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Groups and Education
For more than two decades, teachers and group leaders have been bringing students to the Kortright Centre for Conservation to examine environmental features as well as see working renewable energy technology in a natural setting. Our programs are designed to complement the elementary and secondary level curriculum as well as designing special programs for ESL individuals, Scouts, Guides and adults.
New this Fall at Kortright
School Spirit Day - Grades 9 to 12
What is School Spirit Day?
School Spirit Day is a fun, inclusive, interactive day for students and staff, ideal for the beginning or end of the school year. The program, beginning this September, is designed for large groups who want an active, character building day in the out of doors.
Participants will be divided into 12 groups and will participate in 5-6 activities both morning and afternoon. There will be two groups participating at each activity at the same time. The program is designed so that all participants will interact with each other throughout the course of the day. The program takes place outside in a 1.5 hectare natural setting.
The Kortright Centre is 250 hectare environmental education facility, conveniently located in Vaughan. The site includes a Visitor Centre (which includes a cafeteria and washrooms),
a picnic shelter, a large outdoor eating area and 15 kilometers of hiking trails.
This program is taught by our professional adult staff with many years of experience teaching students in an outdoor environment.
Expectations
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Participants will:
- Practice various forms of communication
- Use their creative and critical thinking skills
- Reinforce good character attributes
- Make connections with fellow students and teachers
- Have fun!
The Day's Schedule
9:30a.m. to 9:45a.m. - Arrival
9:45a.m. to 10:00a.m. - Opening Ceremonies
10:00a.m. to 11:30a.m. - Morning Activities
11:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. - Lunch
12:30p.m. to 2:00p.m. - Afternoon Activities
2:00p.m. - Departure
Fees
Program Cost:
Students - $18.00 + HST / Teachers - Free
Program plus Lunch*
Students - $25.00 + HST / Teachers - $7.00 + HST
* You can pre-order lunch for the whole group only at a cost of $7.00 / person.
Lunch will consist of Pepperoni or Veggie Pizza (cooked in our kitchen), a cold drink, a large cookie and an apple or orange.
For those groups who bring their own lunch, we encourage you to bring a litterless lunch.
Pre-Visit Information
- Prior to arrival, students and staff should be divided into 12 groups. Group size will depend on the number of participants. Staff members should be divided amongst the groups. Each group must decide on a team name.
- All participants must wear a nametag that includes their first name and their team name.
- It is important that participants are dressed appropriately for the day, wearing pants/shorts and running shoes. For safety reasons, large earrings and loose jewelry are not recommended.
- As this is an active day, it is recommended that all participants keep a water bottle with them so that they can keep hydrated. Please note that there is a water bottle re-filling station in the Visitor Centre.
- The program will proceed in all but extremely inclement weather.
- For achieve maximum benefit from the program, we recommend that buses be booked as close as possible to the program start and finish times.
- A Kortright Staff member will contact the teachers to go over the details of the day prior to your arrival.
Booking Information
- To book this program, please call 416-667-6295, select #3.,
Monday to Friday, between 8:30a.m. and 4:30p.m. - We require a 50% deposit at least one month prior to your trip. Please be prepared to pay the balance upon arrival by cash, or credit card (VISA or Mastercard only)
- Cancellations are accepted only 15 days prior to the trip date or the deposit is
non-refundable
Water Systems - Grade 8
This program is being developed to meet the expectations of the Grade 8 Curriculum:
Understanding Earth and Space Systems - Water Systems.
Throughout this full day program, students will:
- Assess the impact of human activities and technologies on the sustainability of water resources at home and in the community. Learn about the embedded water use associated with everyday items including the food we eat.
- Investigate the factors that affect water quality. Use water testing equipment to evaluate the water quality of Kortright's wetlands.
- Obtain an understanding of water conservation measures that are used at the Kortright Centre as they pertain to the different water systems, ie. Groundwater, surface water and watersheds.
This program was made possible by the generous support of the RBC Bank.
The program cost is $13.00 + HST / student
Conservation of Energy - Grade 5
This program is being developed to meet the expectations of the Grade 5 Curriculum:
Matter and Energy - Conservation of Energy and Resources
Kortright's unique renewable energy demonstrations continue to provide students with an excellent opportunity to see and understand renewable energy technology: Biomass, Wind Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic, first hand.
This year, thanks to the generous support of HSBC, the demonstrations are more interactive than ever. New this year, students attempt to match the output of a solar powered water pump by pedaling a bicycle powered pump connected to the same well.
The importance of conservation is demonstrated by having students turn a hand crank to learn how much energy is needed to power both an incandescent and a compact fluorescent light bulb.
Throughout the trail, the environmentally-friendly and practical aspects of renewable energy are emphasized. A brief visit to the Archetype Sustainable House will feature the energy efficient technologies built into the houses.
The program cost is $7.00 + HST / student
generously supported by :
