended. COEO continues to be a supportive and vibrant community due in large part to the energy and enthusiasm of its members. This year’s Conference Committee was overwhelmed by the response to this event and is very grateful for the many notes of thanks and kind words that have flowed into info@coeo.org the past two days. One of COEO’s aims is to provide access to high quality professional learning opportunities that speak directly to the current needs of its members, and so the organization hopes that everyone found value in last weekend’s conference.
Thanks also go out to all our conference presenters who volunteered to share their knowledge, experience and expertise with other members. Without their preparation and effort, this conference would really not have been possible.
A big thanks to our keynote presenters Jacob Rodenburg and Henri Audet, the membership greatly appreciates the time and effort they expended in order to engage, inform and inspire us all.
Meegwetch to Peter Shuler for sharing his teachings and helping us explore how to best approach, explore, and respect indigenous perspectives, practice, and relationships.
A big thank you to DJ LISA for organizing an outstanding dance party on Saturday night. Big thanks also to Kyle Clarke and Emma Brandy for facilitating the live auction and April Nicolle for taking on the organization of the silent auction.
Also, a big, big thanks to Christine, Rachel, and the Pine Crest staff for doing a wonderful job as hosts.
And finally, thanks to the 2018 Conference Organizing Committee: Natalie Kemp, Christine Bowen, Karen O’Krafka, Liz Kirk, Kyle Clarke, and Barb Sheridan.
***SOME IMPORTANT NOTES:
Planning for this January’s Make Peace with Winter will start happening shortly (it’s taking place January 18-20 at the Bark Lake Leadership and Conference Centre). If you’d like to be part of this conference organizing committee, then please forward a note of interest to conference@coeo.org.
Also, next fall’s conference is only a year away! Would you like to be part of organizing this event? It will be taking place September 20-22, 2019 at Camp Couchiching. If you’d like to suggest a conference theme or something else, again please submit an email to conference@coeo.org with your suggestions or request to be involved.
RECEIPTS: If you require an OFFICIAL CONFERENCE RECEIPT, please email conference@coeo.org and request a receipt. Kyle will try his best to send these out to people right away.
CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION: If you require an OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION, please also email conference@coeo.org to request one.
Remember: Our conferences and regional events don’t happen without the volunteer efforts of our members like you!
2018 COEO Annual Fall Conference Committee
COEO AWARDS 2018!
Our annual awards provide an important opportunity to recognize individual and group efforts, as well as to celebrate the many and varied expressions of outdoor education within our organization and the province of Ontario.
Congratulations to this year’s COEO awards recipients!
Alexis Pownall, the recipient of the Amethyst Award, in memory of Brent Dysart
Karen O’Krafka, recipient of the President’s Award
Tobin Day, recipient of the Dorothy Walter Award for Leadership
Peter Rasberry, recipient of the Robin Dennis Award
Brian Lisson, recipient of the Honourary Life Membership Award
The NEW COEO Board of Directors!
Curious about who is on the 2018/2019 COEO Board of Directors? Check out the new team below.
President, Liz Kirk
Liz currently works for Brock University as the Experiential Education Coordinator, Outdoor Recreation. In this role, she coordinates a year-round outdoor education program that serves students of the Niagara Catholic District School Board. This will be Liz’s fifth year on the COEO Board of Directors. Liz has contributed to initiatives such as OWLS, aimed at connecting and supporting young professionals entering the outdoor industry. Just for fun, Liz has completed both the Brent Run and MRX. She is looking forward to working alongside an amazingly talented and dedicated group of volunteers on the COEO BOD during the upcoming year!
Past President, Deborah Diebel
Deborah is excited for the coming year as COEO’s Past President. Deborah has served in various roles on the COEO Board of Directors for many of the past 18 years, and has also helped to organize conferences. Deborah currently lives with her family in Wiarton, ON, atop the Niagara Escarpment. She manages the Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre, and enjoys skiing, snowshoeing, canoe tripping, gardening, and operating a seasonal café in Wiarton. Deb hopes to continue working on COEO projects, such as fundraising for the Bursary, nurturing COEO’s steps towards reconciliation with FNMI communities, and coordinating the awards ceremony for the fall 2019 conference!
