Classroom Education

Inspire your Students with the Great Outdoors!

The BCWF offers a variety of classroom education programs for children and youth of all ages to introduce students to the world of conservation and the great outdoors. With all our programs aligned with B.C. curriculum with hands-on activities, your students will feel impassioned to protect and restore the natural world. 

Discover our range of lessons along with rates and curriculum guides below. To book a course, email us at youth@bcwf.bc.ca with your school group/class name, number of students, age of students, and lesson(s) desired. If cost is a barrier to your school or youth group, we will try to work with you to negotiate an accessible rate.

Virtual Lessons

Let us bring the programming to you, virtually! We offer 17 programs across 7 themes to better engage your students on the topic of conservation.  Download our Virtual Classroom Education Program Guide for more information.

In-Person Lessons

Join us for some outdoor fun and learning! We offer 27 programs across 7 themes to bring hands-on learning experiences to your students. Download our Classroom Education Program Guide for more information.

Lessons Offered

Click a theme and discover what lessons we have available!

Climate Change

Ocean Waste

Did you know a truckload of waste enters our oceans every minute? Find out more about the problem with plastic in our oceans and what you can do to help.

Curriculum Guide

Dragonfly Pond 

This hands-on, challenge-style lesson puts your students in the shoes of a city planner who has to design a city while protecting wildlife habitats.

Curriculum Guide

Trophic Levels (in-person only)

Learn more about the different levels of ecosystems and the vital role that all elements play. This program takes a closer look at how different plants and animals rely on each other, as well as the impact humans can have. We cap it off with an exciting game of Predator and Prey! 

Curriculum Guide

Leadership

Introduction to Leadership

Learn the basics of what it means to be a leader and get on your way to becoming an environmental leader!

Curriculum Guide

Communication

It truly is key! We all communicate differently, and this lesson will teach you how to improve your unique communication skills.

No Curriculum Guide available at this time

Team Building

What makes a good team? Learn how to effective foster a healthy team dynamic in this lesson.

No Curriculum Guide available at this time

Outdoor Survival

Fire Building (in-person only)

If you want to keep warm or roast marshmallows, this program focuses on the steps needed to create a safe fire and reduce the risk of forest fires.

Curriculum Guide

First Aid (in-person only)

Feeling confident outdoors sometimes means preparing for and responding to basic first aid situations. From non-life threatening cuts to hypothermia, learn strategies to address common outdoor hazards. 

Curriculum Guide

Hug-a-Tree (in-person only)

Hug-a-Tree teaches children how not to become lost in the woods, and what to do should they become lost. BCWF is an AdventureSmart registered presenter of the Hug-a-Tree program.

Curriculum Guide

Survive Outside (in-person only) 

Statistics show that each year across Canada there are approximately 5,000 ground Search and Rescue incidents. BCWF is an AdventureSmart registered presenter of Survive Outside to help you be informed and prepared before you head out.

Curriculum Guide

Shelter Building (in-person only)

In emergency situations, shelter is important for survival! Building structures to stay warm and dry is the focus of this program.

Curriculum Guide

Wayfinding

Knowing how to find your way is crucial to staying safe outdoors. Our educators teach students the basics of wayfinding and how to use a compass.

Curriculum Guide

 

Oceans

Fishing 101

Fishing is a useful skill in survival situations or as time to connect with people and place. The tools, licenses and regulations in B.C. are important to know before heading out.

Curriculum Guide

Fishing & Crabbing (in-person only)

Join us to learn the basics of fishing and crabbing! Students will learn how to cast fishing rods and crab traps, as well as some tips for practically handling what they catch. Activities will vary depending on location, and licenses will be required for intertidal fishing.  

Curriculum Guide

Cetaceans 

Who doesn’t love whales and dolphins? Learn all about the different types of cetaceans, the cool adaptions they’ve developed and their ecological and cultural significance.

Curriculum Guide

Pollinators

Butterflies & Birds

Bees shouldn’t get all the buzz, birds and butterflies are important pollinators too! Meet some of B.C.’s butterflies and birds from around the world who help pollinate plants.

Curriculum Guide

Pollination Basics

What is pollination and why is it so important? Learn about how plants and pollinators interact, why they need each other and why we need them.

Curriculum Guide

Types of Pollination

Most plants can’t pollinate themselves and need a little help. From insect and birds to wind and people, learn about the many relationships plants have to continue their life cycles.

Curriculum Guide

Wetlands

Invasive Species

Why is stopping the spread of invasive species so important? Learn the differences between indigenous and invasive plants here in B.C. and how their balance affects both the environment and economy.

Curriculum Guide

Invertebrates (in-person only)

This hands-on program allows students the opportunity to interact with some of the smaller inhabitants of our wetlands. After learning about what invertebrates are and the important role that they play, we will be casting ours nets to see who we can find living in our wetland! 

Curriculum Guide

Types of Wetlands

Learn about the five types of wetlands and what makes these ecosystems important in this lesson.

Curriculum Guide

What are Wetlands? 

Is a wetland just… wet land? Learn about the three key ingredients that make up a wetland in this lesson.

Curriculum Guide

Wildlife

Cervids

Never heard of a cervid? Learn to identify this familiar family of deer species and about the threats they are facing here in B.C.

Curriculum Guide

Bats

Get to know a bit more about these exciting, winged creatures! We dive deeper into the different kinds of bats and the important role they play in our ecosystems. 

Curriculum Guide

Raptors

These birds of prey are important for our ecosystems. Learn how to identify raptors, and about the treats they face.

Curriculum Guide

Wildlife Rehabilitation

Most animals taken to rescue centers are there as a result of human activities. Knowing how to respond when an animal is in danger can be critical to getting it the care it needs.

Curriculum Guide

Migration

Wetlands are basically hotels for migratory birds. In this lesson, we talk about birds, cervids, and even fish whose life cycles involve migration. Then we bring it all together with an exciting game Migration Madness! 

Curriculum Guide

Virtual Lessons

Bring outdoor education to your students, virtually! An affordable option for schools and youth groups who want to teach their students conservation without travel fees. Add on optional supplies to make your virtual lesson a hands-on experience, with supplies mailed to your school group!

Rates: 

Virtual lesson + supplies: $12/student

Virtual lesson only: $90 flat rate

In-Person Lessons

Give your students an immersive and hands-on experience in conservation. Our youth educators supplement curriculum-aligned lessons with engaging activities that inspire youth with the spirit of the great outdoors.

Rates: 

$10-15 per student + travel fees (exact rate determined when booking)