THE INSIDE
THE INSIDE EDGE
EDGE
02 E D I T I O N
OCTOBER
2021
For More Information Contact: STEVE MCISAAC | Executive Director smcisaac@insideeducation.ca
WWW.INSIDEEDUCATION.CA 780-421-1497
THE INSIDE
EDGE Welcome to the latest version of The Inside Edge - our newsletter for Inside Education’s partners, supporters and friends. It’s our plan to send along a quarterly check-in to update you on the exciting projects and latest happenings as we work to support Alberta’s K-12 teachers and inspire students to environmental leadership and stewardship. Rather than clog up your inboxes with more reports, we hope you’ll find The Inside Edge to be a fun read that summarizes the work we do, but most importantly, the people with whom we are so lucky to work with, and some good news stories of energy, environmental and natural resources education happening in Alberta.
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This edition covers the kick off of the 2021-22 school year - one full of challenges, of course, but also one full of many highlights, especially our exciting and safe return to inperson learning at our seven forest education field sites across the province.
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We hope you’ll enjoy this little peek into our little corner of the education world - oh, by the way - we’ll still be sending you actual reports too!
BOARD MEMBER PROFILE
DAVID HUGGILL
HOW DID YOUR CONNECTION TO INSIDE EDUCATION FIRST BEGIN? I began my connection with Inside Education by doing a few presentations on wind energy in teacher professional development programs. I am fortunate to have been invited by Inside Education’s founder, Jim Martin, to participate in some of his Energy Literacy Network sessions! I continued to participate in various programs and summits educating teachers and students on renewable energy, sustainability and the importance of a robust and resilient grid for Alberta. In 2013, I was invited to join the Board and have been honored to be the President since 2016. CAN YOU SUMMARIZE INSIDE EDUCATION'S VALUE TO EDUCATION IN ALBERTA? What I find really compelling about Inside Education is our focus on objective experiential learning – our programs provide facts with no commentary of what is right, wrong or acceptable. The content that is used to inform teachers and students is based on up to date, scientifically defensible facts from subject matter experts across a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Our programming is designed to inspire and educate young people to be responsible critical thinkers about our environment and natural resources – these young people are the next generation of leaders and stewards. WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION WITH INSIDE EDUCATION? I can’t just think of one so here’s a few! Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Inside Education with a youth group at the Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest. We had a few dignitaries and speeches and all the student attendees wanted to eat cake and get back to learning about the forest. Taking a group of teachers right into the heart of a wind farm and letting them experience the magnitude of the turbines by standing right underneath an operational turbine. Taking part in a recent Generate Youth Summit where leaders from all over North America recounted how their attendance at past Inside Education youth summits had inspired them to go on to further their education and work in a number of incredible fields like the aerospace industry. David Huggill Coorporate Sustainbilbity Specialist | AltaLink
WHAT OUR FRIENDS ARE SAYING
TEACHER PROFILE
ZAC COUPLAND St. Joseph School | Coaldale, Alberta
WHAT DO YOU TEACH? Science 6, 7, 8, 9, Career and Technology Studies, and RC Tech
WHAT PROGRAMS HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN FROM INSIDE EDUCATION? A+ for Energy and numerous teacher professional development field trips! Currently, my RC tech students are doing mechanics related maintenance projects on the Axial SCX10 trucks that wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for Inside ED and A+ for Energy grant money. That grant was several years ago, and it is still sustainable today, the kids that pioneered the course have long since graduated. Those dollars are still being put to use year after year!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY OR MOMENT FROM ANY OF THE PROGRAMS OR SOMETHING THAT REALLY STICKS OUT TO YOU?
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I’ve always come away impressed, whether it is the quality of speakers brought in, the relevant content, or stepping into the guts of a giant wind turbine... you had me at hello!
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WHAT VALUE DOES AN ORGANIZATION LIKE INSIDE EDUCATION BRING TO TEACHERS LIKE YOURSELF? Without a doubt the best professional development, hands down! I’ve been to other conferences, and many teachers conventions. Inside Education’s programs are really the only ones I WANT to stay and participate from start to end, and I’m slightly sad when we reach the end of the day!
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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FROM JULY TO OCTOBER, 2021
INSIDE EDUCATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS AND INSPIRE STUDENTS!
Whether virtually or in the field we’ve worked with 166 classrooms in 49 communities across Alberta since July!
Inside Education is committed to bringing experiential environmental and natural resource education to life for teachers and students in whatever way - virtually or in-person is best for participants.
HOSTED THE FOREST & WILDLIFE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR 21 TEACHERS AT THE JUMPINGPOUND DEMONSTRATION FOREST
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REINVIGORATED OUR FOREST FIELD PROGRAMS WITH OVER 700 STUDENTS JOINING US AT OUR FIELD SITES ACROSS ALBERTA
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DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED OUR BRAND NEW WETLANDS PROGRAM TO GRADE 5, 8 & 11 CLASSES ACROSS ALBERTA
25 A+ FOR ENERGY GRANTS AWARDED TO INNOVATIVE SCHOOL-BASED ENERGY EDUCATION PROJECTS ACROSS ALBERTA
DISTRIBUTED 60 AQUATIC TOOL KITS
to teachers across Alberta inviting them to an in-person or virtual professional development workshop to learn how to use the kits to explore their local wetlands with students and hear from experts!
WE HAVE OVER 300 VIRTUAL CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS ON THE BOOKS ON A WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS
MEET OUR FRIENDS,
FORESTRY FUTURES ALLIANCE www.forestryfuturesalliance.ca Alberta is fortunate to have stellar natural resources and environmental education organizations working to help bring meaningful educational programming to Alberta’s K-12 schools. As a leader in this area, Inside Education takes pride in working collaboratively with other organizations with similar ambitions to see future generations of engaged stewards of our environment and natural resources. Each edition of The Inside Edge will feature some of our friends, colleagues and peers!
FORESTRY
Futures Alliance
We are proud members of the Forestry Futures Alliance alongside the Alberta Forest Products Association’s Work Wild program and CAREERS: The Next Generation. Through this Alliance, Inside Education, Work Wild and CAREERS work together to bring engaging forest education programs to students and teachers across the province. Our focus is on teacher professional development and student field trips, Work Wild helps expose young people to the myriad careers living and working in Alberta’s forests and CAREERS provides practical, real world apprenticeship and internship opportunities for high school students. Did you know? We work so closely with Work Wild that we share an educator and we are “office floor-mates” with CAREERS in the Rocky Mountain Plaza downtown Calgary! We encourage you to visit the great websites of both of our partners and the Forestry Futures Alliance page - www.forestryfuturesalliance.ca
PROJECT PROFILE
THE STORY OF WATER: A TALE OF CONSERVATION | THE INSIDE EDGE
DARCI EVANS | Capitol Hill School - Calgary, Alberta
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Grade three and four students from Capitol Hill School focused on learning about water and the ways it is used within our local community and province. Through student participation in a series of learning tasks, they experienced, first-hand, how water is necessary and a global resource! Students had the opportunity to design and construct an irrigation system for our indigenous plant and food garden, participate in a school-based science
exhibition showcasing projects focused on Alberta’s different energy sources, and investigate how water is used in production and as an energy source. Over the course of the year, students collected their understandings, findings, and experiences together to create, “The Story of Water: A Tale of Conservation,” in a self-published book.