Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference 2026: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 2026 Outdoor Learning Leadership Conference

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:...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Speakers

Dr. Laura Wright

Dr. Laura Lee

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

Student & Staff Health & Wellbeing Workshop

4:00pm MDT

Exhibitor Time, Networking & Drinks

Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

Social & Networking Opportunities

5:30pm MDT

Dinner (Included with registration)

Thursday October 29, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm MDT

Vistas Dining Room

Thursday October 29, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm MDT
Vistas Dining Room

Meal

8:00pm MDT

Social & Networking Spaces

Thursday October 29, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm MDT

Social & Networking Opportunities

TBA

Breakfast (included with registration)

Friday October 30, 2026 TBA

Vistas Dining Room

Friday October 30, 2026 TBA
Vistas Dining Room

Meal

9:00am MDT

Morning Welcome

Friday October 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am MDT

Main Plenary Room

Friday October 30, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

9:15am MDT

Ted-Style Talks

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am MDT

Main Plenary Room

Friday October 30, 2026 9:15am - 10:00am MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

10:00am MDT

Break

Friday October 30, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am MDT

Break

10:45am MDT

Professional Learning Session B

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

10:45am MDT

Learning With the Land - An Introduction

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

What does it actually mean to “learn with the land”—and how can this look in real school and district contexts? In this interactive outdoor session, participants will experience four simple, repeatable nature routines—sit spot, nature walk, nature journaling, and circle—and explore how these connect to the Spiral of Inquiry. Grounded in a place-based and inclusive approach, this session...
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Speakers

Lauren MacLean

Outdoor Learning Consultant, Teach Outdoors

Lauren MacLean is a primary teacher, author, and outdoor learning consultant passionate about helping children and educators connect with nature. With a background in land-based education through Soaring Eagle Nature School, she brings a rich understanding of outdoor play and learning... Read More →

April Pikkarainen

Principal, Richmond School District SD38

April is a passionate nature-based educator and principal dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between learners, communities, and the natural world. A recent graduate of the Transformative Educational Leadership Program (TELP) at the University of British Columbia, she brings... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

10:45am MDT

Students as Change Agents: Empowering Youth to Lead Climate Action

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are essential actors today in the fight against climate change. Yet too often, children and young people are framed as passive victims rather than capable agents of change. This interactive workshop equips educators and school system leaders with practical strategies to intentionally position students as central drivers of environmental action and...
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Speakers

Bonnie Anderson

Teacher, Bluewater District School Board

I work outside inspiring students to learn more about the world around them. I love what I do and hope that comes thru in my classes. I hope to learn a lot about nature journaling to help students put words numbers and diagrams together to explain the nature they see around them and... Read More →

Pam Miller

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

10:45am MDT

Respectful inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Moving at the speed of trust

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

The education system plays an important role in the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The K-12 curriculum in British Columbia reflects these calls but teachers report feeling not knowledgeable enough and concerned about respectful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. At a leadership level, how can we support educators with learning opportunities and resources so...
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Speakers

Lauren Hudson

K-12 Education Coordinator, Ocean Networks Canada

Teacher Resources (not curriculum related)

Karine Cere

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

10:45am MDT

Beyond One-Time Experiences: Going Deeper Through Relational, Sustainable Practice

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Building on last year’s introduction to O’to’po’pa, a Blackfoot Field School at Mount Royal University, this session explores what it takes to move beyond one-off experiences toward outdoor learning that is relational, accountable, and enduring. Grounded in Blackfoot teachings and guided by Elders, faculty, and program leaders, this workshop shares the ongoing work of deepening a field...
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Speakers

Dr. Sarah Brown

Mount Royal University

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

10:45am MDT

Bricks, Branches & Big Ideas: Building a Foundation for Outdoor Learning

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

This interactive session invites school leaders to bridge theory with grounded practice in outdoor learning. Drawing on place-based and inquiry frameworks, we’ll explore how guiding principles, like time in nature, core routines, and knowledge-building, translate into real strategies for classrooms and school communities. You’ll engage with a spectrum of approaches, experience what they look...
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Speakers

