SPEAK OUT! THE POWER OF WORDS IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO) is excited to invite you to attend our Annual Fall Conference to be held at RKY Camp, from September 20 – 22, 2024.
The 2024 COEO conference organizing committee has been hard at work and plans are well underway for this year’s annual fall conference. This year’s conference theme, “Speak Out: The Power of Words in Outdoor Education/Exprimez-Vous: Le Pouvoir des Mots dans L’Education en Plein Air”, is a means by which to organize our learning around the interactions between language and outdoor education. We hope to provide opportunities to share current best practices in outdoor learning and expand our dialogue to accommodate for bilingual (English/French) options as well as recognize the huge importance of the resurgence of indigenous languages and the role we can play. Our host site will be RKY Camp, located in the eastern part of Ontario, and as such we hope to welcome many of our fellow outdoor educators from Quebec to join us.
REGISTER TODAY!
Regular and Organizational Members $270 (Early Bird Rate) $290
Student and Retiree Members $200 (Early Bird Rate) $220
Saturday-only Special Day Rate $100
Registration must be made online.
*Membership: Registrants for the 2024 COEO Annual Fall Conference must hold a current COEO membership. Membership fees may be paid with registration.
Also, please note that the special early bird pricing is only valid until August 15, 2024 – to qualify, you must register online on or before this deadline!
The Saturday day-only rate includes all workshops and programming taking place during the day, as well as lunch.
CONFERENCE LOCATION
RKY Camp is a non-profit organization and summer camp, accredited by the Ontario Camping Association, in Parham, Ontario, Canada, north of Kingston, Ontario. Operating since 1929 on Eagle Lake, RKY Camp was founded by The Rotary Club, Kiwanis International, and the YMCA of Kingston, making up the abbreviation ‘R.K.Y.’. RKY Camp ran as an all-boys camp until 1969. The camp provides outdoor education and camping opportunities to people of all backgrounds, including integrated summer camping for children and young adults with disabilities through a combined effort with Reach for the Rainbow. RKY Camp provides financial assistance, or “camperships” to ensure any youth has an opportunity to attend.
RKY Camp runs a year-long outdoor centre including “school group bookings, outdoor education, leadership development, environmental education, curriculum-based learning, custom programs, family camps, women’s weekends, retreats/rentals, March Break camp, PA Day camp, weddings, and out trips and guiding”. The RKY Camp Outdoor Centre offers similar programming as in the summer season, but also offers season-specific activities, such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, and ice fishing.
DIRECTIONS
RKY Camp is located at 1194 Sugarbush Lane, Parham (Tichborne), Ontario. Please see the detailed directions below.
From Toronto & Southern Ontario
Take Hwy 401 east from Toronto to Wilton Road/County Road 6 in Odessa (Exit 599). Follow Wilton Road north to Harrowsmith, then north on County Road 38 towards Verona and then Parham. Follow County Road 38 east to Eagle Lake Road then Sugarbush Lane. RKY Camp will be on your right.
From Kingston and Eastern Ontario
Heading west from Kingston take the Highway 401. Exit at the Kingston, Gardiners Road off ramp and head north on County Road 38 towards Verona and then Parham. Follow County Road 38 east to Eagle Lake Road then Sugarbush Lane. RKY Camp will be on your right.
From North Bay and Northern Ontario
Take Hwy 11 south. Exit onto Highway 35 south at Huntsville. At Carnarvon, take 118 east to Bancroft, then south on 62, east on Highway 7 to Parham. Travel through Parham and turn north/left on Eagle Lake Road to Sugarbush Lane. RKY Camp will be on your right.
From Ottawa
Heading west from Ottawa take the Trans-Canada Highway 417 through Kanata. Continue west onto Highway 7 towards Perth and then Sharbot Lake. Follow County Road 38 south to Eagle Lake Road (on right/north) then continue to Sugarbush Lane. RKY Camp will be on your right.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations will be in shared camp cabins at RKY Camp. Facilities include flush toilets and hot showers. Please bring a sleeping bag, pillow, towel and flashlight. Tent camping is available on the RKY Camp property (same cost applies). Please inform us of any special accommodation needs on your registration form.
