Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference 2026: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 2026 Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference

arrow_back View All Dates

9:00am MDT

Conference Registration

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 12:45pm MDT

Kinnear Centre

Thursday October 29, 2026 9:00am - 12:45pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

1:00pm MDT

Welcome Remarks

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

1:30pm MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Keynote: Leona Prince

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Speakers

Leona Prince

District Principal of Aboriginal Education, SD91

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

2:15pm MDT

Break

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm MDT

Break

2:45pm MDT

Professional Learning Session A

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

2:45pm MDT

Courageous Inquiry and the Work of Restoring Relationships

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

What did your schooling teach you not to see about the Land beneath your school, about Indigenous history, about your responsibility to the earth? That unseeing is the root of the climate crisis in education. Moving through six outdoor phases from individual reflection to collective commitment, this workshop explores four challenges at the intersection of climate, Land, and K-12 systems: reproducing harm unintentionally, finding authentic voices, building capacity, and navigating the inertia keeping climate justice peripheral. An embodied activity makes the shift from transactional to relational pedagogy tangible. Small groups ask: what would it mean to design schools, not just lessons, from a regenerative orientation? The workshop closes in a standing circle held by Kimmerer's vision of reciprocity. Each participant names one thing to unlearn and one relationship to restore.

Connected to the forthcoming Courageous Inquiry (TC²), with guidance from Dr. Marie Battiste.

Speakers

Dr. Maria Vamvalis

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

2:45pm MDT

The Wild Path Home – Raising the Earth Stewards of Tomorrow

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

How do we raise a generation ready to care for each other and the planet? In this workshop, Jacob Rodenburg, invites leaders to explore a practical framework for cultivating Earth stewards from birth to adulthood. Rooted in 30 age-linked “Landmarks,” the Pathway weaves together families, schools, and entire communities in a shared commitment to nurturing environmental responsibility. This is systems change in action: shifting from isolated programs to an integrated, community-wide approach that restores relationships between children, nature, and community. Through stories, strategies, and examples from the field, participants will discover how this model can be adapted to their own contexts, inspiring leaders to build the networks of care and connection to the Earth - for our children and our planet, so urgently needed.

Speakers

Jacob Rodenburg

Executive Director, Camp Kawartha

Jacob Rodenburg is an award-winning educator, author, and leader in outdoor and environmental education with over 35 years of experience. A certified teacher with a Master’s in Education, he is passionate about connecting children with nature and inspiring lifelong stewardship... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Integrating the Rs of Reconciliation into Educational Frameworks

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Respect, Responsibility, Reciprocity, Relevance, Relationships, Representation, and Recognition are often named—but what do they actually look like in practice?
How are we showing up in relationship to the land our schools sit on, and to the First Peoples of those places? Where are these Rs already present in our work, and where are they still missing?
Join Jenna as she walks through each R, drawing from her own research, and ongoing learning within Kenpèsq̓t (Shuswap Band), where she is a registered member. This session will create space to think together, ask honest questions, and consider how these teachings can live within.

Speakers

Jenna Jasek

Director of Indigenous Education, OLS/CBEEN

Jenna helped to launch The Outdoor Learning School & Store and co-created the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning initiative. She is a certified teacher of 20 years and was previously the VP of Indigenous Learning and Equity for Rocky Mountain School District.
Jenna is a lifelong learner, continually deepening her understanding of her culture (Secwepémc and Ktunaxa), traditional teachings, languages, and knowledge of nature. She believes that Indigenous perspectives connect seamlessly with outdoor, hands-on, and place-based learning... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

2:45pm MDT

K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw – Indigenous Day of Learning

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

In May 2025, K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw (School District 83) shifted our approach to Indigenous Day of Learning. The school district worked closely together with the four Nations – Adams Lake, Neskonlith, Skwlāx, and Splatsin – to plan experiences focused on place-based learning that were, for the most part, in communities. All 1200 district staff members as well as the staff from Shihiya, the First Nations school at Splatsin, no matter their role, took part in the day, with the end-goal of helping staff to get to know more about this area and most importantly, about the inherent Rights Holders who have been stewards of this land since time immemorial. During the workshop, we will share our collaborative planning process, important lessons we learned along the way, by engaging participants in an interactive story of our local territory and the 2026 Indigenous Day of Learning.

Speakers

Kristen Crawford

District Principal – Indigenous Education , K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw, School District 83

Chelsea Prince

Assistant Superintendent - Indigenous Education and Student Supports, K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcul'ecw - School District No. 83

Chelsea Prince is a Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte, and the Assistant Superintendent - Indigenous Education and Student Supports in K̓wsaltktnéws ne Secwepemcúl’ecw (School District No. 83), where she has been a long-time staff member. Chelsea has the great privilege of working... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

2:45pm MDT

From Compliance to Community Outdoors: Rights-Informed Structures for Safer, More Inclusive Outdoor Learning

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Outdoor learning often stalls not because leaders lack belief, but because schools lack shared structures for safety, inclusion, voice, and response when things get messy outside. This interactive workshop introduces a rights-informed approach that helps leaders move from compliance-based control toward practical structures that support outdoor learning in real school contexts. Drawing on the Web of Rights, Dr. McCuaig will use cases connected to play, movement, boundaries, consent, and shared space to help participants think through common tensions such as noise, active play, safety, belonging, and equitable participation. Leaders will leave with concrete planning prompts, discussion structures, and implementation moves they can use to strengthen staff confidence, reduce friction, and build more inclusive outdoor learning conditions across classrooms and schools.

