What is Outdoor Place Based Learning ?

Place-based education promotes learning that is local and considers the unique history, environment and culture of Cultus Lake. It recognizes and uses students’ own “place” or immediate schoolyard, neighbourhood, town or community for learning.  

Outdoor  and community locations in the local communities of Cultus Lake, Soowhalie and Columbia Valley are used to  provide students with a “hands-on, first hand experience” in learning their curriculum.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some questions that have been asked by partner groups (Parents, the Community School and Staff):

1. Is the regular curriculum still covered? YES, absolutely !! Literacy and  Math are still the main focus of our school.  The goal is to use the local outdoor environment to give students a rich, hands-on experience in learning the BC Curriculum.

2. How much time will you be outside? This will vary depending on the seasons and teaching units. For students in the Kindergarten Program, it will be up to 5 times per week. For students in other grades it will be about two afternoons a week.

3. What clothing will my child need?  While we will not be going outside in extreme weather, our plan is for activities to take place in all 4 seasons in various weather conditions. As students will be outdoors in various natural environments, we recommend that students have a rain coat & water proof foot wear in the fall and spring, and a warm outdoor coat and  foot wear In the winter. For our younger students we recommend waterproof pants appropriate to the season.  Should affordability present a problem, please speak with your child’s teacher or the school principal. The school has a small amount of outdoor gear that can be borrowed by students.

4. How will you be ensuring children are safe?  While all field experiences involve some risk, we have developed some “protocols” we will use as a staff to help ensure student safety and supervision. This includes teaching and monitoring expectations to the students, staff carrying some safety gear( eg: First Aid Kit) and plans to communicate with the school should additional help be needed at any point

5. Can Parents Volunteer?  Yes, we would love to have parent volunteers. All volunteers MUST have a completed Criminal Record Check on file with the office. Please speak with you child’s teacher about volunteer opportunities.