Outdoor and Land-Based Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education

The Outdoor and Land-Based Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education project supports the integration of Outdoor and Land-Based Pedagogies within post-secondary Early Childhood Education programs across Canada.

Guided by More Than a New Course: A Framework for Embedding Outdoor and Land-Based Pedagogies in Post-Secondary Early Childhood Education Programs, the project recognizes that meaningful implementation requires more than curriculum change alone. It requires institutional capacity, faculty development, Indigenous engagement, community partnerships, and opportunities for collaboration and learning across the sector.

Over four years, Colleges, Institutes, CEGEPs, and Indigenous Institutes of Education will have opportunities to participate in Communities of Practice, implementation Projects, microcredential development and delivery, and national knowledge mobilization activities designed to strengthen Outdoor and Land-Based Pedagogies within Early Childhood Education programs and practice.

Through this work, the project seeks to support lasting institutional and systems-level change across Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care ecosystem.

Project Objectives:

• Strengthen institutional capacity
• Increase faculty knowledge and competencies
• Support respectful Indigenous engagement
• Integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing
• Develop innovative resources and supports
• Strengthen connections between post-secondary education and ELCC practice
• Promote pan-Canadian collaboration and systems-level change

Project Activities:

• Communities of Practice
• Implementation Projects
• Development of a National Microcredential
• Delivery of the Microcredential and Knowledge Mobilization

Current Opportunities

Expression of Interest (EOI) now open for eligible institutions

Key Dates

Expression of Interest Deadline: September 14, 2026.
Information Sessions: July 22, 2026 at 1pm ET and August 26, 2026 at 1pm ET.