RockyDocs

The RockyDocs series shares stories about what learning looks like in Rocky View Schools.

WILD Manachaban

W.I.L.D. stands for Wisdom, Inquiry, Learning and Doing and involves Gr. 8 students from Manachaban Middle School integrating the core curriculum into nature and the outdoors. The WILD Manachaban program takes a hands-on, learning-by-doing approach that emphasizes the importance of environmental inquiry, re-connecting students to nature and getting kids to feel comfortable living and being outside. This film follows Project WILD on some of their excursions into the foothills of Alberta where the students learn on the land and sleep under the stars. The WILD Manachaban program is was selected by the Emerald Foundation as the recipient of their 2020 Education Award, and you can watch teacher, Nancy Pollard, at the ceremony, accepting the recognition with an inspiring message!

The CONNEX Project

This RockyDocs story features the students and teachers from Banded Peak School in Canada and Heiðarskóli in Iceland who are all part of the CONNEX exchange program, which stands for Community, Outdoor, Nature, Nurture, Education and Exchange. The project aims to reimagine the schools' connections with community and enhance their passion for the outdoors, by intentionally engaging seniors, fostering meaningful connections with the nearby Tsuut’ina Nation and opening the “Back 40” to community walks. Enjoy the experiences and perspectives of the participants as they host one another in their communities and the natural world.

Ripples of Change

Featuring Gr. 4 students from A.E. Bowers Elementary, Ripples of Change follows students as they build an understanding and awareness of Indigenous cultures and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The two-year-long project saw students engaged in authentic learning experiences surrounding the 4 A’s of Reconciliation: Acknowledgement, Awareness, Atonement and Action. Through storytelling, artifacts, research and dialogue with Indigenous artisans, Elder Saa'kokoto and local First Nations youth, students built empathy and compassion for the histories of Indigenous People in Canada.