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Welcome to the 2026 Outdoor Learning Conference
Venue: Kinnear Centre clear filter
Thursday, May 7
 

9:00am MDT

Conference Registration
Thursday May 7, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 9:00am - 1:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

1:00pm MDT

Welcome and Conference Opening
Thursday May 7, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm MDT

Speakers
avatar for Ann Fox

Ann Fox

Elder in Residence
Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee (Singing Alone from Above) has been the Traditional Wellness Coordinator at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge for the past 8 years. She is the mother of three beautiful children and four grandchildren.Sylvia Ann studied Arts... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

1:30pm MDT

Slow Networking - Plenary Icebreaker
Thursday May 7, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

2:00pm MDT

Indigenous Ways of Knowing Keynote
Thursday May 7, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT

Speakers
avatar for Leona Prince

Leona Prince

Leona Prince Consulting
Leona Prince is a Dakelh woman from the Lake Babine Nation and Nak’azdli, and a proudmember of the Lhts’umusyoo (Beaver) Clan. A best-selling author and award-winningeducator, Leona has been recognized nationally with distinctions such as the IndspireAward for Educational Leadership... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

2:45pm MDT

Break
Thursday May 7, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

3:14pm MDT

Workshop Session A
Thursday May 7, 2026 3:14pm - 4:30pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 3:14pm - 4:30pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

4:30pm MDT

Afternoon Social and Exhibitor Fair
Thursday May 7, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 4:30pm - 6:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

7:30pm MDT

TEDStyle Talks
Thursday May 7, 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pm MDT

Speakers
avatar for Abhay Sachal

Abhay Sachal

Founder and Executive Director, Break The Divide Foundation
Abhay Singh Sachal is a Canadian youth climate justice activist whose research and work resides at the intersection of climate change, ecoanxiety, mental health, and spirituality. He is the founder of Break The Divide, a non-profit organization that empowers young people with resources... Read More →
avatar for Patricia Wilson

Patricia Wilson

Founder, Diverse Nature Collective
Patricia Wilson is an environmentalist, community leader and social justice advocate who is passionate about diversifying the environmental field and advocates for proper representation and inclusivity in this sector. In 2021 Patricia founded Diverse Nature Collective (DNC) - a grassroots... Read More →
avatar for Mac Walsh

Mac Walsh

Emerging Speaker | Adaptive Athlete | Musician

Mac Walsh (they/he) is an autistic, transmasculine young adult. Growing up autistic and queer with both their own mental and physical health challenges, as well as the loss of their younger sister to a complex mental health battle, provides them with a unique, deeply personal lens... Read More →
avatar for Grant Linney

Grant Linney

Presenter, The Climate Reality Project Canada
Grant Linney's career in outdoor and environmental education spans six decades, having worked for conservation authorities, school boards, the Ontario government and an independent school. He is the recipient of several local, provincial and national awards. In 2012, he received the... Read More →
avatar for Joe Pierre

Joe Pierre

Joe Pierre was raised in the Community of ʔaqʾam formerly known as the St.Mary’s Indian Reserve and is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation. He attended theUniversity of Calgary in the Fine Arts. At the U of C Joe met several other FirstNations people interested in Theatre and they... Read More →
Thursday May 7, 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

8:29pm MDT

Thursday Night Social Events
Thursday May 7, 2026 8:29pm - 10:00pm MDT

Thursday May 7, 2026 8:29pm - 10:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre
 
Friday, May 8
 

8:45am MDT

Morning Gratitude
Friday May 8, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am MDT

Speakers
avatar for Ann Fox

Ann Fox

Elder in Residence
Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee (Singing Alone from Above) has been the Traditional Wellness Coordinator at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge for the past 8 years. She is the mother of three beautiful children and four grandchildren.Sylvia Ann studied Arts... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am MDT
Kinnear Centre

9:00am MDT

Environmental Learning Keynotes
Friday May 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Gillian Judson

Dr. Gillian Judson

Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University
Gillian Judson is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University (SFU). At the SFU Surrey campus she gratefully works and learns on unceded Indigenous traditional territories, including those of the Semiahmoo, Katzie, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Kwantlen... Read More →
avatar for elin kelsey

elin kelsey

Scholar/thought leader in Evidence-Based Hope, elin kelsey & company
elin kelsey, PhD has an unwavering commitment to fostering agency and empowerment to counter the emotional and climate justice consequences of environmental despair. A sought-after keynote speaker, her influence can also be seen through the popularity of her book, Hope Matters: Why... Read More →
Friday May 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Kinnear Centre

10:00am MDT

Break + Reflection
Friday May 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Kinnear Centre

10:59am MDT

Workshop Session B
Friday May 8, 2026 10:59am - 12:15pm MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 10:59am - 12:15pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

1:59pm MDT

Workshop Session C
Friday May 8, 2026 1:59pm - 3:15pm MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 1:59pm - 3:15pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

3:15pm MDT

Break
Friday May 8, 2026 3:15pm - 3:29pm MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 3:15pm - 3:29pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

3:29pm MDT

Workshop Session D
Friday May 8, 2026 3:29pm - 4:45pm MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 3:29pm - 4:45pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

4:45pm MDT

Networking and Connection Time
Friday May 8, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm MDT

Friday May 8, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

6:00pm MDT

Find Friends for Friday Food!
Friday May 8, 2026 6:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
Are you conferencing solo and looking to connect? Meet new friends in the Kinnear Centre at 6pm to walk to Banff downtown and share a meal with new friends. Depending on group size you may have to split up to find space in town but you will find someone to share a table with for sure :)

Don't forget to come back for music and more connections at 8.00pm!


