In the Spring of 2012, Petra Eperjesi watched a video about an Outdoor Kindergarten in Norway. She watched it again. It so stuck with her that in the Spring of 2012, when the Kindergarten program at her school, Tawingo College, in Huntsville, Ontario, was in flux, she pitched the idea that they should start an Outdoor Kindergarten program, and that she should dream it, design it, breathe life into it.

 
Now, in the Spring of 2014, Petra has led that program to the end of its second successful year. Her students have traipsed all over Tawingo’s 270 acres in rain, shine, sleet, and snow (and blackflies). They’ve mapped the shoreline, built a teepee, been stuck in bogs, climbed to the top of Eagle Mountain, shared stories in our tree house, jumped creeks, made nests…They are confident, resilient, compassionate, and deeply inquisitive, all because of the extensive time they spend outdoors in play and exploration. Petra models curiosity and stewardship for her young students, and is constantly seeking to improve her inquiry-based and child-centered teaching practice through reflection, collaboration, and voracious reading.
                                                    
Follow Petra's blog, Where the Wild Things Are, a picture into her journey in outdoor Kindergarten.
 

Owlkids Grand Prize Winner,
Heather McKay

Heather (pictured right) believes there is truly WONDER in every day!  She team teaches Kindergarten in the Calgary Board of Education with Jaime Hatchette (pictured left). Together they strive to blur the lines between their indoor walls and the outside world.  In fact, you can often find their students and materials relocated to their outdoor Learning Grounds in all types of weather.  They believe the best way to learn is through experience.  Their students know the sound of snow at -20 Degrees Celsius and how the sound of rain changes from a drizzle to a downpour. Their ‘Wonder Wagon’ is fully stocked and ready to travel in their quest to co-create learning and honour student’s interests, questions, and expertise.  Looking Closely has become a way of thinking that inspires their students and themselves to learn more about the world and the living things they connect with.

Rich texts are one of many windows used to inspire Heather and Jaime’s passion for learning. They have picture books stashed in every nook in their classroom, their homes, and of course, their ‘Wonder Wagon’. Living in Calgary often means inclement weather, but as the parents in Heather and Jaime’s classroom know, be prepared to go outside! 

You can follow their journey on their Kindergarten Wonder Blog and join the collaborative Looking Closely project if you are interested in adding a little WONDER to your everyday.

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Thank you
to all the applicants.

Your example of passionate Environmental Inquiry teaching in the classroom continues to make a difference in the lives of students, and the greater teaching community.

Thank you for caring for our environment.