Annual Report (.pdf) - Campus Calgary/Open Minds - Calgary Board ...

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Thank You In 1997 Bird School was the first venture into outdoor nature sites for Open Minds/Campus Calgary. According to Gill Kydd, there was so much to discover about children and learning at a natural site. As we look back over 17 years of amazing experiences for teachers and students we are grateful that Kym McCulley, with the City of Calgary connected with Gill and walked through this incredible urban Calgary oasis. Gill thought it seemed like a good fit, but wondered how students would respond Gill’s impression of those first weeks in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary go something like this: “None of us could believe what happened. When the sessions began, the magic was evident. The students didn’t need to be kept busy; they were immersed in the quiet, in the small happenings that they learned to observe. And so it was: • the coyote footprints in the snow first thing in the morning. • the distant sound of traffic on Deerfoot Trail. • the buds appearing on the trees. • the woodpecker’s drumming. • the silent Great Horned owl perched up high. We learned that Bird School became almost a spiritual refuge for these urban children. They loved “the sounds of silence”. Children who had trouble functioning at school were in their element. I remember a visiting principal who was being told all the fine points of camouflage by a Grade Six boy. Later she said to me “I can’t believe that is the same student – I usually see him on a chair outside my office, when he needs time away from the classroom”. Hazel Gillespie from Petro-Canada fell in love with the idea and Bird School was born. For years she championed the program recognizing that it promoted science and environmental literacy in a way that directly connected students to nature, strengthened their appreciation of these areas and raised their awareness of pursuing a career in these areas. So, here we are years later, over 300 teachers have adopted this space as their classroom, more than 8,500 students have been scientists, explorers and researchers in this rich environment and 5000 + parent volunteers have witnessed the lives of their children transformed by the magic of Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and the innovative Campus Calgary program. More recently, we are indebted to the Suncor Foundation for their most generous support, allowing the program to continue. Their commitment and dedication to this innovative teaching and learning model has permitted these students and their teachers to be part of experiences that have fostered student appreciation, attitudes and understandings of cultural awareness, civic pride, community responsibility and stewardship. Students have gained a clearer idea of how they fit into the big picture and the role they play within it. In 2010 City of Calgary Parks partnered with Encana to create EcoAction School at Ralph Klein Park. We are most grateful they came together to make this unique teaching and learning opportunity available to our teachers and their students. Over the last three years 85 teachers, 2,250 students and numerous parent volunteers have explored the wetlands. As students grappled with issues around environmental stewardship and sustainability they gained confidence as learners and have come to recognize that they can make a positive difference. 18
13/14 annual report In addition to these two amazing sites, the Campus Calgary program has been very successful at Reader Rock Garden. Over the past 7 years over 15 teachers and their students have spent a week immersed in this unique garden set in the heart of the city. In addition to our generous funders and City of Calgary Parks, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary volunteer stewards and other City of Calgary staff who have given so freely of their time to help our youth understand the value of these precious places in our city. And lastly, many thanks to the teachers and students and their parent volunteers who embraced these opportunities to see curriculum come alive in such rich learning environments. “My favourite part of the week was slowing down and, maybe for the first time in my life, really appreciating nature.” - student 19
Page 1: Campus Calgary/ Chevron Open Minds
Page 4 and 5: Overview In collaboration with the
Page 6 and 7: People, Places and Partnerships Sup
Page 8 and 9: Benefits and Accountability A Campu
Page 10 and 11: The Flood What makes Calgary a beau
Page 12 and 13: Excellence Every year teachers part
Page 14 and 15: What’s New Throughout the year we
Page 16 and 17: Program Statistics Data for Campus
Page 18 and 19: Applications Submitted to Campus Ca
Page 22: Last Word Dear Swarna, Kamala and R

Annual Report (.pdf) - Campus Calgary/Open Minds - Calgary Board ...

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