open house and annual general meeting 2013. some history… our organization was first established...
TRANSCRIPT
Open House and Annual General
Meeting2013
Carp Ridge Learning Centre (CRLC)
Some History… Our organization was first established in October 1999 as the Carp Ridge
Community School, an alternative, nature-based school for children and youths. Founders were Katherine Willow and her late husband Mickey.
Freya Struthers was the first charity Program Director, she started up most of the programs including the pre-school. Freya also started establishing links with external partners such as Katimavik, Pathfinders, So Glad To Be Me and more…
The organization’s mandate later changed to include any programs for the general public that would: Promote healthy living Further preventative health care
Up to this day, there has always been a small school on site – but as of September the school is under private management.
Now that we’re no longer running the school, the organization is in a transition phase.
Carp Ridge Learning Centre what’s it all about?
Improve the Health of our Community through:
EducationInnovative Ideas put into Action
Support of ChangePartnerships
INTRODUCTIONS:2012-2013Board Of Directors
PresidentJacqui Ehninger-Cuervo
ChairAnn Lawrence
TreasurerDamita Wijay
SecretaryJaime Sheridan
Our Founder:Katherine Willow
her assistant Laura Tromp
and board memberChristie Unitt
Building a healthier community:Physical HealthMental HealthEmotional HealthSpiritual Health
AGENDA
The Year in Review RecognitionLook to the FutureContributions to Community ProjectsClosing Thoughts…
BREAK
AGM
Building a healthier community through:EducationInnovative Ideas & ActionsSupport of ChangePartnerships
Year in ReviewForest School
Families in NatureHomeschool Program
FOREST SCHOOLS Nature Schools started in Scandinavia in the 1950s
According to Niels Ejbye-Ernst, Researcher at Copenhagen University, the first record of
a Danish nature school is from 1950, when a woman named Ella Flatau formed a
“Walking Kindergarten,” where a daily hike in the woods was part of the curriculum...
A Forest School is an innovative educational approach to outdoor
play and learning.
Based on the belief that children's contact with nature and the natural world is a
very important factor in their development.
The concept was exported into other Scandinavian countries, from
there into the UK and finally into North America.A 13 month long study carried out in Sweden on children from similar backgrounds found that children attending forest school kindergartens in the countryside environment are far
happier than children in kindergartens located in the urban environment...
FOREST SCHOOL at Carp Ridge Between 2008 and 2013, Carp Ridge Forest Preschool
& Kindergarten was developed and hosted at the Learning Centre.
Marlene Power became the Executive Director after Freya Struthers.
We’ll let the pictures do the talking…
Forest School Tour
An attentive crowd…
Families in Nature with
Martha Webber
Martha Webber Martha Webber, is an award-winning
Ottawa-based educator and naturalist,
who is now in her late 80s.
For decades she has lead groups into
local forests and fields to discover the
vast variety of edible plants growing wild
and to teach aspiring foragers, every
spring, about wild edibles.
Her “Families in Nature” program was
hosted by CRLC.
Martha welcomes participants…
Had a great Families in Nature on Sunday -- Martha Webber started with a chat about beavers & a pass-around of beaver
bits. Water & woods on Carp Ridge is heavily influenced by busy beavers creating ponds & such:
Bushcraft Programswith
Chad Clifford
Chad Clifford Chad Clifford is a certified teacher who
specializes in survival, bushcraft and nature lore.
Chad has taught outdoor skills across Canada, in
the Arctic, at public schools, Colleges &
Universities, at his own business and in a BBC's
survival series.
He had been running the Homeschool program
as part of the CRLC curriculum and now offers
his “Parent-Youth Bushcraft Club” at the Carp
Ridge location.
Quinzee snow shelter building.
Big Changes for CRLC… The Charity-run school closed for a
number of reasons: CRLC was a great place to germinate this whole
idea and nurture the seedling school along, but it needed a bigger pot…
Growth was an issue – Site and zoning limitations and with that also financial strain, because you couldn’t make it break even.
Marlene found what looked like a great opportunity for a larger, more centrally located school at the former National Equestrian Park.
Sara took the opportunity to start her own private nature school at Carp Ridge – great news for anyone looking for a nature school in this area!
Forest versus Nature School…
This picture does a great job explaining the relationship between Nature and Forest schools. They are basically like two paths leading into the same direction and it’s personal preference which one you’ll take.Forest school has become more of a brand, they have courses, train people in a certain way and have a more structured curriculum.Individual Nature schools, like Sara’s are – well more individual! The leader’s philosophy and style come through more strongly.
CRLC may not run a school anymore, but we have not lost interest in alternative
education!
Ridgewoods Outdoor Program
Run by Sara Raeesi - Sara is teaching at Algonquin College, which is why she could not join us tonight.
degree in Education Science, a BA in Childhood Studies (RECE) and working on her Masters in Education.
Over 25 years experience
training in wilderness survival
holds certificates in Early Childhood Music Education and Nature Pedagogy and Outdoor Education.
She has trained in Denmark, Sweden and the UK.
She grew up learning in nature
Beyond just teaching a curriculum in the outdoors, Sara strives to instill a loving connection for the beauty and wonder of this land in her students.
Marlene will give us an update on her new school later in the program...
Accomplishments I’d say we’ve hatched…
Administrative clean-up: Held regular meetings
Increased transparency
Started to put guidelines and systems in place
Worked on recommendations from our Auditor
Started to move funds into safer investments
We’re out of the egg, now it’s on to flying!!
Recognition
We love…Administrative: Giselle ForgetSophie Beaulieu
Former School staff:Sara RaeesiHeather AndrachukDave FerreiraMatt SelicKim TrottJay YoungChad CliffordMarlene Power
Volunteers and Board Members:Christie UnittLaura TrompKatherine Willow
Thank You!
We want to take a moment to recognize the people who helped make it happen…
Look to the future
Next Steps? Continue Administrative Improvements
Finish putting systems in place
Overhaul Bylaws and get ready for ONCA
Review Letter Patent and perhaps change to be less restrictive
Decide on official name
Grow our Volunteer base
Grow our Membership
Strategic Planning Session to decide priorities
Start working on Projects!
Form Partnerships with other organizations
Contributions to Community Projects
The New Forest School
Marlene worked very hard to secure funding and to spread the word about the Forest school.
We think $5000 for school supplies will be put to very good use by her new Not-for-Profit Forest School.
Seniors at Home Program Inc.
CRLC is contributing the last remaining $3024.50 to the “Keep the Wheels Turning” campaign helping “Seniors at Home” reach its $30,000 goal.Dennis Harrington is here, together with Liz Wall and Phyllis Doherty-Hereford, to tell us more about “Seniors at Home” and the “Care Coach”.
In Closing, another peek down the Road…
Some Exciting Ideas for the Future…
Martha Webber Filming project
Learning more about GMO Foods
Plan events with Carp Connect
Study of Short Season Vegetables
Intergenerational Events
Help to support small businesses that are in line with our objectives.
Fund a GNM University Study to validate alternative approaches to health
In Summary… Get our House in order
Contribute to creating a vibrant, successful and sustainable community
Form Partnerships and help to connect organizations The power of cross-pollination Finding synergies Helping each other out
Get the Organization to the point where we can quickly supply a “missing piece” in our community fabric.
