2025 Winter Solstice Celebration

Thriving in Nature: Educators Finding Balance Through Outdoor Teaching

Date: Wednesday, December 17th, 2025
Time: 4:00 - 5:30 pm PT
Location: Online via Zoom

Join teachers, community educators, and leaders from across B.C. to share successful practices and celebrate work that connects learners with place and the outdoors!

Event Highlights

Learn about innovative programs and resources across B.C.
Share ideas, inspiration, and strategies for teaching and learning connected to local places, land, and community
Network and explore collaboration and mentorship opportunities in your region

Featured Activities

Inspirational Speakers: Kick things off with insights from our featured guests.
Interview by: aaaaaaa
Networking & Sharing: Exchange success stories and resources with like-minded educators and leaders.
Prizes! Prizes!

Featured Guests

Elise Pearson

Teacher, School District 39 (Vancouver). Elise Pearson is an environmental educator and Outdoor Education teacher at Maple Grove Elementary on the unceded territory of the Musqueam people (Vancouver, BC), where she leads students in Grades 4–7 in ecological restoration and native plant stewardship along the Arbutus Greenway. She holds a Master’s in Ecological Education from Simon Fraser University and is the 2025 recipient of the Edward Burtynsky Award for Teaching Excellence in Environmental Education. Elise’s work blends science, art, and Indigenous ways of knowing to foster ecological literacy, stewardship, and a deep love for both plants and place.

Laura Jackman

Laura was born and raised in the Kootenays and currently lives in Rossland, BC on the unceded tmxʷúlaʔxʷ and traditional territories of the Sinixt peoples. Lands and Waters that were also cared for by the Syilx, Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Peoples. She is a teacher in the Kootenay Columbia School District with over 13 years of experience. Laura is the Vice President of the Environmental Educators Provincial Specialist Association (EEPSA), the Network Manager for the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN), and has recently begun instructing for the West Kootenay Teacher Education Program through UBC.

Event Program

We hope you can join us for this inspiring and engaging celebration!