Speakers

Dr. Cameron McCuaig

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Reimagining Education Through Land, Community, and Real-World Learning: A Relational Approach for Leaders

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

This interactive workshop invites leaders to experience a relational, land- and community-based approach to learning inspired by The Howl Experience. Participants will begin with a hands-on, skill-building activity led by a community voice, followed by a guided reflection circle grounded in relational and land-based perspectives. From there, leaders will reflect on their own contexts and explore how real-world, experiential learning can increase student engagement, belonging, and relevance.

Drawing on programs across Canada, this session highlights how connecting youth to land, community, and meaningful work leads to improved attendance, stronger relationships, and deeper learning. Leaders will leave with practical insights on how to open the classroom to community, empower educators, and begin integrating experiential learning into existing systems.

Speakers

Adam Robb

Co-Founder, The Howl Experience

The Howl Experience is a land-based education organization offering transformative outdoor programs for high school-aged youth throughout Canada. Founded by a collective of educators, community leaders, and youth, Howl emerged from a shared belief that education should be experiential, inclusive, and... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Think Big, Start Small: What It Takes for System‑Wide Nature‑Based Education to Take Root

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

School leaders are increasingly asked to improve student engagement and learning outcomes while supporting staff well‑being, often all within the confines of urban, space‑limited environments. This session will explore how Nature‑based Education can be a practical, school‑ready strategy, not an added initiative or logistical burden. Leaders will learn how the Nature Education Collective is working collaboratively with school district staff across Canada to support system‑wide integration of NbE. With examples from the Calgary Catholic School District, a guided outdoor learning walk will feature stops aligned with student programming, teacher professional learning, instructional leads, and system‑level dialogue. Leaders will engage with real stories and focused reflection to explore how small, intentional approaches that leverage schoolyards, nearby green spaces, and curriculum‑aligned practices can support sustainable, scalable integration of NbE, regardless of location.

Speakers

Dr. Stephanie Doyle

Director of Educaiton, Earth Rangers

Stephanie Doyle, PhD, is a bilingual educator with over 20 years of experience. As Director of Education at Earth Rangers, a charity focused on transforming children’s and youth’s concerns about the environment into positive action, she oversees Earth Rangers Homeroom, a suite... Read More →

Ellen Long

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

2:45pm MDT

When Space Becomes Pedagogy: Leading Outdoor Learning Systems Change

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

This session explores how school leaders can drive system-level change in outdoor learning through redesign of spaces, policies, and culture. Drawing on the transformation of outdoor environments at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School, participants will examine how leadership supported the integration of outdoor play, land-based learning, and Indigenous-informed practices in an urban context. Grounded in Natural Curiosity’s inquiry-based framework, the session highlights initiatives such as implementing the OPAL approach to shift recess culture and risk practices, redesigning a playground, and developing naturalized spaces including a courtyard ecosystem and Indigenous teaching garden. Attendees will gain practical strategies for stakeholder engagement, policy development, and addressing barriers to embed outdoor learning across their systems.

Speakers

Haley Higdon

Program Director, Natural Curiosity

Haley Higdon is a guest on Turtle Island and is the Director for Natural Curiosity. She has her BEd and MA in Child Study and Education from the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study at UofT. She has spent the last three years working as the managing editor for the development... Read More →

Chriss Bogert

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Connecting Mathematics to Place, Community, Culture, and Identity

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

In this interactive session, we will investigate pedagogical practices that enhance mathematical learning in the outdoors by connecting to place, community, culture, and identity. Supports, research, and resources needed to enact learning mathematics outdoors at the school, district, and system-level will be shared. Barriers such as parental concerns, funding, and weather will be problematized and discussed. As we think about both teacher and student well-being, we will consider how a more holistic, embodied, and interdisciplinary approach to learning mathematics outdoors might bring a sense of connectedness, belonging, and joy to our work together. Guiding questions for this session will include: How might mathematics be explored outdoors? and How might place inspire mathematical thinking and enhance learning?

Speakers

Janice Novakowski

UBC Adjunct Professor

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Literacy & Numeracy Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Outdoor Learning in the School/District strategic literacy plan: Chasing trees, throwing pinecones, and grounding ourselves in place to improve results.