Vice President, Natalie Kemp
Natalie was introduced to COEO while completing her Bachelors of Education through the Queen’s University OEE program and is excited to return for a third year on the COEO Board of Directors. She currently works as an outdoor educator for the District School Board of Niagara and runs the Jr. Naturalists’ Club at Royal Botanical Gardens. Natalie loves opportunities to build community and make connections, so she hopes to continue to contribute to the organization of conferences and is excited to be part of bringing outdoor educators together through COEO.
Bill Schoenhardt, Treasurer
Bill has one of the most unique teaching combinations in YRDSB: teaching an OEE program, co-coordinating King City SS’s grade 9 camp and being the Business Studies Department Head, teaching accounting, investments and general business courses. Bill graduated from the Queen’s OEE program a generation ago, then after a stint as a math and science teacher completed his MBA. Bill endeavors to have experiential components within all of his teaching, be it hiking the ORM or attending Loblaw Company Ltd shareholder meeting with his class and using chiji cards to debrief an accounting case study! Bill is pleased to be back on the board as treasurer after a short hiatus.
Hil Coburn, Secretary
Hil Coburn is excited to be working alongside this strong group of COEO leaders this year as the Secretary. When she was in OEE at Queen’s in 2011, she attended her first Fall Conference and officially fell in love with COEO. Over many summers spent canoe tripping and camp counselling at Camp Tanamakoon in Algonquin Park, Hil’s love of the outdoors grew strong. Working at Project Canoe, Outward Bound, ME to WE, and a couple seasons at the Outdoor Centre at Camp Wanakita continued to empower Hil to immerse her students in nature and community based programs. Two years of working with amazing students, staff and Elders at the Bronte Creek Project enforced Hil’s belief in the positive power of integrated outdoor education. She loved teaching and learning in Pelly Crossing, Yukon for two years; where her and her husband Arthur could be found cross country skiing, taking out trapping/canoeing field trips, and beading with community members. Hil is extremely committed to typing up solid notes for you this year, and moreover, committed to helping carry the torch that is now ignited in COEO; to support reconciliation with FNMI people and communities. She currently is teaching in Bluewater District School Board, loves settling into life on Georgian Bay and can’t wait for MPWW this January!!
Volunteer Coordinator, Andy Halse
Andy is a past presenter for the MPWW conference and new to the board at COEO. She holds a diploma from Algonquin College in Recreation and Leisure studies, as well as a diploma in Culinary Management from George Brown College. Andy has worked in the Outdoor Education Industry for the past 15 years as a Camp Counsellor, Canoe Tripper, Rock-Climbing Instructor, Camp Director and most recently as the Toronto Program Manager for Outward Bound Canada. She is excited to join the board and is looking forward to participating in more COEO events!
Director-at-Large, Ben Blakey
Ben Blakey works as a teacher/researcher specializing in outdoor education for Montcrest School, a K-8 independent school in Toronto. His teaching role includes working alongside staff to get classes outside, help with outdoor programming, and bringing in outdoor educational ideas, while his research interests include summer camps, ecopsychology, exercise neuroscience, and integrating ‘contact with nature’ at various levels of the education system. Ben is serving his 4th year on the Board as secretary, and has previously worked on the editorial board of COEO’s Pathways journal. He’s excited to be once again learning and sharing with the rest of the incredible people on the Board of Directors, and looking forward to an exciting 2018/19 year as a COEO member.
Director-at-Large, Karen O’Krafka
This will be Karen’s seventh year on COEO’s board of Directors. Karen has chaired past Make Peace with Winter conferences and helped organize our annual fall conference, in hopes of connecting Outdoor Educators with professional learning, inspiring connections, and a an essential OE injection of fun. Karen has worked in Outdoor and Environmental Education for almost two decades, working and volunteering on both the west and east coast, as well as many incredible camps, outdoor education centres, schools and conservation authorities in between. She currently lives with her family in Peterborough, where she works to connect children with nature She is the co-founder of the just sprouted Hardwood Nature School. Karen is ever more aware of the importance of outdoor education, especially while chasing her wee ones through the woods and waters of the Kawarthas.
Director-at-Large, Elizabeth Jankowski
Liz Jankowski started her career in education at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ongario. She always had an environmental education focus, but it was during her alternative practicum at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area that she fell in love with outdoor education. After teaching in a classroom setting, Liz made the switch to outdoor education, working first at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, and then as an educator with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). While part of the TRCA’s education team, she facilitated programming at field centres, summer camps, and in schools throughout the GTA as part of their mobile education program. Now, as a teacher at Norval Outdoor School in Georgetown, she looks for ways to create innovative programming that provides students with a sense of place, a connection to and appreciation for the land. This is Liz’s third year on the COEO Board of Directors, and she hopes to spread appreciation of the organization through social media and outreach initiatives. She seeks to connect outdoor educators of all backgrounds to share resources, spark new ideas, and grow in their experiences.
