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Campfire Conversations – a Networking Event for Nature-Minded Educators

Are you an educator? Curious about forest & nature school? Looking for others like you? Come play, learn, grow & network with us!

On Saturday, April 5th, gather ’round the campfire or in the shade of the trees with other nature-minded educators for a few hours of community-building conversations – this is a networking event for nature-Minded educators!

We welcome anyone who considers themselves an “educator” (teacher or professor at any level, RECE / ECE, EA, student in a related program, home daycare provider, parent or homeschool parent, and of course leaders/facilitators/guides of forest school and/or nature programs, etc.) and wants to learn more about the Forest and Nature School (FNS) model and how to incorporate it into their teaching/setting.

This event is meant to be a networking gathering that will incite growth & change in your practice, and help shape and plan future forest & nature school events for educators. You can expect:

  • a welcome circle with a chance to learn about the other participants
  • a brief tour of the KFNS site
  • an opportunity to chat with the facilitators of Kingston Forest & Nature School (KFNS)
  • an opportunity to network with other nature-minded educators
  • guided conversations that incite change & growth
  • a voice in future educator events at KFNS
  • a few hours to feel like a kid again
  • a table full of resources for sale by blue marble learning scene
  • a chance to chat with the educators behind blue marble learning scene
  • take-home resources

Guided conversations will be framed around the the FNS Guiding Principles, you can expect to discuss:

  • YOUR NATURE SPACES – access to outdoor spaces, small & urban nature spaces, regular & repeated sessions in the same spaces, barriers to access.
  • CHILD-LED LEARNING – view of the child as innately competent & curious, learning & teaching that are play-based, inquiry-driven & emergent, challenges & barriers we face as educators in sharing power with learners.
  • PLAY & RISKY PLAY – the power & importance of play, allowing for time & space to play, self-driven play, risky play, barriers & challenges surrounding risky play in various settings.
  • PROCESS OVER PRODUCT – benefits of loose parts & open-ended play, challenges & barriers we face in stepping back & letting play/learning happen naturally, finding value in process as much as outcome.
  • RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS – our role in reconciliation, how to approach Land-based learning respectfully, ethically, equitably, and with accessibility in mind.
  • AND MORE!

There is so much value in surrounding yourself with like-minded people, digging deep into the challenges & barriers that stand between you & nature-rooted learning, challenging yourself to think differently, and supporting others while they do the same. We cannot wait to connect with you!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The cost to participate is $15/person. *If cost is a barrier, please reach out at kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com. Students, please feel free to forego payment as a gift from us towards your future connecting others to the Land.

You must register in advance in order to attend.

REGISTRATION: please use this Google form to register for the event

PAYING VIA PAYPAL: please visit bit.ly/kfnspaypal to make your donation via credit card or PayPal balance.

PAYING VIA E-TRANSFER: please send your donation to kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com with the event name in the memo line.

Please read more about our location here: https://kingstonforestandnatureschool.ca/about/contact-us/. More information will be provided to registered participants.

PHOTOS: We take photos at our events. If you do NOT give permission for photos of your family to be shared publicly (by KFNS and/or blue marble learning scene), please send an email with your name and a note stating that you do not give permission for photos to be shared publicly, otherwise permission to share will be assumed.

NOTE: All participants will be required to sign an assumption of risk waiver and to follow our Illness & Community Wellness Policies.

Please email kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com if you have any questions.

 

Introduction to Forest & Nature School and Nature-Rooted Learning

On Saturday, May 3rd, join us for a day of engaging, hands-on introductory workshops focussed on the Forest and Nature School (FNS) model and nature-rooted learning – a Forest School 101 of sorts!

We welcome anyone who considers themselves an “educator” (teacher / professor at any level, RECE / ECE, EA, student in a related program, home daycare provider, parent or homeschool parent, forest/nature program facilitator, etc.) and wants to learn more about the Forest and Nature School (FNS) model and how to incorporate it into their teaching/setting.

Workshop topics will be:

  • Intro to Outdoor Risky Play;
  • Intro to Emergent/Child-Led Learning (+ Supporting Rhythms & Routines); and,
  • Curriculum Connections Through Problem Solving with blue marble learning scene.

More than just inspired & informed, educators will walk away from this event feeling more confident & capable when it comes to introducing (or strengthening) these concepts in their practice & setting, and talking about the benefits of FNS and nature-rooted learning with parents, colleagues, and stakeholders. Participants will also walk away with resources to support continued learning & self-reflection around these topics.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

These workshops are meant to be engaging, hands-on, introductory forays into each topic. Each workshop will last 1-2 hours, and depending on the number of participants, we may divide you into smaller groups and rotate you through the sessions, thus providing more time & space for your questions, concerns & specific needs.

Intro to Supporting Outdoor Risky Play – 2 hours

Risky play helps children develop resilience, executive functioning skills, self-confidence, and risk-assessment abilities. Each time they engage in risky play they are engaging in their own science experiment: pushing themselves out of their comfort zone without knowing what the exact outcome will be. We know it’s good for them, so let’s empower ourselves to support it!