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Literacy goals as part of a district/school strategic plan are as permanent a fixture as there are leaves or needles on trees! Well, speaking of trees... What if learning outside was part of the systemic strategy to achieve these goals? In this workshop, we will experience ways in which a collaboration with an Indigenous Education department and centering learning outdoors from the onset can contribute to improving literacy results. We will briefly present the example of a school in British -Columbia and extrapolate this to your own school or district. Let's look at how to set systemic structures around literacy goals by trying out activities that enhance literacy skills, physical literacy, and Indigenous perspectives. By the end of the session, leaders will leave with five activities to enhance literacy goals, ideas from new session-friends, and ways to invite Indigenous partners into the broader conversation to enhance student success. Be prepared to run, throw, chat, and think!

Speakers

Sylvie de Grandpré

Principal, École Les Mélèzes-dorés

Sylvie has been an energetic K-9 educator for 34 years. She is the principal of a new school where gardening, outdoor/environmental education, and Indigenous perspectives drive learning. She spends a lot of time outdoors with more-than-humans, whether deep in a forest or while... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Literacy & Numeracy Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Panel Discussion: Leadership & System Implementation

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Join us as we explore the question: How do we move Outdoor Learning from a few classrooms to an entire system?

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Panel Discussion

2:45pm MDT

Panel Discussion: Policy, Operations & Risk Management

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Join us as we explore the question: How do we address Policy and Risk concerns without creating more barriers?

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Panel Discussion

2:45pm MDT

Decolonizing Risk in Outdoor Learning: Responsibility, Relationality, and Institutional Practice

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

This workshop examines how institutional approaches to risk management shape outdoor and experiential learning, particularly in relation to land-based and Indigenous-informed pedagogy. While often treated as neutral tools for safety and compliance, risk frameworks also influence what learning is possible, whose knowledge is prioritized, and how relationships with land are enacted. The session invites leaders and administrators to critically examine assumptions within risk-averse decision-making that privilege control and liability over relational, cultural, and educational possibility. Participants engage in dialogue and reflection to consider both visible risks of action and less visible risks of inaction, including reduced engagement, curiosity, and relational learning. The session explores how risk practices might be reimagined to better reflect diverse cultural perspectives, relational accountability, and decolonizing approaches to outdoor education and institutional leadership.

Speakers

Dr. Sarah Brown

Mount Royal University

Dr. Sarah Brown is a settler of European descent who is grateful to live and work in Treaty 7
territory. She strives to embody kinship, respect, and reciprocity with the people and beings with
whom she shares this land. Sarah is an Associate Professor at Mount Royal University an... Read More →

Dr. Lindy Henderson

Instructor, Faculty of Education; Interim Director of Education Bimose Tribal Council, University of Winnipeg, Bimose Tribal Council

Taansi, Boozhoo! I'm Lindy :) The land that knows me is in Treaty 3 Territory where I live with my beautiful family. I've enjoyed over twenty years in public education as a classroom teacher, forest school educator, and Indigenous Language Lead. More recently, my journey has brought... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Policy & Operations & Risk Management Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Nurtured By Nature: Enhancing Mental Health for Staff, Students, and Families Through the Outdoors

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

This workshop will explore time outside as a core element of district mental health support planning. A model will be shared of a district mental health plan in which learning about mental health and social emotional learning are intertwined with creating community and spending time in nature. Leaders will reflect on how their own district and school approach to mental health could be enhanced with an intentional infusion of nature. Specific examples of low to no-cost strategies and resources will be provided for leaders to consider alongside the tools, resources, and community partnerships they already have. The symmetry of approaches with staff and students will be highlighted. Come learn and contribute to the conversation about how to support an outdoor culture for healthier school environments and communities.

Speakers

Cheryl Lenardon

Deputy Superintendent, Cariboo-Chilcotin School District

Cheryl Lenardon is proud to be superintendent of schools in Cariboo-Chilcotin School District across the spectacular unceded territories of the Secwepemc, Tsilhqot’in and Dakelh Nations. Although the Cariboo is her home now, Cheryl grew up in Northern Ontario and has lived in the... Read More →

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Student & Staff Health & Wellbeing Workshop

2:45pm MDT

Roots and Rivers: Play and Nature Based Methods for Child and Youth Health and Wellbeing, Climate Hope, and Connection to Place

Thursday October 29, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm MDT

Play- and nature-based activities offer powerful ways for children, youth, educators, and researchers to collaboratively explore and strengthen wellbeing, foster climate hope and action and to connect with place. Drawing on national and international experiences, this workshop provides insights into ways that creative participatory methods can foster space to strengthen mental health and wellbeing, deepen relationships with land, and enhance intergenerational learning. The facilitators will introduce three different methods that can be applied in and out of school settings, child and youth programs, and as research methods. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in: (1) Nature Object Story to explore personal and ecological wellbeing; (2) Giant Jenga and Tree of Hope to navigate climate anxiety, collective responsibility, and hope; (3) a reflective River Journey. Time will be built into each activity to reflect on how these could be applied across contexts.

Speakers