FREDERICTON — The Conservation Council’s Learning Outside Coordinator, Nadine Ives, will join Emma McIntyre of Nature NB for an in-depth nature education training session for New Brunswick elementary teachers in Moncton this week.
Thousands of teachers will participate in three different professional development days across the province on May 6 organized by the New Brunswick Teachers Association. The Elementary Council Day takes at the Bernice MacNaughton High School and Wesleyan Celebration Centre in Moncton and Ives says she is looking forward to one of her favourite days of the year.
“This will be the third time I’ve helped take our shared Great Minds Think Outside professional development training to the NBTA’s Council Day participants,” said Ives, who has a PhD in ecology and has been involved in nature education in various forms for over 20 years.
“Feedback from participants is always very positive and I expect the same creative responses from our teachers this week,” says Ives. “I have found that our New Brunswick teachers are enthusiastic leaders when it comes to building outside activities into their lesson plans. “
The Conservation Council’s Learning Outside program helps New Brunswick’s children re-connect with nature by developing creative ways to integrate nature into the teaching of all subjects through the development of outdoor learning spaces and provision of teacher training opportunities.
Great Minds Think Outside is a hands-on, curriculum-linked, outdoor professional development program that gives teachers and educators the skills, tools, and resources they need to teach their students outside in nature. Launched in September 2015 by members of the New Brunswick Sustainability Education Alliance, the training is offered in both official languages and can be tailored to teachers of all grade levels.
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More information
To learn more about the Conservation Council’s Learning Outside project, check out the website at www.learningoutside.ca
To learn more about the Great Minds Think Outside program, see www.nben.ca/greatminds.
To learn more about the NBTA’s Elementary Council Day program, see http://www.nbta.ca/councils-online-2016/elementary/pdfs/2016_EC_program.pdf
To arrange an interview, contact: Nadine Ives, 458-8747 | nadine.ives@conservationcouncil.ca