Toronto, Ontario – May 19, 2011 – Humber College’s Early Childhood Education program and Centre for Urban Ecology will host the second annual Places of Natural Discovery Conference. Organized by Humber’s ECE department and the Centre for Urban Ecology, the conference will address the disconnect children have with nature and the outdoors resulting in an increase in obesity and other consequences of inactivity. Humber is taking a leadership role in providing parents, naturalists and adult educators with strategies to increase children’s outdoor play and their connection with nature.
Keynote speakers this year will be Adam Bienenstock, founder and principal designer of Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, speaking on “Send the Children Outside, and then...” and Colin Marcano, a photographer and naturalist, who will be speaking on “Nurturing the Naturalists.”
Photo Opportunities: Keynote speakers, workshops and activities on topics including:
Natural Materials for Your Classroom, Natural Playgrounds, Playing Outdoors, Gardening with Children
Media are invited to attend any/all sessions. Conference schedule and room numbers follow below. Students and speakers are available for interview.
Location: Humber College North Campus
205 Humber College Blvd
Toronto, Ontario, M9W 5L7
Date: Wednesday, May 25 and Thursday, May 26, 2011
Time: Wednesday: 6 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Directions: The Humber North Campus is located at the corner of Highway 27 and Humber College Boulevard (one block south of Finch Avenue).
About Humber College Institute of Technology and Applied Learning
Established in 1967, Humber is one of Canada’s leading postsecondary institutions. Committed to student success through excellence in teaching and learning, Humber serves more than 21,000 full-time students and 55,000 continuing education registrants. With an internationally recognized reputation for quality learning, Humber offers a wide-range of career-focused opportunities for students to personalize their educational path. Our 150 full-time programs include four-year bachelor’s degrees, two and three-year diplomas, one and two-year certificates, and apprenticeship training. As a founding member of Polytechnics Canada, Humber offers students the opportunity to participate in applied research projects that find solutions for issues confronting small and medium-sized enterprises. Humber is one of 12 Vanguard Learning Colleges as identified by the League for Innovation, and the League’s only Canadian board member. Humber finished first in its class in the highly regarded Community College Survey of Student Engagement in 2009 in each of four categories, including Active and Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Academic Challenge and Student-Faculty Interaction. More than 85 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies.
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For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Andrew Leopold / Kevin Gonsalves
(o) 416.675.6622 ext. 4296 / ext. 5778
(c) 416.518.8989
andrew.leopold@humber.ca / kevin.gonsalves@humber.ca
Places of Natural Discovery Conference
Schedule:
Wednesday, May 25
6:20 pm – 6:30 pm Welcome Remarks
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm Outdoor Activity
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Keynote Speaker – Adam Bienenstock
Topic: “Send the Children Outside, and Then....”
Thursday, May 26
9:00 am – 10:15 am Keynote Speaker – Colin Marcano
Topic: “Nurturing the Naturalists”
10:30 am – noon Morning Workshops
Noon – 1:00 pm Lunch, Nature Quiz, Silent Auction, Vendor Marketplace, Children’s Art Gallery
1:00 pm – 1:20 pm Performance
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Afternoon Workshops
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Closing Remarks – Max Skwarna