Andrea Barnes

Education Specialist, Alberta Forestry and Parks

Andrea is passionate about teaching and learning outdoors. She has been the Education Specialist with Alberta Forestry and Parks for over 20 years where she has been developing, delivering and evaluating outdoor learning experiences for students and professional development workshops... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

10:45am MDT

Equity and Social Justice in Outdoor Learning: Early Findings from a National Survey

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

In May 2026, Take Me Outside, with partners at Trent University and Nipissing University, launched a national survey to better understand the demographic characteristics, identities and lived experience of educators within the TMO community. In this session, Blair will provide an overview of the survey findings, and contextualize the results within contemporary theories of social justice,...
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Speakers

Dr. Blair Niblett

Associate Professor, Trent University

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

10:45am MDT

From Seeds to Systems: A Progressional Walk Through Rural Ag Education

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Join me for a "walking workshop" that mirrors the journey of establishing a multi-faceted Rural and Agricultural Education program. Designed for school and system leaders, this session moves beyond the "why" of outdoor learning into the "how" of systemic implementation.As we navigate a series of outdoor stations, each stop represents a critical milestone—from community consultation and...
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Speakers

Tracey Gilmour

Tomahawk Principal, Parkland School Division

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

10:45am MDT

Partnerships in Place: Team Yukon's Experience of helping shape the future of land-based learning in the K-12 context

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

The Yukon Association of Education Professionals, alongside education partners, is building a vision for a cross-territory, Place-Based network. Through our evolving partnership with TMO, new opportunities for outdoor learning are emerging for Yukon educators. Following two delegations to TMO conferences in 2024/2025, “Team Yukon” returned home to explore how collective actions might support...
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Speakers

Steve Fergusson

PD Coordinator, Yukon Association of Education Professionals

Hi,
I am a big supporter of Place-based Learning and am working to promote more Place-based Learning opportunities for Yukon educators and learners.

David Barnum

Helping Teacher/Educational Consultant, School District 44 North Vancouver

David has worked in classrooms, in a blended home-school/community framework, as Curriculum Coordinator and volunteered as president of the BC Science Teachers’ Association. He co-authored the BC K-7 Science curriculum, contributed to assessment documents, created resources for... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

10:45am MDT

Supporting Outdoor Math Instruction in Grades 3-7

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Explore how outdoor learning environments, such as schoolyards, parks, forests, and sidewalks, are powerful spaces for teaching mathematics that align with provincial curricular learning outcomes. This session highlights how key concepts and skills in number sense, multiplication, division, fractions, and geometry can be enriched through hands-on, real-world activities that help connect learners...
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Speakers

Dr. Rachel Tidd

Assistant Professor and Executive Director, SUNY Empire State University, Wild Learning

Dr. Rachel Tidd is passionate about using outdoor and place-based learning to enrich literacy and math instruction. She is the author of the book Wild Learning: Practical Ideas for Bringing Teaching Outdoors and the creator of the Wild Math® and Wild Reading® curricular resources... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Literacy & Numeracy Workshop

10:45am MDT

Panel Discussion: Health & Well-being

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Join us as we ecplore the question: How can Outdoor Learning support student and staff wellbeing?

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Panel Discussion

10:45am MDT

Panel Discussion: Indigenous Knowledge

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Join us as we explore the question: How can Outdoor Learning meaningfully support and engage with Indigenous Knowledge and Ways of Knowing?

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Panel Discussion

10:45am MDT

Risk Management. How to say "Yes" while evaluating and mitigating risk

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Risk and Risk management: a practical exploration of methods to advocate for experiences where there is an increased level of risk and how to mitigate the challenges associated with risk.

Speakers

Colin Halsall

Vice-Principal, OCDSB

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Policy & Operations & Risk Management Workshop

10:45am MDT

Environmental education and mental health: Developing coping strategies that foster emotional resilience.

