SP0141: Education Outdoor Eco-Learning

In the spring of 2014, 18 Faculty, Staff and Students from across the Faculty of Education attended a session aimed at creating a garden beside the Faculty of Education. Although support for the space was overwhelming, there were no funds available for the task. Interest in the creation of this space has continued to increase and both students and faculty are wanting to tie their course content to outdoor learning spaces.

Currently, there is no allocated outdoor learning space beside the Faculty of Education that faculty members can use to tie their course work and research to. With this in mind the Education Outdoor Eco-Learning project will fund one master’s student to develop and assist in creating the inaugural Faculty of Education Garden and Outdoor Learning space for the Faculty of Education, for Learning and Research in Education.

There are precedents for such spaces at the University of British Columbia and University of Toronto’s Faculty of Education which are used on a daily basis by students, staff and faculty to explore interdisciplinary content, enabling future teachers to learn first-hand how to develop eco-literacy and teach for a sustainable future.

Resources from the SPF will be used to create four raised garden beds beside The Faulty of Education to grow food and flowers. These beds will aid in raising awareness about the significance of preparing future educators in Canada to consider the importance of outdoor learning space and gardens. Once complete, the desire is for the Faulty to create a website and lead 2-3 workshops for Faculty and Instructors on how to tie their teaching content to issues of sustainability while outdoors. The website will house information about how to use the space for teaching and research, and information about the workshops.