Outdoor education in Canadian public schools: Connecting children and youth to people, place, and environment

Abstract

The roots and goals of outdoor education (OE) in Canada are often linked to the Canadian summer camp tradition that emerged in the early 1900s which centered around character development, and the environmental movement of the 1950s and 1960s. However, a comprehensive understanding of the philosophies, goals, and activities of modern Canadian OE K-12 programs is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the underlying philosophies, learning goals, and activities of K-12 OE programs in Canada. Using a descriptive research design, we conducted a web-based survey consisting of closed-and open-ended questions of 100 K-12 programs across Canada. Our findings indicate the programs are grounded in hands-on experiential learning that is holistic and integrates knowledge from a variety of disciplines. Primary learning goals include personal growth, community building, environmental stewardship, and people and place consciousness. OE activities varied but commonly included basic outdoor skills that can be practiced regardless of seasons. Implications for K-12 programming are discussed.