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Educational systems play an important role in supporting human and ecological well-being. Through a highly participatory, experiential, practice-focussed workshop, we examine the nexus between environmental education and mental health, particularly considering how school leadership can help support learners and educators to navigate distressing emotions related to the climate crisis. Coping...
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Speakers

Dr. Laura Sims

Professor, Université de St. Boniface

Laura Sims teaches in the faculty of education at the Université de Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg. Sims' research specializes in education-for-sustainability and learning in formal (i.e. faculties of education) and non-formal learning contexts (i.e. small scale farmers in Latin America... Read More →

Dr. Annabel Levesque

Friday October 30, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Student & Staff Health & Wellbeing Workshop

12:00pm MDT

Lunch (included with registration)

Friday October 30, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT

Vistas Dining Room

Friday October 30, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
Vistas Dining Room

Meal

2:00pm MDT

Plenary Panel

Friday October 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Friday October 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

2:45pm MDT

Break

Friday October 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm MDT

Break

3:15pm MDT

Professional Learning Session C

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

3:15pm MDT

Designing Citizen Science for Climate Change Education

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Today’s system leaders need to be environmentally responsive and climate predictive. We must design educational systems and frameworks that emphasize adaptable thinking and learning strategies so that all our stakeholders have the knowledge and skills necessary to mitigate our environmental impact and adapt to climate realities. In this session, participants will observe how data visualization...
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Speakers

Alicia Roberge

Instructional Leader for Environmental Education, TDSB

Alicia Roberge is currently the Instructional Leader for Environmental Education and EcoSchools in the TDSB's Sustainability Office. Before this role, she held the role of Hybrid Teacher-Coach for Geography and digital literacy. Her work as a lead teacher, curriculum writer and instructor... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Practicing Outdoor Education and Addressing Climate Change Go Together

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

How do we get to a desperately needed climate action phase? This session provides an overview of three presentations Grant makes to middle and high school audiences: the science of an existential crisis; the impressive variety of solutions already available; why we remain paralyzed by inaction. This session will also include initiatives Grant has taken within the Hamilton Wentworth District...
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Speakers

Grant Linney

Presenter (1100+ presentations), Climate Reality Project Canada

Grant Linney is an actively retired outdoor and environmental educator. In a career spanning six decades, he has connected children of all ages (+ adults) to nature through hands-on experiential education in all four seasons. He has won numerous teaching and environmental awards at... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Leading Through Kinship: Practical Pathways for Land-Connected Outdoor Learning

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

This interactive 75-minute outdoor session invites school and system leaders to explore how kinship-centred, land-connected learning can become a practical part of school experience for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action have a key educational calls to action (#62- 65) which explicitly relate to our work with Kinship Club,...
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Speakers

Nazia Jeelani

Principal, FMPSD

Nazia Hiscock is the Principal of Christina Gordon Public School. Originally from Toronto, ON, she has lived and worked in Fort McMurray since 2010 as a Junior High Humanities teacher and coach at École McTavish and Westview School, both part of the Fort McMurray Public School Division... Read More →

Dr. Trudy Cardinal

Dr. Trudy Cardinal, a Cree/Métis professor at the University of Alberta, is a mother, kokom, aunt, and scholar deeply co

Dr. Trudy Cardinal, a Cree/Métis professor at the University of Alberta, is a mother, kokom, aunt, and scholar deeply committed to community and Indigenous education. Her doctoral research, a narrative inquiry into experiences of Indigenous youth and families, continues to inspire... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Building Capacity for Outdoor and Place-Based Learning: What System Leaders Can Put in Place

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Outdoor and place-based learning thrives when the conditions around teachers are intentionally designed to support it. A recent doctoral case study of three Calgary teachers, completed by Alexandra (Sam) Ross under the supervision of Dr. Erin Spring at the Werklund School of Education, identifies the institutional conditions that allow this work to take root and spread.This session focuses on what...
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Speakers

Dr. Erin Spring

Associate Professor, University of Calgary

Dr. Erin Spring (she/her/hers) is a scholar and educator of British descent now living and working with/in Treaty 7. She grew up on Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe Territories and lived in many different places before moving to Moh’kins’tsis (the Blackfoot name for Calgary). She... Read More →

