An area forest school has paired up with sponsors to offer a free trial for elementary aged students to spend some time learning outdoors this fall.
Collingwood-based Elephant Thoughts has been offering educational programming in schools and Indigenous communities all over Canada since 2002. Last year, they started School in Nature at their Kimbercote property near Heathcote.
School in Nature is a forest school run by Elephant Thoughts-certified teachers with a curriculum that teaches the basics like science, math, literacy, and music through outdoor learning.
This year, the organization has received sponsorships to offer a program called Fresh Air Days. The program is free for students aged 5 to 12 years old, and includes five days at the school spread over five weeks (one school day per week).
The program is sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Leflar Foundation, Blue Mountain Village Foundation, and Community Foundation Grey Bruce.
Fresh Air Days has spots for 12 kids per day (they will be in two groups of six) and students will be separated into two age groups including 5-7 year olds and 8-12 year olds. Outdoor classes will take place at the Kimbercote property and at the Elephant Thoughts Riverstone Retreat near Durham. Class runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
“It’s so much healthier for kids to be exposed to an outdoor program,” said Lisa Farano, spokesperson for Elephant Thoughts. “I think it’s going to happen a lot more as a result of COVID.”
She said the organization worked with sponsors to put together the free program as a way of supporting parents who have been through a lot of stress due to the pandemic.
The students enrolled in the free Fresh Air Days program will experience the School in Nature curriculum, which incorporates the Elephant Thoughts philosophy and values.
“The values of Elephant Thoughts are sharing and teaching and helping kids understand the principles behind inclusivity and, of course, environmental stewardship,” said Farano. “The idea of teaching kids about global values … is what we do.”
She said the teachers use creative ways to teach all the subjects outdoors in applied ways. A giant puppet theatre is used for storytelling and writing.
At each property, there are outdoor classrooms as well as indoor space for inclement weather. Each group of kids will have their own bathroom, and groups of students will be limited to six kids and one teacher.
You can learn more and sign up for the Fresh Air Days programs online here. Spots are limited.
