Trailblazer: Sapling

Welcome Trailblazers

Welcome to the Trailblazer program! We are excited to welcome you the Trailblazer program with the Pathway to Stewardship and Kinship. Your participation gives you priority access to many support services to help your group on your journey. 

Pathway Landmarks are linked to the Ontario Curriculum for each grade. They include opportunities for outdoor learning and for older grades, encourage community involvement and leadership skills.

This is your dedicated portal providing all the information you’ll need to complete the program successfully. Below you’ll see how to sign up for your support services, information on submitting Landmarks and your personal outdoor activity consultant as well as details on how to submit your simple pre-and post-program surveys.

Trailblazer Agreement
Meet Your Consultant
Trailblazer Rewards + Icons
How to Submit a Landmark Report
Classroom Supports

Trailblazer Agreement

Trailblazer Agreement: Sapling

Trailblazer 'Sapling' Agreement Form for Elementary Schools

The Pathway Trailblazer program has three steps for participants:

1. Acorn - for schools and groups getting started
2. Sapling - for schools and groups well established in outdoor learning, moving on to larger projects
3. Oak - for schools and groups who have achieved significant accomplishments in environmental stewardship and community connections

We welcome you to participate in the Pathway Project as a Trailblazer Sapling this year. We offer slightly different supports at the Sapling level than for schools starting as 'Acorns'.

Although there are fewer in-class visits available, we offer more opportunities to work on a school-wide stewardship project, and bus subsidies for visits to local outdoor centres.

Trailblazer 'Sapling' Agreement Form for Early Learning Centres

We look forward to continuing to work with your centre this year as a 'Trailblazer Sapling'.

We offer a variety of supports at the Sapling level, to help your centre continue to integrate outdoor activities into your programs, and to make meaningful connections to your local community.

What we ask of Trailblazer 'Sapling' schools:

  • a minimum of four participating teachers from each school (the entire staff can participate if they wish)
  • each teacher agrees to integrate Landmark experiences into their classroom routines
  • each teacher agrees to submit at least one Landmark report each season on the Pathway website (reporting takes about 5 minutes); this is a great way to share ideas and encourage others to participate. Note: This is a requirement to move on to the next step - Trailblazer Oak status.

What we ask of Trailblazer 'Sapling' Early Learning Centres:

  • The Centre agrees to continue integrating Landmark experiences into their programs
  • The Centre agrees to submit at least one Landmark report each season on the Pathway website (reporting takes about 5 minutes); this helps to share ideas and encourage others to participate

Offerings for Elementary Schools 2022-23:

Offerings for Early Learning 'Sapling' Centres 2022-23:

• Ideas for seasonal Early Years activities emailed monthly from our Early Years consultant
• Access to Step Two Trailblazer icon (sapling) to use on your website, publications etc.
• Recognition on Pathway website, social media and newsletters
• Chance to win a $50 gift certificate in our monthly draw for Landmarks reported
• Seasonal newsletters with activity ideas, programupdates
• Access to pre-recorded workshops through Pathway website
• Monthly e-newsletter activity for families

And these optional supports (please check all that interest you):

Funds to support a stewardship-related project (up to $1,500 per school/centre) - e.g. a butterfly/bird garden, food garden, climate change project, waste reduction project; (senior students must play a role in organizing and conducting the project). We can arrange assistance and school/class visits from a community group, depending on the project your school selects. Options include:

(please check all that interest you)
Additional supports include (please check all that interest you):

Which of the following Early Years Landmarks do you hope to work on this year?
Which of these Kindergarten Landmarks do you hope work to work on this year?
Which of these Grade 1-4 Landmarks do you hope to work on this year?
Which of these Grade 5-8 Landmarks do you hope to work on this year?
How would you assess your comfort with outdoor learning for your centre?

