Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) in School Communities
Category
Health, Wellbeing & Development, Loose Parts Play, Ontario, Outdoor Play Environments, Practice, Professional Development, Report, Research, Safety & Outdoor PlayAbout This Project
Between 2016 and 2018, EcoKids worked with 6 school communities in the Toronto District School Board to implement the OPAL pilot program. The Transform Lab, led by Dr. Raktim Mitra, Associate Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson University, evaluated that pilot project. The researchers found that the OPAL program led to more engaging, inclusive, and imaginative outdoor play, and students were happier when playing outdoors.
Read the full report here.
The program was expanded to over 40 schools between 2017-2020. Read updates on the OPAL program here.