This document outlines the goals and vision of Forest School Canada, an organization seeking to increase nature-based education opportunities across the country. It defines Forest School as an educational approach that connects children regularly to natural outdoor spaces. The organization aims to (1) increase the number of Forest School programs nationwide, (2) establish a community of Forest School practitioners, (3) support research on the benefits of nature-based learning, and (4) create an exemplar Forest School center in Ottawa. The goals are designed to foster children's connection to nature and inspire more sustainable, healthy, and engaged communities.

1. Forest School:
Inspiring Education in Canada
Killaloe, ON, November, 2013

2. Objective
• Define Forest School
• Demonstrate the growth and momentum
behind Forest School in Canada
• Demonstrate the health, environmental,
developmental, social and educational benefits
of Forest School
• Inspire and engage community, in action,
towards forest and nature-based education

4. What are the Issues?
• Canadian children and youth are spending less time
outdoors
• Fewer Canadians are accessing parks, and due to urban
sprawl, we’re losing access to nature
• Canadian identity is shifting away from our wilderness
heritage
• Childhood obesity and mental illness on the rise
• Over-usage of technology and excessive amount of time
in structured, indoor activities
• Environmental sustainability is not being integrated into
core curriculum standards

5. Our Mission: Finding Solutions
To foster rich learning experiences, ecological
literacy, and healthy living by connecting children
to nature in Forest School.

6. Vision
All Canadian children shall have the opportunity
to play and learn in local forests, parks, creeks,
meadows, prairie grasses, mountains and
shorelines with a wise and skilled educator who
understands the power of child-directed learning
and how this can contribute to a more sustainable
world.

7. History of Forest School
• Started in the early 50’s in Denmark, largely influenced
by Froebel’s work on Kinder-’gardens’
• Builds on ‘Environmental Education’ movement in
Canada
• Germany: over 700 ‘Waldkindergartens’
• Denmark: over 250 Forest Schools
• Sweden: over 190 “Rain or Shine” Schools
• UK: over 10,000 Forest Schools
• Approximately 30 ‘Forest and Nature School’ programs
in Canada, 32 more in process of starting

8. What is Forest School?
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An educational approach
Used widely in many other countries
Fosters a strong connection to the natural world
‘Repeated and regular’ access to local woodlands,
outdoor classrooms and parks
Full time or part time basis
Emergent, experiential, and inquiry-based education
Building a large, grassroots movement in Canada
Educational approach that is necessary for the 21st
Century for the health of our planet and it’s children

10. Why Does This Matter?
• Positive emotional, physical and psychological health
outcomes
• Promotes environmentally sustainable behaviors and
ecological literacy
• Promotes safe risk-taking
• Builds sustainable and vibrant communities
• Fosters empowerment and self esteem
• Supports creativity and resilience
• Links being made to academic achievement/self-regulation
• Increases communication and problem solving skills
• Promotes male inclusion in education
• For more information on this research, visit:
[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/INFD-5Z3JVZ]

11. Forest School Happens:
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In early childhood education
In public education
With special needs populations
With youth ‘at risk’
With homeschooling families
On a part time OR full time basis
In all seasons, temperatures, and climates with
appropriate preparation and outdoor gear

13. What’s the Classroom?
• Local forests, creeks, meadows, prairie grass,
mountains and shorelines
• Woodlands adjacent to or on school grounds
• ‘Outdoor Classrooms’ built using natural materials,
loose parts, native plants, shrubs and trees, raised
garden beds, pathways, and places for solitary
hideaways
• Municipal, provincial and national parks
• Conservation sites

14. What is ‘Forest School Canada’?
• Not for profit organization, works in close partnership
with the Child and Nature Alliance, registered Canadian
charity
• Strives to connect all children to nature through Forest
School within their own educational settings
• Works within a ‘collaborative leadership model’
• Governed by board of directors, and advisory board

15. Goal One: To increase the amount of children learning in
nature, in both urban and rural environments in Canada
Objectives:
• Deliver 3 pilot FS
Practitioners’ Courses in the
Spring/Summer 2014
• Establish a ‘Trainers’
Network’ to enhance
practitioners’ course through
a participatory, curriculum
design process 2014-2015
• Develop course binders and
resources for practitioners’
course 2014-2015
• Begin delivering new FS
Practitioners’ Course in each
province in Canada by
2015/2016 school year
• Expand delivery, 2-3 courses
per year in every province in
2017/2018

17. Goal Two: Establish a national ‘Community of Practice’ in
Forest School
Objectives:
• Launch an annual Forest School
Conference in partnership with
the Child and Nature Alliance,
the Canadian Network for
Environmental Education and
Communication and North
American Association for
Environmental Education [Fall
2014]
• Launch national
communications strategy to
engage educators, researchers
and policy-maker’s [2013-2018]
• Establish online membership for
Forest School
Practitioners’ [2014]
• Launch Forest School ‘Taster’
Sessions across Canada to
promote FS model [2013]
• Develop ‘Forest School Guide’,
currently being funded by TD
Friends of the Environment Fund
[2013-2014]
• Launch stakeholder
engagement process for ‘Forest
and Nature School Standards
Council’

19. Goal Three: Support and lead research and policy initiatives
that will further advance nature-based education
Objectives:
• Expand on partnership with
HALO research team,
University of Ottawa/Faculty
of Education, and Carleton
University/Happiness Lab for
collaborative, interdisciplinary research project
to coincide launch of new
‘Centre of Excellence and Lab
School’ [2013-2017]
• Publish policy
recommendations based on
findings from research
project [2017/2018]
• Publish research papers in
leading health, education and
psychology journals in
Canada and internationally
[2017/2018]

20. Goal Four: Create Forest School ‘Centre of Excellence’ and
Lab School in Ottawa, Ontario
Objectives:
• Secure capital funds for new
building at the Municipal
Campgrounds [ 2014/2015]
• Facilitate community
consultation and engagement
strategy [Winter, 2014]
• Deliver part time FS programs
on site [Spring, 2014]
• Establish Lab School with
Ottawa Carleton District School
Board, regional faculties of
education and early childhood
education [2013/2014]
• Recruit leading educators to run
Forest School programs in new
‘Centre of Excellence and Lab
School’ [2014]
• Launch programs at new site
[Fall, 2015]

21. Pilot
Forest
School
Prac//oners’
Course
O#awa,
Ontario,
July
2013

22. What are the possibilities for FS?
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Sooke District Nature Kindergarten
Nature School Sunshine Coast
Maplewood Forest School
Tir Na Nog Forest School
Forest School Canada Centre of Excellence
Guelph Outdoor School
Maple Ridge Outdoor School
Tawingo Outdoor School

24. Partner Organizations
United Kingdom ‘Forest School Association’
Child and Nature Alliance of Canada
HALO Research Team
KidActive
UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development
Evergreen, School Yard Greening
University of Ottawa, Faculty of Education
TD Friends of the Environment Fund
David Suzuki Foundation
Ontario Back to Nature Network
EYES Project
Take Me Outside

25. Marlene Power, Executive Director
www.forestschoolcanada.ca
www.facebook.com/forestschoolcan
twitter:@ForestSchoolCan
613-907-1566
Thank You