More students at Mildred Hall School will be able to enjoy the Birchbark Discovery Centre (BBDC) in September as the program doubles in size.

The outdoor education and inquiry-based learning system proved so popular in its three-year pilot phase that Mildred Hall will expand it to include Grade 6 in the 2021-2022 school year.

Birchbark is its own stream of classes for which parents must apply to have their children join.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 all about learning in the natural environment as much as possible and making connections between the curricular program at their grade level and the land and finding opportunities to connect outdoor learning to all subject areas. Teachers will decide whether or not to teach science or language arts outside and theySA国际影视传媒檒l connect it to the land,SA国际影视传媒� said principal Elizabeth Brace.

Birchbark began as a partnership between Yellowknife Education District No.1 (YK1) and the NWT Montessori Society, based on best practice research from the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE).

Since 2018, about 19 kids in the Birchbark program studied together in one class, but starting in September there will be two classes for grades 1-3 and 4-6, with about 19 students in each.

SA国际影视传媒淎s a school we decided it was beneficial to us, so we expanded it,SA国际影视传媒� Brace said.

Unlike conventional classrooms that combine rote learning with some projects, Birchbark is mostly based on inquiry, problem solving and skills, instead of sets of facts.

SA国际影视传媒淚n a history class, rather than learning about the Civil War, weSA国际影视传媒檒l talk the bigger issues and ask the students what theySA国际影视传媒檙e interested in. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 really about teaching the skills, like researching and how to present ideas,SA国际影视传媒� Brace said.

Choice is another pillar of Birchbark. The kids have freedom to explore the topics they choose as a class, though the fundamentals of education are still covered.

SA国际影视传媒淭here is math but itSA国际影视传媒檚 done outside,SA国际影视传媒� Brace said. SA国际影视传媒淭ake a ruler, for example. They might measure how many rulers can fit across Somba KSA国际影视传媒檈 Park. They measure that in real life ways instead of just measuring it in the classroom. I think just getting outside is a really important thing for some parents SA国际影视传媒� and for kids who might struggle in a traditional classroom when sitting at a desk all day, they can really find their strength (in Birchbark).SA国际影视传媒�

Brendan Callas has been the main teacher of Birchbark since it began in 2018. In September, he will teach the grades 1-3 group and new teacher Anabel Etheridge will teach grades 4-6.

Callas is proud to see the programSA国际影视传媒檚 growth over the last three years.

He said one of BirchbarkSA国际影视传媒檚 strengths is the way it can connect classroom learning with things happening in the community.

Since some of his students had joined the Walk to Tuk, he used their knowledge of the event to integrate geography, distance and social studies into one activity.

SA国际影视传媒淚n math, when we learned about measurements, and instead of learning about just centimetres and kilometres, we connected it to the distance we walked to Tuktoyaktuk,SA国际影视传媒� Callas said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 about 1,700 km from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk. We rolled out a long roll of paper 18 metres long in the hallway. It was a scale model of the Walk to Tuk. We drew the Mackenzie River on it and we brought in cultural aspects from Dene Kede and what is going on in the communities along the route.SA国际影视传媒�

From a parental perspective, Elizabeth Liske noticed that both of her sonsSA国际影视传媒� attitudes towards school changed after they joined Birchbark.

Her youngest son Taveon has been in Birchbark since Grade 2 and he will continue with it in Grade 5 next month. Her oldest boy, Lawson, completed Grade 6 in the program last year and will join a regular class in September.

Lawson used to be anxious about completing homework and his mother thought he seemed to be under a lot of pressure.

SA国际影视传媒淭here were times he didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want to go to school.SA国际影视传媒�

But when she explained to her boys that Birchbark offered a different style of learning, she knew they could adapt to it.

SA国际影视传媒淎s soon as classes started, I noticed a difference in them. They wanted to go to school. They were excited to learn,SA国际影视传媒� Liske said. SA国际影视传媒淭hey were sharing things with me. Before Birchbark, when I asked them how school was they would just say SA国际影视传媒榞ood.SA国际影视传媒� But after Birchbark, they were able to tell me about their day and what they were learning. Their days were more full in the sense that they werenSA国际影视传媒檛 doing mindless work but things they actually enjoyed.SA国际影视传媒�

Liske, who is Dene, also appreciates that mixing children of different ages touches on Indigenous methods of learning.

SA国际影视传媒淏efore contact, (conventional) classrooms werenSA国际影视传媒檛 part of our traditions. The way we learned, the older taught the younger. You have a role in your community based on how old you are or what youSA国际影视传媒檙e good at,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 how our communities thrived. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the same type of model that Birchbark has.SA国际影视传媒