A set of flexible classroom resources that inspires hope in students as they learn & design for a sustainable future
Wildsight is thrilled to partner with the Regional District of the Central Kootenay to offer the FutureMakers program to 14 teachers in the region for free.
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Research has shown that some youth now don’t have the tools to imagine anything but an apocalyptic future for themselves.
Instead of messages of doom, FutureMakers provides students with the knowledge to create a thriving sustainable future. The decision-making power is put into students’ hands to inspire hope for their future and give them space to feel creative, resilient, and capable.
Includes:
- Video lessons – Lessons start with inspiring, informative videos that introduce 5 sustainable community design topics (food, waste, water, transportation, energy). Videos also showcase examples of new technology and inspiring solutions that lead the way to a sustainable future.
- Extension buffet – If you would like to take the learning a little deeper and have time to reinforce the concepts there is a “buffet” of easy-to-use extension activities, including hands-on activities, games, and outdoor learning opportunities.
- Student planning booklet – After each video lesson, teachers give students time to record their ideas in their planning booklet, and discuss. The booklet helps guiide students through the process of designing a sustainable community of the future, with room for student notes, drawings, and reflection.
- Build time – Students use the ideas from their planning booklet to plan and create their whole community design. Teachers define how students will build and present their project, which can be tailored to specific classroom resources and goals. Build options can include cardboard, Lego, Minecraft Education, or posters. Students design, build, and then share.
- Teacher Forum – At the bottom of each lesson page, check out the Teacher Forum where you can share your experiences and connect with other teachers utilizing the program
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Developed with flexibility in mind and minimal prep required, each lesson can take less than 30 minutes. FutureMakers includes 7 video lessons plus build time (which is defined by the teacher). You can choose to extend the learning with options from the “extension buffet”. Participating RCDK Teachers gain free access to the FutureMakers program till June 30th, 2025.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is a local government that serves an estimated population of 60,000 residents in South Eastern British Columbia. Schools in the RDCK 11 electoral areas (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K) and nine member municipalities: Castlegar, Creston, Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson, New Denver, Salmo, Silverton, and Slocan can apply to access this program.
There are limited free spots availabe. Teachers will be notified via email on xxxx if their request has been accepted. The website will be updated when all spots are filled. There will be another opportunity to access free programs in 2025/26 school year. FutureMakers is available for purchase via the Outdoor Learning Store
Once you have completed the registration form you will be notified by email that your registration has been received. Please whitelist futuremakers@wildsight.ca to ensure our emails do not get sent to your junk mail. Registrations will be reviewed and allocated on xxxx. Teachers will be notified if they have received a program by this date. Allocations will be made based to ensure a wide represetation of locations throughout the RDCK. /p>
All the program resources are located on the easy-to-use FutureMakers website. Once registration has been approved, RDCK teachers will receive an email with the details to access the password-protected website resources. Once logged in, click play on the Prep video to get started.
FutureMakers is designed for students in grades 4 through 7.
Research has shown that many of our youth don’t even have the tools to imagine anything but an apocalyptic future for themselves and the importance of hope, grounded in truth, in presenting complex environmental topics. Instead of starting with all of the shocking statistics, depressing facts, and stories of despair, FutureMakers helps students dream of a safe, clean, and thriving future, a future they are happy to see themselves as a part of. As psychologist Renee Lertzman argues, there is a delicate balance that must be considered between holding our conflicted feelings about the state of the future.
The FutureMakers online program is valued at $250. FutureMakers is also available for sale via the Outdoor Learning Store
FutureMakers was developed based on the success of the Beyond Recycling program that has spent almost 2 decades developing environmental educational resources for youth. Teachers rave about the year-long deep dive into sustainability that brings an environmental educator into the classroom weekly. In 2021, over 90 Beyond Recycling teachers were surveyed to provide feedback to define the ideal environmental education resource. Then 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 mind. Their feedback was utilized to adapt and improve the program building another program that teachers cannot say enough good things about..
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 organization, 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.
The FutureMakers program ties into the BC curriculum in many ways with direct links to science, social studies, applied skills, design, and technology. The BC curriculum’s ADST design guidelines are used as a base for the final culminating activity. The extension buffet also includes curriculum-connected activities as part of the program extensions (i.e. English Language Arts, Arts, Mathematics). Specific links to the curriculum will be included in future versions of the program.
“Thank you for this incredible resource. FutureMakers was one of the best things I’ve done with students as it inspired hope, creativity, sustainable thinking, and deep learning. It was shocking how little kids knew about sustainability and community needs.” – Gr.6 Teacher, Twin Rivers Elementary
“The kids enjoyed learning about ways to positively affect the community instead of glooming and dooming about climate change which is normally how lessons about this subject matter seem to go.” – Gr.6/7 Teacher, Salmo Secondary
“This program was absolutely brilliant for inspiring projects for my students. They learned an incredible amount and the local connections were inspiring. The added elements for further learning were useful, the videos and booklets very well designed.” – Gr.6 Teacher, Twin Rivers Elementary
“I really loved the program. I like how it is easy to use and there are many relevant and meaningful ideas that we can pick and choose as we wish. I also love how it feels like it is bringing us on a journey where we explore different topics and then it is all brought together and making links between them is encouraged. It all makes so much sense.” – Gr.6/7 Teacher, Ecole Sentiers Alpins
“The lessons and website is well laid out and easy to follow. I like the layout of the student booklet and how it starts with the question “Imagine you were invited to attend an important planning meeting that gathers youth from around the world to help decide what the future will be like.” With all the current trends locally and internationally, it is a great way to start the unit and show how communities and countries can begin to tackle these important problems. Lastly, working on specific skills for group work is a valuable component of this program. The success of our future relies on our student’s abilities to work together and learn how to come up with a sustainable future now and in the future.” – Gr. 4/5 Teacher, Adam Robertson Elementary
“The lessons were really easy to use. The class found the content engaging, and the extensions offered plentiful opportunities for further exploration. I’ll be using this resource for years to come!” – Gr.5/6 Teacher, Begbie View Elementary
“It is a resource that really makes it accessible, easy to prep and use and also, and none the least, focus on positive change and how we can take actions and become leaders. It also made us think how much work is already happening in that direction and it was very educative for the children to see. We also made links with potential careers related to these sustainable ideas. The kids were really engaged in the conversations. Thank you so so much.” – Gr 6/7 Teacher, Ecole Sentiers Alpins
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