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.

Contact Carp Ridge Learning Centre

Jacqui Ehninger-Cuervo jmehninger@gmail.com