Brock Experiential Education Co-ordinator, Outdoor Recreation Liz Kirk, who also currently serves as president of the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO), recently co-wrote a piece published in the Toronto Star about the substantial and lasting benefits of the many outdoor experiential education programs available to Ontario students.

The article was co-written with retired outdoor educator and past president of COEO Grant Linney.

Kirk and Linney write:

While severe budget constraints are a current reality, we are saddened by recent cutbacks to outdoor education programs across Ontario. These include the termination of multi-credit high school integrated programs in Halton, Bluewater, Trillium Lakelands and Simcoe District School Boards, the closure of four of 10 outdoor education centres run by the Toronto District School Board, and the real potential for further reductions.

Outdoor experiential education (OEE) remains a powerful learning methodology for today’s students. It embraces a wide spectrum of safe, teacher-led outdoor experiences.

These include regular neighbourhood walks, field trips to day and residential centres, and the aforementioned high school integrated programs, which can include co-operative education and specialist high skills majors (SHSMs).

Continue reading the full article here.