How was the FutureMakers program developed?
FutureMakers was developed based on the Beyond Recycling program that has spent over a decade developing environmental educational resources for youth. The Beyond Recycling program has many rave reviews for the year-long, educator-led deep dive into sustainability in the Columbia Basin region of BC. In 2021, over 90 Beyond Recycling teachers provided feedback to define the ideal environmental education resource. Our team of 12 professional environmental educators gathered to review teacher feedback and develop an impactful new series of independent BR teacher lesson resources. The aim was to develop easy-to-use resource for busy classroom teacher that helps students address their future with a perspective of hope. In 2022/23, 9 teachers piloted the new environmental education resources. Participating teachers utilized the program and shared their experience, and brilliant minds with us by providing feedback in exchange for a two-hundred-dollar honorarium.
Wildsight Education has instilled a sense of stewardship and love for nature in students across the Columbia Basin for almost 25 years. FutureMakers provides engaging, environmental education resources for teachers beyond our physical boundaries. Proceeds from this social enterprise project will go towards expanding in-person environmental education in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions.
Who is Wildsight?
Since 1987, Wildsight has been recognized as a leader in large-scale conservation, sustainable community initiatives, and environmental education. Wildsight is a registered charity. While our work focuses on the Kootenays, and has received recognition from the communities in which we work, we are renowned throughout the province and across Canada for our effective conservation and environmental education programs, excellence, and innovation in all that we do. At our heart, we are a grassroots organisation, harnessing our power from the people whose lives affect and are affected by our work. We strive to inspire a conservation ethic in our children and in our communities so that the future leaders of tomorrow will be equipped to deal with the challenges of sustainability. Since 2001, Wildsight Education programs have connected over 90,000 kids with the natural world.
Where else is the program available?
Wildsight Education has partnered with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and the Regional District of the Central Kootenays to provide the FutureMakers program to schools in those regions to meet their environmental and waste education priorities. Please email us at futuremakers.at.wildsight.ca if you would like to learn more about purchasing the program for multiple teachers in your organization.