卡尔加里教育委员会可持续发展团队的指导愿景是“加深与自然世界的联系”。最近，团队提出了一个问题：在这个城市里，哪些地方可以安全地组织大规模的学生（以及老师）探索自然?答案是卡尔加里YMCA。卡尔加里教育委员会与YMCA Riveredge合作，这是一个位于卡尔加里中环附近Sandy Beach公园旁的实地研究区域。该项目不仅为卡尔加里教育委员会的学生提供了课外活动，还为CBE教职员工提供了户外主题的专业学习机会。

对于YMCA Camp Chief Hector营地总经理罗布·布朗来说，与卡尔加里教育委员会合作非常合适。他兴奋地表示：“我们的战略计划特别提到自然世界作为培养社会和情感福祉的手段。”

以往只在夏季使用的Riveredge场地现在开放了独特的“地球游”日游活动。这个实地研究机会受到了森林幼儿园和雷焦艾米利亚教育理念的影响，并提出了一个问题：“这种教育方法在K-12公立学校中如何存在?”熟悉个性化学习的融合课程的教师被授权计划和领导着以学生为中心的户外探索活动。

参与该项目的教师领导罗宾·菲利普斯、莉莎·辛德和玛丽·哈多克表示：“这个实地考察非常出色，因为它使学生能够在任何季节和任何天气下都能在森林中学习。这一天的设计是让教师成为学生不断涌现的问题的引导者。通过这个经验，学生们能够更深入地与地球建立联系，同时也增强了他们的自信和适应能力。”

卡尔加里教育委员会研究与战略专家希瑟·麦凯描述了“土地素养”专业学习系列。“麦凯将这个系列描述为“邀请教师与土地和彼此建立关系，从而想象出邀请学生参与有意义、愉悦的识字学习的新方法。”在整个学年中，教育工作者们聚集在一起，在传统的教室以外的不同学科中体验阅读、写作、口语和听力。

麦凯说：“这项工作已经转化回学校教师的工作中，他们带领学生走进当地空间，以个性化的方式发展和实践识字能力。”

最新的专业学习课程将职业和技术基础（CTF/CTS）与卡尔加里教育委员会的土著教育战略相结合。30名教师参与了传统的梅蒂斯人烩菜Ruaboo Stew的准备过程。通过物理上的食物准备，很多其他的教学、故事和礼仪等内容也在过程中自然而然地分享出来。教师们重新思考了他们对食物和土地的关系，反思了如何获取养分。这是一个充满力量的口头识字、传统知识和在专业学习社区中的工作和进餐的日子，尽管正值寒冬。

我们对继续实施卡尔加里教育委员会三年计划的这个实际示例非常激动。为学生和CBE教职员工的学习社区创造宝贵的经验。请关注卡尔加里教育委员会可持续发展团队的推特账号@Serve_CBE以及我们的地球游活动标签#cbeEarthPlay。

A guiding vision of the CBE Sustainability team is to “deepen ones relationship with the natural world”. Recently, the team asked: where are the places in this city you can safely explore nature with large groups of students (and teachers, too)? Enter YMCA Calgary. The CBE has partnered with YMCA Riveredge, a field study area beside Sandy Beach Park near Calgary’s beltline. Programming has begun for both CBE students as well as outdoor-themed professional learning for CBE staff.

It was a natural fit for Rob Brown, YMCA Camp Chief Hector GM, who was excited to work with the CBE.
“Our strategic plan specifically mentions the natural world as a vehicle for cultivating social and emotional wellbeing,” Brown said.

The Riveredge site that was used only in summer months is now open for unique ‘Earthplay’ day trips.
This field study opportunity is heavily influenced by the current popularity of Forest Kindergartens and the Reggio Emilia ethos and asks, “How can this pedagogical approach exist with K-12 public schools?” Teachers familiar with emergent curriculum approach to personalizing student learning are given autonomy to plan and lead their student-centered day of outdoor exploration.

"This field trip is remarkable in many ways, namely because it makes learning in the forest, accessible in all seasons in any weather. The day is designed with the teachers positioned as the guide to the students emerging inquiries. Through this experience students gain a deeper connection to the earth, while at the same time they build their confidence and resiliency,' said teacher leaders in the program, Robin Phillips, Liisha Hinder and Mary Haddock.

‘Literacies on the Land’ is a professional learning series described by Heather McKay, CBE Specialist in Research & Strategy. McKay describes the series as, “an invitation for teachers to develop relationships with Land and each other, in order to imagine new ways of inviting students into intentional, joyful literacy learning.”

Throughout the school year, educators come together to experience reading, writing, speaking, and listening within different disciplines, beyond the traditional school walls.

“This work has already transferred back to teachers' work in schools as they take their students into local spaces and become experts while developing and practicing literacies in personalized ways” says McKay.

The latest professional learning sessions connect Career and Technology Foundations (CTF/CTS) with our CBE Indigenous Education Strategy. 30 teachers were guided through the preparation of the traditional Métis meal of Rubaboo stew. Though the physical aspect of preparing food, there are always many other teachings, stories and protocol that were organically shared throughout the process. Teachers were able to rethink how they access their nourishment, and reflect on connection to food and the land. All during the depths of winter, it was a powerful day of oral literacy, traditional ways of knowing, and working and eating in a professional learning community.

We are very excited to continue this tangible example of our CBE Three-year Education Plan. Creating valuable experience and for students and CBE staff learning communities.  Follow CBE Sustainability along at @Serve_CBE and our EarthPlay work with the hashtag #cbeEarthPlay