Hi! I’m Jess and I’m super excited to be spending my Wednesdays with all of the Forest Friends. I am a mom, teacher, student, adventurer and lifelong nature lover. My own two girls have grown so much through Hand-in-Hand over the last 3-4 years and I am looking forward to seeing other children grow as well. I am an elementary school teacher and I am a student at SFU working towards a Masters degree in Nature and Place Based Learning. I am a skier of all varieties, a mountain biker and an avid trail runner. My passions lie in early childhood education; learning and growing in a play based environment; learning from the communities and environments that surround us and general outdoor adventuring. I am looking very forward to getting to know all of the forest friends and learning from them as well.
I am beyond excited and grateful to learn and grow with Hand-In-Hand Nature Education. I am from Ontario and graduated from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay with a double degree in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism, Bachelor of Education at the Primary/Junior level, and now I’m a certified teacher in British Columbia. At school I enjoyed courses such as Experiential Education, Land Stewardship, Leadership, Risk Management, Therapeutic Recreation, Indigenous Education and Child Development, where we focused on hard skills such as navigation, primitive fire lighting, shelter building and canoeing, and soft skills such as team building, group management, decision-making and leadership skills.
In the summer, I enjoyed outdoor jobs such as StepStones for Youth, where I worked with girls at risk in the outdoors, was a Canoe Trip Leader in Algonquin Park for youth where I practiced risk management and was an outdoor educator for youth with autism at Kinark Outdoor. I also worked for Greenways Landtrust in Campbell River, where I learned about the flora and fauna. In addition to my work experience, I also enjoy hobbies including hiking, biking, snowboarding, rock climbing, swimming and just spending time in the forest.
I believe that working with children in the outdoors not only enhances learning but also empowers children greatly. I am passionate about creating a space where children can develop a connection with our beautiful natural world. I look forward to forming relationships and facilitating meaningful, educational experiences through exploration, investigation and play.
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