The Upper Grand District School Board is committed to nurturing environmental stewardship, supporting student well-being, and deepening learning through outdoor education. Rooted in the board’s renewed focus on sustainability and guided by frameworks such as Growing Success and OPHEA, we recognize that learning outside is not only enriching, it is essential.

Outdoor education encourages students to build meaningful connections with the natural world while developing critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills. Time spent outdoors reduces stress and supports emotional regulation, while physical movement in natural settings enhances overall health and academic engagement.

Educators are supported in extending classroom learning into natural environments, using inquiry-based and experiential approaches across all subject areas. Schools throughout the UGDSB are embracing this vision by greening schoolyards, establishing outdoor classrooms, and engaging students in hands-on, land-based learning.

As part of this commitment, the UGDSB offers access to Akinomaagayegaamikong, our Land-Based and Indigenous Outdoor Education Centre. This space provides students with opportunities to learn through Indigenous pedagogies and perspectives, co-developed with our Indigenous Education Team. To learn more about these programs, please visit the Land-Based and Indigenous Education section of our website.

Through these collective efforts, we are building a culture of environmental responsibility, well-being, and lifelong learning—inside and outside the classroom.