Collaborator Spotlight: the Outdoor Learning School & Store

One of the greatest joys of being in the reconciliation sphere is the connections you make along the way. The journey lends itself to meeting new friends and allies who are sharing the same path, and they quickly feel like kin. Learn more about our friends at the Outdoor Learning School & Store.

A few years ago, we were approached by an environmental organization about hosting a highly customized version of the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation course as a year-long learning companion to a curated Indigenous speakers series. We had never done something quite like this before, and though we were apprehensive about branching out into this new way of teaching and course delivery, we felt strongly about the work this group was doing and wanted to be a part of it. 

Little did we know, only 3 short years later, the Outdoor Learning School & Store would be one of our closest collaborators, but also one of our most dedicated and broad learning communities in 4 Seasons of Reconciliation (or as the collaborative special version is called, 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning).

Many of the learners reading this now may well be here because they are a part of this special community. We’ve met hundreds of new faces and workplaces through your participation in the Outdoor Learning School & Store’s programming, and we’ve been fortunate enough to learn alongside you these past few years.

If you’re just hearing about the Outdoor Learning School & Store and our friendship for the first time, here are just some of the highlights of our work together so far, and some goodies from our friends at OLS.

• One of our favourite things about the Outdoor Learning School & Store is that 100% of proceeds from the Outdoor Learning School & Store go back into supporting non-profit initiatives, including Indigenous Learning initiatives. They host language learning classes, free webinars, and have an incredible curated store full of Indigenous works and resources.
• Did you know there’s a follow-up course to 4 Seasons of Reconciliation, designed for Land-based educators? Season 2: Learning from the Land endeavours to support you in strengthening your personal connections with, and understanding of, the local Land as a way of allowing yourself to better understand and appreciate local Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, culture, and history. This co-created course is more reflective and provides prompts to get outside and ground your learning in your local place.
• Together, we created and piloted a new edition of 4 Seasons of Reconciliation, expanding content southward into the United States (and eventually Mexico). This special edition is dedicated to exploring the lands and peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America), comparing and contrasting the history and contemporary realities of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the USA.
• We learn more when we learn together! OLS and Reconciliation Education are continually collaborating to build & share knowledge, connections, inspiration, and resources for our community. We encourage you to check out this special page curated by the Outdoor Learning School & Store of 30 recommended resources for June, offered on the recommendation of Indigenous staff, advisors and partners, and are all developed and made available by Indigenous authors, educators and organizations.

We are so thankful for the special partnership and friendship we’ve developed with our friends at the Outdoor Learning School & Store. Make sure to follow their socials to keep up with their incredible programming, and watch our News & Announcements for more news of our collaborations to come.