Sam Ross

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

3:15pm MDT

From Schoolyard to System: Leading the Shift to Outdoor Learning

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

This session supports school and system leaders in moving outdoor learning from isolated practice to a sustainable, school- and district-wide approach. Drawing on experience leading a whole-school shift and organizing the Let's Lead Outdoor Learning Conference, participants will explore practical strategies to build staff confidence, align outdoor learning with literacy, numeracy, and wellbeing...
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Speakers

Steven Carroll

Principal, John Adam Memorial

Francois Couture

Principal, Courtland Park International School

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Growing with the Land: Shifting Culture and Deepening Practice

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

In this follow-up session, we’ll slow down and look more closely at what the land can teach us about leading change, nurturing growth, and understanding complex systems. Using the Spiral of Inquiry as both a reflective and leadership framework, leaders will explore the conditions, beliefs, and practices that support—or hinder—meaningful outdoor learning. Through observation, dialogue, and...
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Speakers

Lauren MacLean

Outdoor Learning Consultant, Teach Outdoors

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Walking Together: A systems change approach through collaboration with Indigenous Communities, School Board Initiatives, and School Based Educators.

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Join Vancouver Island administrators Alison Leslie and Kelly Girvan from Cowichan Valley School District as they share district initiatives such as the Climate Action Plan, Place Based Learning Guide and Land-based learning leadership committee. This informative workshop will give district leaders a road map to create systemic changes that value First People’s Principles of Learning and Land as...
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Speakers

Alison Leslie

Principal at Mill Bay Nature School, SD 79 Cowichan Valley School District

Alison Leslie began her teaching career at a small rural school in Surrey, B.C., where she discovered her passion for integrating the natural world into her students' daily curriculum. This initial experience ignited her interest in ecological education, leading her to pursue further... Read More →

Kelly Girven

Vice-Principal Quw’utsun Secondary, SD 79 Cowichan Valley School District

Kelly Girvan grew up in treaty 8 territory in northern Alberta and is a graduate (2005) of the U of A Teacher Education North program. She has worked and learned on the traditional territory of the Cowichan Tribes Nation for the past 18 years. Her thesis work involved 2 Eyed seeing... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

3:15pm MDT

Panel Discussion: Environmental & Climate Education

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Join us as we explore the question: How can schools respond to environmental issues like climate change through Outdoor Learning?

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Panel Discussion

3:15pm MDT

Panel Discussion: Literacy & Numeracy

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Join us as we explore the question: How can Outdoor Learning improve academic outcomes?

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Panel Discussion

3:15pm MDT

The Climate‑Responsive Educator: Navigating Risk, Resilience, and Relationship to Land

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

As climate change reshapes outdoor learning, educators face rising concerns around allergies, asthma, invasive species, ticks, air quality, and shifting weather. This session explores how to respond with clarity and confidence while keeping outdoor learning open, safe, and inviting. Through whole‑group and small‑group collaboration, participants will examine effective messaging, policy...
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Speakers

Rob Ridley

Field Centres Coordinator, Peel District School Board

Rob Ridley has taught outdoor and environmental education since 1988 and for the last 13 years has been the Field Centres Coordinator for the Peel District School Board in Ontario. He coordinates environmental, outdoor and historical interpretation programming for 30,000 students... Read More →

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Policy & Operations & Risk Management Workshop

3:15pm MDT

From Programs to Systems: Embedding Land-Based Learning Across an Education Ecosystem

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Outdoor learning is often delivered as occasional programming or enthusiastic individual teacher initiatives. Systems change requires something different: leadership structures, partnerships, operational planning, and community relationships that allow land-based learning to become part of the educational fabric.This outdoor workshop shares practical lessons from building land-based learning...
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Speakers

Bretton Clark

Director of Education, https://tsaykeh.com/departments/education-and-training/

Layering experiential and outdoor learning into every dimension of education and training

Friday October 30, 2026 3:15pm - 4:30pm MDT

Student & Staff Health & Wellbeing Workshop

4:30pm MDT

Exhibitor Time, Networking & Drinks

Friday October 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Friday October 30, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