Meet Your Consultant

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Nancy_leftJ

NancyT@pathwayproject.ca

Greetings! I am Nancy Thomson, an Outdoor Activity Consultant with Pathway to Stewardship and Kinship. However, to many students and teachers, I am known as ‘Nature Nancy.’  When the students see me coming, they know they are in for time exploring and learning outside!  For the past 6 years, I have been running Think Outside which brings outdoor education programming to schools using local greenspace to connect people to the earth and to each other. With 25 years of Outdoor Education experience in many different settings, I look forward to sharing with teachers, parents and children to grow the important work of the Pathway team.

Hi! I’m Kelly King, a settler living in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough. With a B.A. in Indigenous Studies from Trent University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from York University, my work has focused on Indigenous histories of place, settler responsibilities to land, and community arts practices. I’m currently the Outreach and Education Coordinator with the TRACKS Youth Program, which connects youth to traditional ecological knowledge and positive ways of engaging with the land and with each other. I’m passionate about localizing environmental perspectives and supporting people in building their relationship to the territories they call home. 

Kelly

Kelly@pathwayproject.ca

Kim

Kim@pathwayproject.ca

 
Hi! I’m Kim Dobson. I have always loved being outdoors. That luckily translated into a career for me in outdoor education for 30 years before retiring in 2019. 
Now I am excited to be an Outdoor Education Coordinator for the Pathway Project.  I’m looking forward to sharing the tips and tricks that I have learned over the past 30 years and translating that into getting even more students outside of the four walls of the classroom and developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world. I hope to help teachers discover the incredible value of using these Landmarks to create a community of caring individuals.

Hi, my name is Nancy Doherty.  As an Early Childhood Educator and a grandma, children are my passion. I have always loved the outdoors and growing up with a dad who was a Conservation Officer, our house was always full of orphaned critters.  Those early experiences helped me view the natural world with respect and awe. With our wonderful seasons in the Kawarthas, I make sure to get outside every day –  it makes me happy!  I look forward to collaborating with the Early Learning Community to develop program connections to the Pathway Landmarks.

NancyD2withname

NancyD@pathwayproject.ca

STEP 6: Discover the three Trailblazer Steps and Benefits

Benefits of Level One:

  • priority access to Pathway community supports (P.D. workshops; in-class programs; newsletters, website)
  • opportunities to share ideas with other schools/centres
  • potential for access to materials funding to support outdoor learning
  • eligibility for monthly Landmark draws
  • recognition on Pathway website; access to Level 1 icon to use on school website and
    correspondence
  • belonging to a community of educators doing important work to benefit students and the
    environment

To complete Level One:

  • surveys received from staff and parents 
  • At least one Landmark report each season
Download Trailblazer Flag
Download Transparent Logo

Benefits of Level Two:

  • access to Pathway community supports (P.D. workshops; in-class programs; newsletters, website)
  • opportunities to share ideas with other schools/centres
  • potential access to bussing subsidies to support unique outdoor learning opportunities
  • eligibility for monthly Landmark draws for teachers who continue to submit reports
  • recognition on the Pathway website
  • belonging to a community of educators doing important work to benefit students and the environment
  • access to Level 2 icon to use on school website and correspondence
  • school receives an Oak tree on completion of Level Two, as permanent recognition of their efforts and commitment

To complete Level Two:

  • all staff submit at least one Landmark report during the school year
  • staff promote the Pathway  with families and encourage them to participate
  • staff reach out to other teachers or schools to encourage participation in the Pathway project
Download Trailblazer Flag
Download Transparent Logo

Benefits of Level Three:

  • access to Pathway community supports (P.D. workshops; in-class programs;
    newsletters, website)
  • opportunities to share ideas with other schools/centres
  • eligibility for monthly Landmark draws
  • recognition on Pathway website
  • access to Level 3 icon to use on school website and correspondence
  • belonging to a community of educators doing important work to benefit students and the environment
Download Trailblazer Flag
Download Transparent Logo

How to Log Your Landmarks

 

Unsure how to submit Landmarks? Follow this step-by-step tutorial to register and report. Then, check the leaderboards, keep up to date on monthly prize winners and follow the goal tracker for project progress.

Landmarks
Submit a Landmark
Group Leaderboards & Activity Centre
Monthly Prize Draws
Follow the Goal Tracker

Classroom Support Materials