WHAT TO BRING
Things you’ll need at the conference:
-Sleeping Bag
-Towel
-Swimsuit
-Clothing to be comfortable in Rain or Shine, Cold or Warm
-Toiletries & personal items
-Journal/pen
-Water bottle
-Coffee/Tea Thermos or Mug
-Costume!
Optional items:
-Ear plugs
-Alcohol (no glass beer bottles please – cans only)
-Musical Instruments
-Daypack
-Slippers
-Business cards
-Snacks (nut free please!)
Extra cash: The COEO silent and live auctions are always filled with amazing items, so don’t forget to bring some extra cash or perhaps even your cheque book! Additionally, the President’s Raffle will be taking place again this year, and you may want to purchase tickets to win a terrific prize!
MEALS AND SNACKS
The RKY Camp Kitchen will be providing delicious and nutritious meals for the conference. Please outline any dietary needs clearly on your registration form. Coffee, tea, juice and water will be provided at all times in the dining hall. Other snacks will be provided at times indicated. BYOWB! – Bring Your Own Water Bottle. ***Please note, alcohol is permitted on RKY Camp property (BYOB), but no glass beer bottles – cans only please.
AWARD NOMINATIONS AND PRESENTATION
Our annual conference is also the time for us to recognize and celebrate the efforts and achievements of COEO members and other outdoor educators throughout the province. Join us after dinner on Saturday evening as we acknowledge the recipients of this year’s annual COEO awards. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague or organization — visit https://www.coeo.org/recognition/ and read about our six major awards. A nomination form can be downloaded from the bottom of the page.
CONFERENCE BURSARIES
COEO is excited to be offering a new bursary program this year! Rather than applying via email, you will now be able to purchase a bursary registration directly on the website. There are a limited number of registrations available for the fall conference for students and the broader public who need financial support to attend the Annual Fall Conference. To purchase, you simply have to select that option during online registration – no questions asked. These registrations are on a first come, first serve basis. Unfortunately, once these bursaries are gone, we will not be able to offer any others for this conference. If you are able and interested, COEO members will also have the option of contributing to the bursary fund while registering for the conference. For more information, check out the Bursary FAQ page on the COEO website.
CARPOOLING
As always, the COEO Conference Committee encourages carpooling when possible and will help facilitate this by organizing a list of drivers with available space in September – please contact conference@coeo.org if you require a ride or are willing to offer a ride to someone else. Please email with your name, email, where you’re coming from (area/town) and how many spaces you have or will need in a car.
SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION
Now an annual conference tradition, we are again having a Silent and Live Auction and we will need your help. We are looking for a variety of items to be donated by you or your affiliated organization. We hope to have about 30 items in the silent auction, and 5 for the live auction. We are open to welcoming whatever you have to offer. Past auctions have included donations of: gift certificates, books, organization-related clothing, camping gear, gift baskets, artwork, handmade crafts, etc. Please contact conference@coeo.org if you have any potential items you wish to donate. All proceeds from the auction will go towards COEO Conference Bursary Fund.
EXHIBITORS
Individuals and companies that would like to market programs, services or products at the 2024 COEO Conference will be able to do so at the Exhibitor Showcase. Organizational members of COEO may reserve exhibit space at no extra cost. Exhibit space is limited; contact conference@coeo.org to reserve your spot and avoid missing out on this great communication-promotional opportunity.
PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOP
Due to low registration, this year’s pre-conference workshops have been postponed. Please direct any questions or correspondence before August 12th to conference@coeo.org and after August 12th to program.projectwet@cwra.org.
CONFERENCE POSTER
Want your own copy of this year’s poster to hang up at your school or outdoor centre? Download a copy by clicking here.