Ecosource is an organization based in Peel Region that empowers the community to become more environmentally responsible through creative public education (e.g., community gardens, summer camps). Their vision is to move public attitudes and perceptions about environmental issues towards responsible personal action, while inspiring personal accountability for the viability of the planet. Visit their website here....
Developed by Ecosource, the Everywhere Nature Toolkit supports educators, families, and community leaders in fostering children’s connection to nature through outdoor play. Informed by consultations with teachers, early childhood educators, facilitators, and parents across the Region of Peel, the toolkit highlights the benefits of nature engagement, addresses barriers faced in diverse and lower-income communities, and...
This infographic highlights a community-based participatory research planning project led by Dr. Val Carson's team at the University of Alberta, regarding a forest school program at a local public school in Edmonton, Alberta. Download the PDF version here....
ActivePlay.ca, created by Active for Life, offers a rich collection of early childhood education resources designed to help children engage in physically active play every day. The site includes videos, posters, and evidence-informed articles on the benefits of active play available in 11 languages, making it an accessible tool for educators and families across diverse...
Active for Life has released a wide range of free, downloadable posters and activity guides to help families promote children's physical literacy including games, scavenger hunts, bingo cards and much more. These resources are available in 12 languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, Punjabi, Spanish, Ukrainian, Farsi and more! Find all posters here....
The Mixed Research Unit (UMR) Petite enfance, grandeur nature is a structural and multidisciplinary entity that supports and guides research projects on nature-based education, whether they originate from the needs of educational settings, researchers, decision-makers, or other community stakeholders. Learn more here....
This project led by UMR Petite enfance, grandeur nature, aimed to disseminate the results of the work carried out as part of the research project ‘Alex – Nature-Based Education: An Innovative Approach to Supporting the Educational Success of Young Children’, in collaboration with the Association québécoise des CPE (AQCPE). The dissemination was completed through three...
The SPROUT-able project aims to enhance the physical and social environments of outdoor childcare programs, support professional development for early childhood educators, and design evidence-based strategies to promote inclusive outdoor play. The SPROUT-able team has put together five videos and tip sheets to help caregivers and families wishing to support children with disabilities in engaging in...
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 CCOP Annual Report serves to highlight the work our research-practice-policy collaboration has done over the past year, from the launch of the Forest Explorers building in June 2024 to May 2025. Read the CCOP Annual Report: English Version and French Version...