This workshop, presented by Leah Kiil & Sarah McCans of KFNS, will include discussions and information & resource sharing around:

  • what risky play is
  • the different categories of risky play
  • our own discomfort around certain types of risky play
  • the benefits of risky play
  • language to use when supporting risky play
  • an exploration of the concept of “as safe as necessary” versus “as safe as possible”
  • and the types of risky play that we observe most with different age groups

It will involve hands-on learning, engaging with risky play scenarios, and the opportunity to ask questions, seek advice, and share your successes with others. Every participant will receive a takeaway resource.

Intro to Emergent/Child-Led Learning (+ Supporting Rhythms & Routines) – 1 hour

“Emergent”, “child-led”, “inquiry-driven”, “play-based” – there’s a magic that happens when we hand over the reins to the children & the world around them. Emergent/child-led learning is a philosophy that focuses on being responsive to children’s interests to create meaningful learning experiences. It requires chasing down the children’s interests and encourages their natural curiosity and imagination to work and develop. As adults, we often get hung up on the “how” and letting go of product in favour of process – let’s push through those barriers together to support a more empowering approach to learning!

This workshop, presented by Monica Miller & Shannon McGinn of KFNS, will include discussions and information & resource sharing around:

  • what the “emergent curriculum” is
  • what child-led learning is
  • language and guiding questions to support emergent and child-led learning
  • the rhythms & routines we employ to support this type of learning
  • the benefits of it
  • and the types of child-led learning that we observe most with different age groups
  • with interest, we will also focus on supporting loose parts play

It will involve hands-on learning, a walk-through of our rhythms & routines, and the opportunity to ask questions, seek advice, and share your successes with others. Every participant will receive a takeaway resource.

Curriculum Connections Through Problem Solving with blue marble learning scene – 1 hour

Nothing beats the benefits students gain from learning outside. It gives kids time to wonder and ask questions and inspires them to investigate further. But in a traditional school setting, that comes with challenges. Do you have access to nearby nature? Can you bring the outdoors in? Or, what if you could inject the curriculum with nature at every turn? Let’s take a look at how we can meet those curriculum expectations AND connect kids with nature at the same time!

This workshop, presented by Cindy of blue marble learning scene, will focus on how kids and nature solve problems and how that can connected to the Ontario Elementary Curriculum. blue marble’s goal with injecting nature into the curriculum is to find fun, hands-on ways to explore required topics. This workshop will discuss how that can be accomplished in a classroom setting. Every participant will receive a takeaway resource.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Cost

In order to find the balance between making these workshops accessible, honouring the time & energy we put into them, and sustaining our businesses, we will be offering tickets at 3 different price points:

  • Community – $120 – you pay slightly more than the true cost to support members of your community with access to these workshops
  • Sustain – $100 – you pay just enough to cover the true cost of the workshops
  • Support – $80 – you pay slightly less than the true cost and rely on the support of your community so that you can access these workshops

Please choose the ticket price that makes the most sense for you. You must register in advance in order to attend.

REGISTRATION: please use this Google form to register for the event

PAYING VIA PAYPAL: please visit bit.ly/kfnspaypal to make your donation via credit card or PayPal balance.

PAYING VIA E-TRANSFER: please send your donation to kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com with the event name in the memo line.

Schedule

  • 9:00-9:30 – opening circle
  • 9:30-10:30 – workshop
  • 10:30-10:45 – break
  • 10:45-11:45 – workshop
  • 11:45-12:30 – lunch break (BYO lunch)
  • 12:30-1:30 – workshop
  • 1:30-1:45 – break
  • 1:45-2:45 – workshop
  • 2:45-3:00 – closing circle

The Fine Print

In order to run these workshops, we require a minimum of 12 participants to be registered by April 18th.

You can request an evidence of learning/proof of participation certificate if required to support your professional development goals.

Please read more about our location here: https://kingstonforestandnatureschool.ca/about/contact-us/. More information will be provided to registered participants.

PHOTOS: We take photos at our events. If you do NOT give permission for photos of your family to be shared publicly (by KFNS and/or blue marble learning scene), please send an email with your name and a note stating that you do not give permission for photos to be shared publicly, otherwise permission to share will be assumed.

NOTE: All participants will be required to sign an assumption of risk waiver and to follow our Illness & Community Wellness Policies.

Please email kingstonforestandnatureschool@gmail.com if you have any questions.

 

 


Did you know? We offer custom PD!

We offer custom Professional Development (PD) workshops for groups of educators. We can cover just about any topic related to Forest & Nature School (FNS), including taking learning outdoors, supporting risky play, supporting loose parts play, supporting child-led & play-based learning, establishing rhythms & routines to support FNS, and more! We can tailor the content and timing to your specific needs. Please reach out via email for a quote – please include estimated number of people, preferred dates & timing, and general topics you’re hoping to cover.

We have previously worked with Frontenac County Childcare Centres and City of Kingston / EarlyON Programs providing engaging, hands-on learning opportunities for groups of up to 55 educators.

Custom PD must be a minimum of 2 hours and booked at least 4 weeks in advance.

Contact us today!

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