As all good teachers know, field trips enhance education. Not only do they offer opportunities for hands on learning, but they provide a change from routine. Perhaps most importantly, they allow kids to learn from an expert on a given subject. No matter how much research we do towards our unit and lesson plans, there will always be times when the best option is to pass the torch to someone else.
Lucky for us in Victoria, there is no shortage of destinations and experts to keep in mind when planning sustainable field trips. I’ve complied a list of destinations and organizations that offer programs for elementary classes.
- Compost Education Center
Located in the heart of Fernwood, the Compost Education Center is a non-profit organization that aims to educate the public about composting and ecological gardening.
The centre runs a wide range of school programs for every age from preschool to grade twelve. In the “Worms Eat my Garbage” series, for example, students build a worm bin together to take back to their school. This is a great way to continuously implement environmental education throughout the school year, rather than just a one off field trip.
- Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is a non-profit aquarium/educational centre in Sidney. They offer multiple pre-set school programs to educate students about the diverse bioregion of the Salish Sea.
The centre is also home to a collection of Coast Salish art. A visit to this special aquarium is a great way to tie Indigenous, environmental and local/place-based education together in one bundle.
- Greater Victoria Green Team
The Green Team of Greater Victoria leads invasive species pulls and educational programs for elementary schools. Representatives from the organization come into schools and get students out in local forests and parks, protecting our local species.
Tune in for my next blog post, where I interview Amanda Evans of the Green Team about her experience working with classrooms across Victoria!
