Event | Workshop | Trip | Course | Symposium

Full Circle

Nature and Wilderness in a Modern World

Our flagship program, Full Circle is a unique, transdisciplinary course designed for schools, youth groups, and other educational organizations. Combining philosophical work (academic education), a wilderness voyage (outdoor environmental education), and putting learning into action (character education), this program is one of a kind.

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The guiding premise of the Full Circle course is that it's a student-directed exploration into the place of nature and wilderness in our world today. With experienced educators who facilitate and guide the programming, the students select the goals they would like to achieve.

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The course begins with multiple sessions (monthly or weekly meetings, or condensed) where we dive into our topic: nature and wilderness in a modern world. Through analyzing articles, books, and films via group discussions and presentations, as well as engaging directly with local natural places, we will come to understand and think critically about some of the most pressing questions of our world today, including: What is nature and wilderness? What is the source of it's value? What is the state of our relationship with wilderness? Do we have a moral responsibility to the future? Do we have a moral responsibility to the gifts of the past? How can we live lives of respect to wilderness while living in a city? What role do communities play in all of this?

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As we examine these questions, the second part of the course begins to take shape. Stemming from the philosophical questioning we've done so far, the students collaborate to create a plan for a wilderness voyage they will embark on to further their learning. This might take the shape of a canoe trip down the historically significant French River to get a deeper, experiential understanding of the role that wild rivers played in the creation of modern Canada; it may be a trip beginning in a city and ending in an old growth forest, bearing witness to the gradual changes experienced on the route of travel; or perhaps it's a slow, thoughtful, and reflective journey through the lakes of northern Ontario, purposefully contrasting the high-speed pressures of modern life with the rhythms of nature.

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Following the completion of the wilderness voyage, the course ends with the students putting what they've learned into action. For their wider community, they will create a presentation, workshop, or event to share with others what they've learned. In sharing their learning, education is positioned as a community-minded project, a means by which to make the world a better place by engaging with others in all we have discovered – what we've found, what we've learned, and what further questions we have uncovered.

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​If you're interested in how this program might be a good fit for you or your organization, or would like to chat and learn more, please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you!