Director-at-Large, Barbara Sheridan
Barbara Sheridan is the founder and lead facilitator at Barrie Forest Kindergarten. She facilitates programs for toddlers and children from 1 to 7 in an Outdoor Playgroup and Forest Kindergarten Program. As well the school hosts teacher trainings, workshops and field trips. She is also a Podcast host where she discusses child directed play based outdoor learning with her co-host Kisha Reid. Barbara is also working on her thesis for her masters of education in sustainability, creativity and innovation. She is looking forward to her first year on the board with the wonderful initiatives that are taking place. In her spare time she is often found camping in and around Ontario and at Pow Wow’s with her children who are Annishinabe, and following several outdoor pursuits such as cycling, kayaking, canoeing, bush skills workshops at family programs throughout southern Ontario.
Membership Secretary, Minka Chambers
Minka Chambers is currently teaching a two credit integrated Outdoor Experiential Education program at a high school with the Simcoe County District School Board. She also teaches several Health & Physical Education classes, including a personal fitness with a focus on Yoga. She has been teaching with this board for 12 years, and gained much of her love for teaching from the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program, where she earned her glider instructor and private pilot’s licenses. Minka has earned several ORCKA canoe qualifications and hopes to continue to pass on her appreciation for the skill required to be a conscientious paddler and for nature itself through her teaching.
Protected Places Declaration
COEO has now signed the Protected Places Declaration, joining over 90 other organizations that have also given their support to this initiative from Ontario Nature. You can also make your voice heard and take part in the movement! Just take a minute to sign the online declaration to show you care about protected places and ask the governments of Ontario and Canada to meet our commitment to protect at least 17 percent of lands and inland waters by 2020. Currently, less than 11% of Ontario is protected.
OTHER OEE & RELATED NEWS
One year following the unfortunate drowning of 15 year old Jeremiah Perry on a canoe trip in Algonquin Provincial Park, the OPP has announced that Nicholas Mills, 54, is charged with criminal negligence causing death. Mr. Mills, a teacher at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute, was responsible for organizing and leading the trip. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on September 11th, 2018.
To follow the story:
- Breakfast Television Interview with Glenda Hanna from Youth Safe Outdoors
- The National
- CTV
- Global News
COEO has drafted an open letter of support for any outdoor educators, especially those who may be facing hesitancy or resistance from their administration when promoting the value of multi-day backcountry trips for students. Please read the following letter and forward it as you see fit. COEO encourages other organizations to write a similar letter of support to best serve the needs of their membership.
Click Here to read COEO’s Open Letter of Support
Human Kinetics Book of the Month
Order now and get your Members-only special through HK Canada. Another great membership benefit brought to you by The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario.
Use code W979 to receive 40% off if you sign up for HKRewards (click here to sign up). Good for 1x use only. Offer expires 10/31/2018.
Featured Book of the Month:
Introduction to Recreation and Leisure, Third Edition, presents perspectives from 52 leading experts from around the world. It delves into foundational concepts, delivery systems, and programming services; offers an array of ancillaries; and helps students make informed career choices. For more details click here
Canadian Conservation Corps
The Canadian Conservation Corps is a new national program for 18 to 30 year olds where they will gain skills to engage their peers in meaningful conservation in their own communities. The program has three parts:
- 2-week Wilderness Expedition
- 3-Month Service Learning placement with a conservation expert and;
- Time in their home community to connect their peers with conservation.
For more information, go to: http://cwf-fcf.org/en/
OEE Book Recommendation:
Preventing Fatal Incidents in School and Youth Group Camps and Excursions: Understanding the Unthinkable draws on the most comprehensive study to date of tragedies involving supervised youth in the outdoors globally.
The book website, including preview, is here: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319898803
OEE P.D. OPPORTUNITIES
Take me Outside Day- Oct 24, 2018
Take me Outside is excited to announce the 8th annual Take Me Outside Day on Wednesday October 24th. We are again inviting teachers, principals and other educators to take their students outside for one hour on Take Me Outside Day. Since inception, more than 1 million students have participated in Take Me Outside Day. This year we hope to crack a quarter of a million in a single day.
