A new policy brief from the Lawson Foundation explains the unique features of outdoor and land-based programs (OLBs) and provides a conceptual framework for developing a new category of regulations and licensing for OLBs. The brief is grounded in experience and evidence from leading practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in Canada and abroad....
The Raising the Nation Play Commission is delighted to be launching its final report on the International Day of Play: ‘ Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play'! The report warns that cuts to clubs and playgrounds, busier roads, and increased fears among parents and children about safety, have...
This project, part of the Lawson Foundation Outdoor Play Strategy 2.0, explored changes to provincial legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) that would allow outdoor-based programs such as Forest and Nature Schools to operate as licensed Early Learning and Child Care programs (ELCCs). The NL government provided Cloudberry Forest School with an exemption to operate...
The Lawson Foundation’s Outdoor Play Strategy 2.0 (OPS 2.0) was a pan-Canadian initiative focused on building adult capacity to support outdoor play in early childhood education (ECE). This resource translates the evidence and learning from OPS 2.0 into a practical resource that ECE leaders—such as faculty, directors, and pedagogical leaders— can use on their journey...
Developed based on Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ experience working in partnership with Active Sudbury under the guidance of Sport for Life, Public Health Sudbury & Districts has created an exemplary guide for public health professionals to work collaboratively and efficiently within a multi-sector, community-based partnership to address physical literacy. The document presents ways in...
Park People’s 2024 Canadian City Parks Report, titled "Bridging the Gap," examines how partnerships and collaborations can help overcome the pressing challenges facing Canada’s park sector today. With insights from cities across Canada, this sixth annual edition highlights strategies to advance urban park development and management while fostering vibrant, inclusive, and resilient spaces for all. To...
Check-out OPC's Annual Reports to learn about everything we've been up to! We're immensely proud and honoured to be leading several exciting collaborative, cross-sectoral projects both in Canada and internationally. We could not have done it without our new and growing team of staff, students, and board members. Read the 2023 OPC Annual Report here (EN) et...
This table highlights nationwide efforts in Outdoor Early Childhood Education (ECE) licensing, covering research, policy, and practice. It includes guiding documents, legislative initiatives, and professional development opportunities. The primary aim is to showcase the collective efforts of organizations, the ECE workforce, outdoor learning advocates, and policy and research specialists dedicated to advancing outdoor ECE licensing...
Co-Founder Richard Louv created the Children & Nature Network that arose from the call to action of a New Nature Movement. The Children & Nature Network's mission is to increase equitable access to nature so that children and the natural world can thrive. They have programs and information for youth, families, school, and cities. With...
Jumpstart Charities, founded in 2005, aims to enrich the lives of kids in need through sport and physical activity. Their “2023 State of Sport Report” provides a summary of their annual survey on the continued impact of the pandemic on youth sport in Canada. It outlines key findings such as the rising costs of youth...
