PDTCA 2023

Alberta has a bounty of natural resources and outdoor learning environments, but nature and being in the outdoors can be defined and understood differently by many people. The same can be said about the terms 'outdoor education', 'risk', and 'risky play'. Risk is a word often thought of as a negative term, instead of a term that in the context of play and learning, can simply mean a challenge or something that is exciting or thrilling. Teachers, administrators, and many parents have taken it upon themselves to create rules that stifle or eliminate outdoor play and hinder memorable learning and positive experiences in the outdoors. This is done in an attempt to protect children, but the question that needs to be asked is, "are we doing more harm than good in the long term by keeping kids inside our school building?".
This session is intended to provide real stats and facts and allow all attendees to consider and contemplate their own levels of risk. The intent of this presentation is to provide an opportunity for all attendees to question and consider how we as teachers and parents, utilize the outdoors and whether we give our students and children enough opportunities to learn and express themselves in the "outdoor classroom". Using literature from Richard Louv and other outdoor education theorists as well as educational philosophers, this session will cause teachers to pause and ponder their teaching practices and consider how their personal pedagogy may be enhanced by utilizing the outdoors more and create learning opportunities for students that are rich and potentially more engaging and relevant than the current practices that they employ.
Giving kids their wildhood back is meant to allow children of all ages to be outdoors, disconnect from technology and simply enjoy and embrace the beauty of mother nature. As teachers, we can teach all curricula outdoors and make valuable connections between curricula if we really want to. Taking our indoor lessons outdoors, even a little bit, may provide students with extra motivation and willingness to engage in their learning more profoundly and meaningfully.

LOCATION: Due to the weather, please meet us at the Hyatt in Imperial Ballroom 6.

Nature supports wellness in many ways, but not all students have equitable access to nature. Mainstream outdoor education is inaccessible, exclusive, and expensive. It perpetuates systemic racism, ableism, classism, heterosexism, sexism, cissexism, and sizeism. Many youth feel ignored, unwelcome, and unprepared in outdoor education.

Join CPAWS as we explore the concrete jungle downtown to demonstrate how to make outdoor education inclusive for all – no matter where you are! Learn how you can provide inclusive nature connection opportunities that support your students’ wellbeing. This outdoor session will help guide your role as a teacher in responding to inequity in outdoor education. CPAWS will demonstrate how to take your favourite environmental lesson plans and apply cross-cultural guidelines to make your lessons more accessible for all your students!

LOCATION: Calgary Zoo: 210 St. George's Dr NE; Calgary; T2E 7V6
Ever wondered what a day in the life of a conservation researcher looks like? Excited about making conservation connections in the classroom? Join staff from the Calgary Zoo as we lead you how we leverage our interdisciplinary expertise to protect wildlife in Canada and around the world. Hear tales from the field, learn conservation techniques and strategies to integrate this work into your classroom. This session will be a teaser of our new program Conservation Science.

Immerse yourself in the wild world of teaching wildlife, ecosystems, and land use with Inside Education! This interactive session will guide you through hands-on activities to engage students in meaningful learning about Alberta’s wildlife species, habitats, species at risk, and human interactions, while inspiring an environmental stewardship mentality.
This session not only leaves you with inspiration and new ideas to use in your classroom, but you will also gain access to newly developed interactive games that allow students to experience ecosystems by traveling through the Westcastle and Boreal regions of Alberta. Through the eyes of different organisms in the games, students immerse themselves in the wilderness and complete quests to experience life cycles, habitats, interspecific relationships, and human interactions firsthand.
Come along for the wild ride!

***IMPORTANT UPDATE - Wed. Feb. 22***
Despite frigid February temperatures forecast for Friday…
 …the power and wonder of nature goes on, and our CPAWS PDCTA workshop is moving INDOORS:

Wild Wellness - It's in YOUR Nature!
Friday, February 24th
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM*
Nose Hill LIBRARY (Program Room)**
(1530 Northmount Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2L 0G6).
 PLEASE NOTE: *new time & **new location 
***END OF UPDATE***

Everyone from behavioural psychologists to environmental conservationists are providing proof that time in nature, or Vitamin N, is pivotal to whole health and well-being. Everything from creativity to calmness, is cultivated by quality time spent amongst the trees, birds, creeks and clouds. CPAWS Southern Alberta agrees wholeheartedly; but don’t take their word for it. Join them for a mind/body infusion of nature play, awe and wonder; and you be the judge—connection and rejuvenation await!

Meet CPAWS at Nose Hill Park (Winter Club Parking) to play your way back into the natural world that we are all a part of, and reclaim connections that often get lost or forgotten in our busy, tech-driven, modern world. Channel and celebrate your inner ‘wild child’ and learn how to teach your students to do the same!

During this whole-person, cross-curricular session, you will discover how outside in nature we are more:
-energized
-engaged
-inventive
-social
-balanced
-resilient
-empathetic

Uncover how wellness can be unlocked by simply getting yourself and your students outside today, tomorrow and for the rest of your lives! Wild Wellness is absolutely in YOUR nature… so get outside with CPAWS and claim it!

Please come prepared to be active outside for 3 hours - appropriate clothing, footwear, water, and snacks. Further details will be provided to all registrants within 2 weeks of the session.

LOCATION: Calgary Zoo: 210 St. George's Dr NE; Calgary; T2E 7V6 
Looking for ways to get your students outside and engage them in real world science? Come explore Citizen Science, why it's important and how to incorporate it into your classroom. We will look at various classroom-ready Citizen Science initiatives then head out on to zoo grounds to test them. You will leave equipped to turn your students into citizen scientists!