Teachers and Schools

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) education programs are developed by Ontario Certified Teachers and are designed to engage and inspire, while making curriculum connections.

Our outdoor, nature-based programs are delivered at TRCA Education Centres by Ontario Certified Teachers as well as skilled environmental educators and heritage professionals.

From science to social studies, physical education to the arts, we bring S.T.E.A.M learning to life in authentic and inspiring environments.

 


TRCA EDUCATION CENTRES

Click on the TRCA icons to see more information about each of the Education Centres.

Day Field Trips

students on field trip to Tommy Thompson Park

Single-day field trips meeting a variety of curriculum expectations, as well as recreation and group or team-building experiences, for kindergarten through grade 12, are available at all TRCA Education Centres.


Overnight Field Trips

Bring your class for an immersive overnight nature-based experience at Albion Hills Field Centre, Claremont Nature Centre or Lake St. George Field Centre.

students on overnight field trip to TRCA nature education centre

Our overnight school programs are designed to meet elementary and secondary level Ontario curriculum expectations and provide your students with engaging, hands-on learning opportunities in safe and supportive outdoor environments.


DOWNLOAD OUR SCHOOL FIELD TRIP GUIDES:

cover page of TRCA elementary school field trip guide
ELEMENTARY

cover page of TRCA secondary school field trip guide
SECONDARY

In-Class Visits

TRCA offers interactive programs that bring nature education to your classroom.

LISTENING TO LICHEN: NATURE’S HIDDEN MESSAGES

Small and often unnoticed, despite being found right under our noses, lichen is an unlikely organism that can tell us a lot about the environment around us!

lichen grows on tree bark

Explore what lichen is, where you can find it, and how to “listen” to what it is saying about the air quality around your school. Have fun thinking of ways that we can help our planet, the air, and lichen.

TEACHERS IN PEEL – BOOK NOW

NATIVE PLANTS PROGRAM

The Native Plants Program (NPP) is a curriculum-linked stewardship experience for students. The goal of the program is to help students recognize the importance of native plant species in habitat health and to encourage habitat stewardship.

Participating classes will have an opportunity to grow native plants from seeds in their classrooms.

students take part in planting as part of TRCA Native Plants Program

This program is offered at no cost to classes.

Available options vary by region. Please select the applicable region below for more information.

Teachers in Peel

The Native Plants Program (NPP) in Peel is a curriculum-linked stewardship experience for students in grades 2-12.

In this hybrid program, TRCA staff will deliver a native plant growing kit, complete with a growing container, soil, and native plant seeds, to participating classes. Classes will then have an opportunity to participate in a Virtual NPP Orientation to learn more about native plants and how to care for their seeds.

Next, classes will grow their seeds in preparation for a field trip to a location in Peel Region, where students will have an opportunity to plant what they have grown along with other native plants brought by our staff, and to take part in interactive activities to learn more about local ecosystems.

students from Peel Region take part in planting as part of TRCA Native Plants Program

These field trips are half-day trips; each booking can accommodate a minimum of 40 students (or two classes), and a maximum of 80 students (or four classes).

Select the button below to book. Interested teachers will book for the Virtual NPP Orientation date AND a Field Trip date.

This program and the materials are free. However, schools will be responsible for booking and covering the costs of transportation to the field trip sites.

If you have questions about this process, or if bussing is a barrier for your school to participate, please contact peel.education@trca.ca.

BOOK THIS PROGRAM NOW

 

Teachers in Toronto

The Native Plants Program in Toronto is available with either a seeding in-school workshop or a transplanting in-school workshop. Detailed information about these two options can be found by selecting the button below..

For more information about NPP in Toronto, please contact raja.raudsepp@trca.ca.

LEARN MORE & BOOK THIS PROGRAM

 

Teachers in York

Details coming soon! For more information about NPP in York, please contact alex.payne@trca.ca.

 

BEYOND THE PARK

Programs for Groups in the Greater Toronto Area

We bring the experience to you! For groups in the GTA who would love to learn about environmental and nature-themed topics, but can’t make it to one of our Education Centres, we will send an environmental educator to your school, centre, community group, or camp! For additional information, including costs, click on the button below.

What’s the Word, Urban Bird
Birds are all around us – but how well do you know them? In this session, participants will find out just how fascinating our feathered friends are. Focusing on bird species found in and around the GTA, participants will explore the world of birds through sight and sound, discovering what make them unique.

blue jay perches on bare tree branch in winter

Wetlands Matter
Why are wetland habitats so important? Through games and activities, participants will learn what a wetland is, why it matters, and how we can be part of  wetland conservation. Let’s discover the world of wetlands together!

Nature in the City
Learn about the wildlife we share our cities with! Participants’ understanding of local urban wildlife will grow through activities, games, and an opportunity to explore fur and skull replica specimens. An emphasis will be placed on the concept of sharing the city space with wildlife, ensuring their needs are met alongside ours.

elementary school students enjoy in-class visit from TRCA Watershed on Wheels program

Microplastics in Lake Ontario
Discover microplastics, a significant environmental issue affecting aquatic ecosystems across the globe. Participants will analyze terrestrial samples from Tommy Thompson Park and aquatic samples from the Toronto harbour. Through an in-depth presentation and hands-on exploration, participants will gain an appreciation of the impacts of our daily plastics use and discuss approaches to being part of the solution. Microscopes and sediment sorting sieves provided.

Custom Programs
If you’d like our environmental educators to come to your school, centre, community group, or camp, but want a specific topic covered, let us know. We’d love to work with you to create a hands-on environmental education program unique to your group!

Contact us to book

SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJOR CERTIFICATES

girls paddle canoe on Lake St George

Ontario’s Specialist High Skills Major Certificate (SHSM) program allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector, while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

SHSM programs enable students to gain sector-specific skills and knowledge in engaging, career-related learning environments, and to prepare in a focused way for graduation and post-secondary education, training or employment.

SHSM students can complete a wide variety of sector-recognized certifications through TRCA. Elective and compulsory certifications are available in authentic, real-world environments.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHSM PROGRAM