Social & Networking Opportunities

6:00pm MDT

Do Your Own Dinner Downtown

Friday October 30, 2026 6:00pm - 8:00pm MDT

Meal

8:00pm MDT

Social & Networking Spaces

Friday October 30, 2026 8:00pm - 10:00pm MDT

Social & Networking Opportunities

7:30am MDT

Breakfast (included with registration)

Saturday October 31, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am MDT

Vistas Dining Room

Saturday October 31, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am MDT
Vistas Dining Room

Meal

8:30am MDT

Accommodation Check-out

Saturday October 31, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

9:30am MDT

Morning Welcome

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:30am - 9:45am MDT

Main Plenary Room

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:30am - 9:45am MDT
Main Plenary Room

Plenary Session

9:45am MDT

Professional Learning Session D

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

9:45am MDT

Thriving and walking together through climate uncertainty

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

How might schools begin the inspiring (and challenging) work of preparing young children for an uncertain future? What skills, knowledges, and practices will they need? During this workshop, we will work collaboratively with educational leaders in an emergent and responsive way to think concretely about uncertainty. We believe nourishing educational leaders with space to think in this way will...
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Speakers

Aleks Waliszewska

Sessional Instructor, University of Victoria

Aleks Waliszewska (she/her) is an educator, parent and graduate student at the University of Victoria in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. Her MA thesis focused on more-than-human literacies in an elementary outdoor program exploring how children make meaning with the land... Read More →

Dr. Meredith Lemon

Sessional Instructor, University of Victoria

Meredith Lemon graduated with her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Victoria. Her dissertation focused on identifying taken-for-granted, unsustainable, Western cultural teachings embedded in both the BC curriculum-as-plan as well as educators’ practice (herself... Read More →

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Environmental & Climate Education Workshop

9:45am MDT

Honouring the Heart of Indigenous Teachings - Learning from the land through joyful and playful experiences

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

The work in Indigenous Education in Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD) is led by our Elders Advisory Council. SRPSD serves a diverse student population in Prince Albert and surrounding area, located on Treaty 6 Territory in North Central Saskatchewan. With 59% of students self-identifying as Indigenous, SRPSD is deeply committed to integrating experiential, play-based and...
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Speakers

Theresa Thorsen

Elder Bente Huntley

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Indigenous Knowledge Workshop

9:45am MDT

Leading the Shift: Building a Culture of Sustainability and Well-being

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

How do system leaders move outdoor learning from a "token field trip" into the institutional DNA of a school? This interactive workshop delivers the blueprint. Drawing from a 33-year career and the empirical validation of the "Limehouse Model" (a five-year consecutive EcoSchools Platinum site), this session tackles the specific challenges school leaders face: navigating bureaucracy, managing risk...
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Speakers

Douglas Jones

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

9:45am MDT

Made in Manitoba: Homegrown Climate Leadership for K-12 Education

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

This interactive workshop brings together four leaders from Manitoba working across K-12 education, pre-service teacher education, and academia who are advancing climate action and sustainability within and across systems through collaboration. These leaders will share their unique experiences and perspectives, drawing upon work in K-12 and beyond, emphasizing a grassroots approach to climate...
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Speakers

Whitney Crooks

Heather Eckton

Will Burton

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

9:45am MDT

PINE – Principals in Nature Education “We wish that we knew what we know now…”

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Four principals from British Columbia’s public education system come together to share hard-earned learning from their journeys toward nature-based education. This panel brings grounded, practical expertise from schools at very different stages: some still imagining what’s possible and laying essential groundwork, some newly immersed in full-school transitions, and others with more than a...
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Speakers

Nicole McKenzie

Principal, Ci:tməxw Environmental Community

Nicole McKenzie is the principal of Ci:tməxw Environmental Community in Maple Ridge, where she has led for the past three years. With a Master’s degree in Nature-Based and Place-Conscious Learning, Nicole is passionate about creating a learning environment that connects students... Read More →

Sandra Major

Jenny Groves

Principal, SD46

Help Wanted: I've just freshly started a network/club for Administrators who are working at nature/land-based learning schools in public education. Care to join? Let's chat.

