Our Goals
ECO Rangers has two key goals that we use to know if we are being successful. They are…
Challenge students to become leaders in their school and community and build awareness of environmental issues with a focus on wetland preservation.
Build teamwork skills within the participants, including, confidence, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership.
Whenever the opportunity arises for the grade 6 students to participate in this program I always jump at the chance to go.
--Jacob Moskal (Kings Road Public School)
Daily Schedule
9:00 – 9:30 – Welcome and Introduction
9:30 – 12:00 – Initiatives
9:30-10:05 - Activity 1
10:10-10:45 - Activity 2
10:50-11:25 - Activity 3
11:30-12:05 - Activity 4
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 – Eco-Activity
What to Bring
Litter-less Lunch
Water Bottle
Dress for the weather
Sunscreen to reapply.
Teachers: Please separate your students into four groups prior to arriving, using your professional judgement to set our leaders up for success.
The ECO Rangers program taught my students valuable information about how to create a sustainable future.
--Wendy Cox (Pineland Public School)
Our TEAM BUILDING Model
The ECO Rangers program is designed to enhance individual and group performance in the following areas.
Communication – students will develop and practice various types of communication strategies within a group context. Increasing communication skills is integral to the development of strong and effective leadership ability.
Teamwork – functioning as part of a team to accomplish common goals is a fundamental step in developing leadership ability. Students will be challenged to take on different group roles and understand the skills needed to support a successful group initiative
Problem Solving – Critical thinking and cooperation are needed to solve complex problems. Collectively finding solutions to the assigned adventure challenges, encourage students to think creatively and act collectively.
Leadership – Leadership is more than simply giving orders. Through the ECO Rangers Program students are encouraged to practice leadership through a range of team-based initiatives. Each student will be invited to try different leadership roles over the course of the program as well as be given some basic tips for how to undertake effective leadership within the team/group dynamic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do?
We will take care of most things, but we do need a few things from you.
Make sure that the students know what to bring and what to expect (see "What to Bring" above).
Separate your students into groups.
Get your students to the program.
Maintain discipline with your students.
That's it. We'll take care of the rest.
How many Students Can I bring?
At this time, we can accommodate 80 students per session. We are hoping to expand our capacity for next year.
Who will be working with my Students?
The program is run by our student facilitators. They are high school students in grade 11 or 12 who are part of the ECO Studies program. Our facilitators have undergone over 60 hours of leadership training, and they all have their Standard First Aid certification as well. There will also be at least one certified teacher present for all programming.
Will there be bathrooms and water Available
Yes. We use the outdoor space, but have access to the bathrooms, fountain and water bottle refill station at the RBG Nature Interpretive Centre. There is a drink vending machine at the Nature Interpretive Centre as well.
Why is it called ECO Rangers?
Since medieval times, rangers have been the protectors of the forests. Now, we need Rangers more than ever. ECO Rangers are a team of leaders dedicated to spreading the word about how we can preserve one of our most endangered ecosystems today--wetlands. Our goal is to empower your students to be ECO Rangers. ECO is an acronym that stands for Environmental Cooperation Outdoors.
Do you provide food for the day?
No, we do not provide food. There will be a lunch break for students to eat, but we do not provide food. Participants should bring a water bottle and litterless lunch.
Why should I separate my students into groups?
Our program is run in 4 even groups. We ask teachers to make these groups because teachers understand their students and their needs, so we believe that you can make groups that are intentionally set up for success. We do have a means of creating groups, but we prefer it if you do this to ensure that we are intentionally setting our students up for success.
Is there shelter from the rain or sun?
We set up tents and tarps, but it is important that participants dress for the weather as we will be outside for the duration of the program.
Do you provide Supervision
While your students will be working with our trained leaders and will have a leader staying with each group, there is no supervision like teacher supervision, so teachers must attend and follow your school and board policies around field trip ratios. We will run all of the programming for you.
What is included in the cost?
Cost includes programming run by trained student facilitators and access to site. We cannot provide food or transportation at this time.
Can I copy the content of this program?
Want to use some things we have done in your own classroom or with other classes? We are actually pretty open to that, but because much of the program is the intellectual property of Jason Blair and Jeff Sephton, we ask that you contact us for permission before doing so.