The goals of this certification are:
1) Introduce participants to the standards of a trained wilderness hike leader, risk management for Wilderness Day Hikes where the hike is more than 2 km from road access.
2) Provide direction towards the Wilderness Overnight Trip Hike Leader and National Hike Leader programs and other Hike Ontario programs.
For more information and to access the course calendar click Here
Yoga in the Park – Credit Valley Conservation Authority
This summer, shutdown, unplug and recharge your mind outdoors. From now until October, CVC is offering yoga sessions at Island Lake and Terra Cotta Conservation Areas.
Bring a friend and enjoy the beauty of our parks!
Click Here for more information and to register
Outdoor Play: Experience the Wonder with Dr. Diane Kashin, RECE
Date: November 10, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario
Come and join us for an afternoon PlayShop with Dr. Diane Kashin, RECE to explore outdoors and early learning experiences created with intentionality and with a competent view of the child.
To view the full event description and to register CLICK HERE
Bark Lake- October Events:
- 70thAnniversary Gala –https://barklake.com/70th-anniversary-gala/
- 2ndAnnual Autumn Social – https://barklake.com/2nd-annual-autumn-social/
- Traditional Aboriginal Drum Making Workshop-https://www.barklake.com/drum-workshop-2018/
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
MAEOE Conference 2018
October 4 – 7, 2018, Port Huron, Ontario, United States of America
https://www.maeoe.com/conference
NAAEE Annual Conference 2018, Environmental Education: A Force for the Future
October 9 – 13, 2018, Spokane, Washington, United States of America
EECOM 2018, Classrooms to Communities
October 18 – 21, 2018, St. Eugene Mission Resort, Ktunaxa First Nation
AEE International Conference 2018
November 7 – 10, 2018, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
8th International Outdoor Education Research Conference
November 19 – 23, 2018, USC, Sippy Downs Campus, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
JOB POSTINGS
Teacher- Elementary School Outdoor Field Science, The Riverwood Conservancy
The Riverwood Conservancy is searching for a teacher with a spark. Located at Riverwood in central Mississauga, this busy, full-time, maternity leave position requires flexibility when starting (end of November 2018, plus two weeks of training before) and ending (May-June 2020).
Program Manager, Bark Lake
Bark Lake is looking for a full time, year round Program Manager.
To view the Full Posting, CLICK HERE
Executive Director, Ontario Camps Association
The Ontario Camps Association (OCA) is excited to announce its recruitment for an Executive Director. The Association looks forward to welcoming an individual into this leadership role who will help us grow in the strategic direction set out by our Board of Directors.
For a full job description and outline of responsibilities, please view the OCA Executive Director Job Posting. Deadline to apply is Friday, October 19, 2018.
Program Coordinator, Ontario EcoSchools
Reporting to the Program Director, the Program Coordinator is responsible for the development and implementation of the Ontario EcoSchools program to schools and school boards. The Program Coordinator collaborates with the programs team to ensure the effective development and delivery of certification assessments, workshops and webinars, program resources, and support services to our provincial network of 58 boards and over 1,800 schools.
Click Here to view the full posting
Instructors/Residential Care Workers for Project DARE & REACH Residential Adventure Therapy Programs provide direct service programming including delivery of the intensive therapeutic and behaviour management program; facilitating adventure activities ranging from games/initiatives, low and high ropes courses and other challenge activities; leading wilderness expeditions; supporting the school program; and facilitating life skills programming including cooking and daily chores routines.
Instructors are paid a variable per diem based on work experience, services provided, and level of responsibility. A typical annual income ranges from $40,000-$50,000 plus benefits including an extended health care plan. Work schedules vary per program, but average 15 days per month. If you are well-qualified, enjoy the challenge of working with youth who have very challenging behaviours, and would like to work as a member of a motivated team of exceptional people within a culture of support and feedback, send a cover letter and resume to: jobs@wendigolake.com
Teachers, Educators, Counsellors, The Boundless School
Our mission is to go to the ends of the earth to help teens achieve academic and social outcomes beyond their wildest dreams. We are quite relentless in insisting people be good to each other. The result is an exquisite learning environment where kids don’t want to leave. In the Fall and Winter, we deliver an adventure-based boarding school for struggling teens.
For more information or to apply, please 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.