Trillium Lakelands District School Board continues its long-standing commitment to providing students with quality outdoor education experiences. For the 2022-2023 school year, TLDSB students will have an overnight outdoor educational opportunity at a different location than where it has historically been for the Grade 6 program.
“A short-term and long-term review of our outdoor education program is currently in progress,” states Director of Education, Wes Hahn. “We will continue to provide meaningful outdoor education experiences for our students and believe in the importance of connecting with our natural environment and the learning outcomes that occur when students have these opportunities.”
Throughout each school year, TLDSB educators provide outdoor learning experiences for their students in a number of ways on school grounds and through local opportunities in our communities. This is all testament to how much we value learning within and about our natural environment.
“The Yearley Outdoor Education Centre is not owned by TLDSB and a small part of the land where the portables and house are situated is leased by TLDSB. Due to some operational health and safety issues regarding overnight accommodations and on-site food preparation, a decision has been made to continue the outdoor education programming at a different location for the 2022-2023 school year,” remarks Superintendent of Learning, Paul Goldring. “Students will continue to be provided with memorable overnight outdoor education opportunities.”
The use of the Yearley Outdoor Education Centre will be included in the long-term review along with other facilities to provide the very best programming for our students. In the 2022-2023 school year, families will receive more information from their school in the fall about the details of the outdoor education experiences planned for students.
Here’s what is unclear—If this “move” to new space to “continue” outdoor education is the case, why did outdoor educators receive lay-off notices from the board?