Dr. Michael Datura

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

9:45am MDT

Setting educators up for success in outdoor learning experiences: A leadership collaborative

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Based on my interview findings through my doctoral research paired with discussion results from teacher participants at the Outdoor Learning Conference in May of 2026, this session will highlight and problem solve collaboratively around issues being faced in outdoor learning. As leaders, we will identify common issues (such as resources, knowledge, mindset, regulation, building relationships...)....
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Speakers

Dr. Fiona Watkins

Sessional Instructor, University of Calgary

Fiona has over 30 years of experience in the education field, as a PE specialist, primary classroom teacher, and administrator. She has worked in both public and private schools in both BC and Alberta throughout her career. Fiona currently is the district Learning Services Coordinator... Read More →

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

9:45am MDT

Where Learning Happens: Reimagining schools as embedded in systems of reciprocity with social and environmental communities

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

This workshop invites administrators, and leaders to consider the questions: “Where does learning happen?” and why this question in not a more prominent inquiry for K-12 schools. Where learning happens is extremely important for all teachers in their day-to-day professional judgement (does the lesson happen at desks? in the library? online?), yet discussions about where learning happens in...
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Speakers

Glen Thielmann

Dr. Hartley Banack

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Leadership & System Implementation Workshop

9:45am MDT

Pin to Pine: Bringing Structured Literacy Instruction Outside K-3

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

In this session, we’ll examine current literacy research through an outdoor lens, focusing on how foundational word recognition skills, including phonemic awareness and phonics, and language comprehension can be intentionally strengthened through outdoor learning experiences. You’ll have the opportunity to actively explore practical examples showing how to shift common instructional practices...
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Speakers

Dr. Rachel Tidd

Assistant Professor and Executive Director, SUNY Empire State University, Wild Learning

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Literacy & Numeracy Workshop

9:45am MDT

Panel Discussion: Formal & Informal Partnerships

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Join us as we explore successful formal and informal partnerships.

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Panel Discussion

9:45am MDT

Panel Discussion: International Outdoor Learning

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Join us as we explore the question: Internationally, how are education systems creating the conditions for students to thrive through Outdoor Learning?

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Panel Discussion

9:45am MDT

Building a Culture of “Yes" - Risk, Responsibility, and Relational Accountability in Land-based Learning

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Within many education systems, outdoor learning is frequently constrained by risk-averse policies and operational practices that limit opportunities for meaningful engagement with the land. While these approaches are often grounded in concerns for student safety, they can inadvertently create systemic barriers that restrict access to experiential and land-based learning. This session examines how...
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Speakers

Shirley Thompson

Charles Ettawacappo

Shea Henderson

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Policy & Operations & Risk Management Workshop

9:45am MDT

From Approval to Adventure: Shared Risk Management for Outdoor Learning

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Taking learning outdoors begins with one essential priority: safety. Creating a culture of safe and meaningful outdoor learning requires more than enthusiastic teachers—it depends on strong collaboration between educators and administrators. This session explores how school leaders can support outdoor learning by developing clear risk management processes, fostering shared responsibility, and...
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Speakers

Leith Monaghan

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Policy & Operations & Risk Management Workshop

9:45am MDT

Understanding how outdoor learning influences the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the school community

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

There is a growing body of evidence that supports what many people already feel, time in nature and outdoor spaces supports physical, social, cognitive, and emotional health. As little as 2 hours per week outdoors in a natural environment can have significant benefits for health and wellbeing. Childhood exposure to green spaces may track into more positive mental health outcomes in adulthood....
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Speakers

Dr. Jean Buckler

Saturday October 31, 2026 9:45am - 11:00am MDT

Student & Staff Health & Wellbeing Workshop

11:00am MDT

Break

Saturday October 31, 2026 11:00am - 11:15am MDT

Break

12:00pm MDT

Conference Closing Remarks

Saturday October 31, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT

Main Plenary Room

Saturday October 31, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm MDT
Main Plenary Room

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