Celebrating Outdoor Education Excellence
Feb 23, 2015
For over forty years, quality outdoor education has been provided at Kingfisher Outdoor Education Centre. Kingfisher is a unique experiential outdoor education facility for Lakehead Public Schools students in Grades 1 to 12 that provides a host of year-round opportunities to instill an awareness and appreciation for nature and the environment while enhancing classroom learning.
“Kingfisher is an amazing facility located in a beautiful piece of the boreal forest 20 kilometers north of Thunder Bay,” says Kelly Henderson, Lead Instructor at Kingfisher Lake Outdoor Education Centre. ”The Centre has the elements that are required for a successful outdoor education program including several classrooms, meeting areas, kitchen facilities, fire shelters, sleeping cabins, lakeshore, trail systems, and countless other attractions. Kingfisher truly provides students with a superior learning experience.”
To celebrate Lakehead Public Schools outdoor education program at the Kingfisher Outdoor Education Centre, an Open House with a number of fun outdoor activities for the entire community will be held on Saturday, February 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the centre.
During this celebration, families are welcome to try the following activities:
- Snowshoeing (equipment provided)
- Cross-country Skiing (equipment and instruction provided at
designated times) - Campfire and Free Hot Chocolate and Hotdogs
Families are welcome to drive to the outdoor education centre 20 kilometres north of Thunder Bay on Highway 527. Transportation will also be provided with two pick up and return times from Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute and Hammarskjold High School parking lots as per the following schedule:
| Kingfisher Bus Schedule | ||
| Pick-up times |
Return times (to the schools) |
|
| Hammarskjold | 9:30am 11:30am |
2:30pm 4:30pm |
| Westgate | 9:00am 11:00am |
2:00pm 4:00pm |
Kingfisher Outdoor Education Centre Day trips and residential excursions offer enriched learning that complement the Ontario Curriculum for all grade levels in Science, Biology, Geography, Art, and Literacy as well as Health and Physical Education. Day trips to Kingfisher are available for students in Grades 1 to 12. Activities are chosen by the classroom teacher in consultation with Kingfisher staff.
Day trips often include:
- nature hikes
- pond studies
- mapping and orienteering lessons
- skull/skeleton studies
- GPS and compass sessions
Kingfisher also provides students with an opportunity for an overnight experience with their peers, teachers, and volunteers. For the two and three day residential programs, students must also plan their meals as a group and cook over a fire.
Residential programming is dictated by the seasons and a wide variety of experiences are offered. Depending on the season, students taking part in the residential program may go snowshoeing, skiing, canoeing or hiking while at the centre. Other programming may include a microscope lab to view live specimens, a bird study or GPS/orienteering exercises.
“The residential program at Kingfisher provides a great opportunity for curriculum-based learning but perhaps more importantly, a chance to learn important life skills such as building a fire, cooking meals, cabin chores, teamwork, effective communication and problem solving,” says EricFredrickson, Principal of McKellar Park Central Public School. “Kingfisher also provides an opportunity for students to showcase their talents in a setting other than a formal classroom.”
For more information about the Kingfisher Outdoor Education Centre and the outdoor education celebration on Saturday, February 28, please visit the Kingfisher section of the Lakehead Public Schools website.
