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out outside - the forest school in the city
Everything you love about Oak Learners, NOW OUTSIDE!

Welcome to the Forest School in the City

Oak Learners endeavours every day to inspire learning through an authentic skill-based curriculum. Our teachers nurture children’s natural curiosity about their world with student-centered experiences. At Oak Learners, we believe every child can be successful when they belong to a truly supportive educational community.

oak outside - the forest school in the city

Outdoor Education plays a key role in skill development!

Playing and exploring outdoors are experiences that most adults today grew up with.

Yet, in the past few decades, the amount of time that children spend outdoors and the ways they experience their neighbourhoods, have changed drastically. Much of the recreational time of today’s children is spent on indoor pursuits, even among children who live in rural areas.

Many research studies over the past decade links children’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health with time spent outdoors, experiencing nature. For example, students have been shown to have increased focus, confidence, self-esteem and overall feelings of happiness and satisfaction with school.

Even something as simple as looking at a tree can have surprisingly calming effects! In addition, directly observing plants and animals help children develop an understanding of “systems”, that is, the relationships and processes in nature, while building their connections to community. Not only that but learning outside is fun! Students are excited and enthusiastic to try new activities and discover new things. This type of experiential, “hands-on” learning often reaches students who don’t thrive in a typical classroom setting.

 

 

Environmental Stewardship

Understanding the responsibility of caring for our local environment.

Navigation and Mapping

Developing skills to navigate the local community and trails.

Observation and Inquiry

Scientific investigation and STEAM integration sparked by natural observation and inquiry.

Sense of “Place” and Belonging,

Building an understanding our place and role in our community.

Local Culture and Heritage

Developing an appreciation for local culture, tradition and heritage.

Oak Outside Programming

Environmental Exploration, STEAM, Leadership and more!

Outdoor Programs

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From our Blog

Stay connected with News, Activities, our latest Research and More!
Summer Camp Week 2, 2023

Summer Camp Week 2, 2023

Wow… time flies when you are having the BEST time ever! This week at the  Royal York campus Summer Camps, our theme was “Move & Groove” and we certainly did that! Read more about Summer Camps at Oak Learners.

SUMMER CAMP WEEK 1 2023

SUMMER CAMP WEEK 1 2023

Wow…what a fun & smooth first week of camp & for that we have our fabulous campers & staff to thank Rain or lots of (sunshine), we were...

Expressing Creativity through Nature

Expressing Creativity through Nature

We have to celebrate the good days and remember what is special in our lives. Thankfully, we have life and that is because of the Earth. SO, let’s celebrate and use the things it gives us to show its beauty.

A Natural Way to Learn

A Natural Way to Learn

On a beautiful spring afternoon in mid-May, we noticed that our local park was blanketing in gorgeous yellow dandelions. The fields of green and yellow seemed to stretch forever, providing us an opportunity to reflect on the absolute beauty of the natural world around us.

Spring Wonder Walks

Spring Wonder Walks

The weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining brighter and it helps us all feel a little bit better each day. It’s the perfect time to get outside and take a walk!

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