Friday May 8, 2026 6:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

8:00pm MDT

Musical Concert and Dance Party: The Cost of Silence
Friday May 8, 2026 8:00pm - 11:00pm MDT

The Cost of Silence: A Return

Join TIKA and special local guests for a relaxed evening shaped through music, atmosphere, and gentle reflection. This inclusive and accessible few hours will showcase numerous musical and artistic talents, culminating in a place to dance, shake and revel in the joy of learning with our closing DJ.

After a full day of conversation and learning, this space offers a chance to slow down, connect, and unwind. Music will move throughout the room, creating an environment where you’re welcome to engage in whatever way feels right — whether that’s sitting, dancing, reflecting, connecting with others, or simply enjoying the sound.

There’s no expectation to participate in any particular way. This is a space to land, take a breath, and be present. A bar serving all manner of drinks available in the concert space.

8:00 PM – Doors Open (ambient music begins)
8:30–8:45 PM – Meg Ohsada Dance/Musicial Performance
8:45–9:00 PM – Transition
9:00–10:00 PM – TIKA Live in Concert
10:00–10:15 PM – Transition
10:15–11:00 PM – DJ Jadie Bee


Speakers
avatar for Meg Ohsada

Meg Ohsada

Meg Ohsada is a multidisciplinary artist from Canmore Alberta, who pours passion and feelings into her art to stir up inspiration in all who see it. Meg is passionate in advocating for an inclusive culture and helping others see that the world can be a better place when we share love... Read More →
avatar for Jade Berrill

Jade Berrill

Director of Learning, Outdoor Learning School and Store

avatar for TIKA

TIKA

Academy Award–Winning Composer, Cultural Strategist & Healing-Centred Practitioner, With Love, TIKA
Hi friends! I’m TIKA—an Academy Award–winning composer, musician, cultural strategist, and founder of Iverna Island, a creative initiative dedicated to supporting artists and building sustainable cultural ecosystems.My work lives at the intersection of creativity, community... Read More →

Friday May 8, 2026 8:00pm - 11:00pm MDT
Kinnear Centre
 
Saturday, May 9
 

9:44am MDT

Collaborative Learning Panels
Saturday May 9, 2026 9:44am - 10:59am MDT
This year we introduce a new type of session for Saturday morning. Choose between 7 themed interactive collaborative learning panels.  For the first half of the session, a skilled host will support panelists as they discuss their burning questions for this topic. For the second half of the session you will work within small groups to collaborate on answering questions they pose to you, or that have come up during your time at the conference.  Any group notes taken will be recorded by our in-conference graphic artist in written and illustrative form as part of our 'next steps' community of practice work. These sessions will be fun, interactive and a chance to solidify the thoughts, hopes and plans that have arisen during the conference.
Saturday May 9, 2026 9:44am - 10:59am MDT
Kinnear Centre

11:00am MDT

Health and Wellbeing Keynotes, Closing Circle & Prizegiving!
Saturday May 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Join Astrid Kendrick and TIKA for our final keynotes on Health and Wellbeing and finish strong as Elder Ann Fox closes the learning circle for us.

Joy as a Practice of Resistance: Emotional Literacy in a Time of Collective Burnout

In a time marked by urgency, systemic pressure, and collective overwhelm, many of us are navigating not only our own experiences, but the emotional weight of the communities we serve. Joy, in this context, is often deprioritized — seen as secondary to the work, or disconnected from the realities we face.
But what if joy is not a distraction from the work — but a necessary part of it?

In this closing keynote, Academy Award–winning composer and cultural strategist TIKA offers a grounded and embodied exploration of joy as a practice of resistance. Drawing from her work through The Cost of Silence, she examines how burnout, emotional suppression, and vicarious trauma are not just personal challenges, but systemic conditions — and how reconnecting to joy can become a form of restoration, clarity, and sustained engagement.

Blending storytelling, sound, and reflection, this experience invites participants to return to the body as a site of awareness and agency. Rather than offering quick fixes, it creates space for a deeper, more honest engagement with what it means to feel, to rest, and to remain connected in the midst of ongoing demands.
Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of emotional literacy, and a framework for integrating joy not as escape, but as a steady, intentional practice that supports both personal wellbeing and collective change.
Speakers
avatar for Ann Fox

Ann Fox

Elder in Residence
Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee (Singing Alone from Above) has been the Traditional Wellness Coordinator at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge for the past 8 years. She is the mother of three beautiful children and four grandchildren.Sylvia Ann studied Arts... Read More →
avatar for TIKA

TIKA

Academy Award–Winning Composer, Cultural Strategist & Healing-Centred Practitioner, With Love, TIKA
Hi friends! I’m TIKA—an Academy Award–winning composer, musician, cultural strategist, and founder of Iverna Island, a creative initiative dedicated to supporting artists and building sustainable cultural ecosystems.My work lives at the intersection of creativity, community... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Astrid Kendrick

Dr. Astrid Kendrick

Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, Werklund School of Education
Before taking on her current role of assistant professor, at the Werklund School of Education, Dr. Astrid Kendrick was a K-12 classroom teacher for nineteen years specializing in Physical Education and English/Language Arts. Dr. Kendrick has two main research areas: firstly, on compassion... Read More →
Saturday May 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm MDT
Kinnear Centre

1:59pm MDT

Optional Post Conference Field Experiences
Saturday May 9, 2026 1:59pm - 2:14pm MDT

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:59pm - 2:14pm MDT
Kinnear Centre
 


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