Testimonials

November 30, 2023

To whom it may concern,

I am writing on behalf of the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society (OSS) to express our support for Awaken Inquiry and Adventure Okanagan (AIAO).

AIAO is a fantastic program. OSS has worked together with AIAO on a number of projects, including a couple of restoration projects and a bioblitz. During the restorations, AIAO students helped us to plant native plants in Vernon parks, install vole guards on plants and helped us by taking some awesome drone photos. These photos will really help our funders and the broader community to understand the impact of our planting, especially in the years to come as the plants grow up. During the bioblitz, AIAO helped us to catalogue species found at Swan Lake Nature Reserve and Trails using iNaturalist. 

AIAO staff and students are always happy to volunteer to help with outdoor initiatives. Not only are they many hands to help with work but they also are keen and inquisitive minds that ask fantastic questions and help us to see our projects from different perspectives. 

Partnering with AIAO has helped OSS to be able to deliver environmental stewardship initiatives in the north Okanagan and with boots on the ground AIAO has helped to physically restore some very special and important habitats around Vernon. 

We wholeheartedly support AIAO and hope that the special program continues to be supported by the school board.

Yours sincerely,

Lia McKinnon

Stewardship Biologist

Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society

28 November 2023

To Whom It May Concern:

The North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club (NONC) has been in existence since 1951; that’s 72 years!

During that time NONC has been informing, connecting and engaging with residents of the North Okanagan who have an interest in the natural environment. Throughout our history supporting the education of youth and giving them opportunities to learn in nature, has been a priority.

In recent years the Awaken Inquiry & Adventure Okanagan program has given us ideal opportunities to continue to meet these objectives.

AIAO leaders and students have joined our members in several restoration and research projects. In the past twelve months alone this has included (but not limited to) tree and shrub plantings at the Swan Lake Nature Reserve Park and documentation of wetlands in Vernon.

While the students have helped us, we believe we have helped them. Our members who have led projects have shared their years of knowledge and experience with the students. We have provided them with opportunities to work alongside professional ecologists and biologists, thus learning about the careers, as well as the volunteer opportunities, that are possible for their futures.

On the technical and practical side, they have seen the uses of technology, research tools and methods, mapping, fieldwork, and so on.

We truly hope that the AIAO program will continue. Our community benefits from it. The sharing between generations is valuable in many ways.

Finally, we want to express our thanks to the AIAO leaders, who always exhibit a passion for their students, so that they might not only grow daily but have futures that are enriched by their experiences as secondary students in this program.

Sincerely yours,

Harold Sellers

President

North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club

To whom it may concern:

On behalf of the Friends of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park (FKLPP), I am writing in support of the AIAO program. 

The FKLPP has done many important projects with the AIAO class. I had the pleasure of participating in an invasive species pull on Middleton Mountain with Simone Runyon and the AIAO class a few years ago and thought that this innovative, unique class format was such a great way for the children to learn about the many different invasive species in our area and the importance of controlling them in our community while, at the same time, providing them with an opportunity to make a valuable difference in their community. 

The AIAO program also helped set up a burn monitoring area in Kal Park after a fire a few years ago. The purpose is to monitor how invasive and native plants regrow after a burn of varying intensity as well as to monitor soil degradation or enhancement depending on the severity of the burned area. The students also used a drone to take photos of the plots and the burns from the air for future comparison and installed posts for photo monitoring the plots. Once again, the opportunity for these students to be involved in a scientific study that benefits our community and beyond is invaluable, not only to them but also to the various community groups like ours that benefit so much from their involvement and engagement in our conservation efforts.

We sincerely hope that this innovative and unique program will be able to continue to provide invaluable opportunities and skills to future generations of children.

Brenda Couture

President, Friends of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park

November 24, 2023

Letter of Support for Awaken Inquiry and Adventure Okanagan program at SD 22.

To whom it may concern:

I would like to express my unconditional support for this program. I have had the pleasure of working with the class over the last few years, both in the field and the classroom, facilitating sessions on Water Quality and Invasive Species. I also follow frequent postings of AIAO projects and experiences on the North Okanagan Naturalists’ Facebook group.

The rapport and mutual respect I observe in the group is extremely positive and the teachers are sensitive to the personal needs of a diverse group of learners. I believe this program has been key in keeping these students engaged with their schooling and education. Over the years, AIAO has addressed many environmental issues and concerns in the Vernon/North Okanagan. I believe through the integration of subjects with an environmental focus the students are not only developing skills and knowledge in the traditional subject areas but also learning to work on serious environmental issues – like climate change.

One aspect I really noticed in the class is the interpersonal respect among the students. They support each other and provide space for each other when that is needed.  The teachers provide opportunities for the students to further explore their interests and passions. The class supports the work of The Invasive Species Council of B.C. through weed pulls and mapping with drones.

AIAO instructors have done a fabulous job of connecting with community members from many walks of life. There are many passionate presenters brought in to work with the class! Eg. Entomologists, foresters, Invasive Weed Specialists, Fisheries, Naturalist, Mapping Experts, First Nations …..

I believe this is what education should look like and that it is very congruent with the current trends in the Ministry of Education's written curriculum including “Inquiry Learning and competencies – social, thinking, and communication."

This program should enjoy consistent and robust financial and administrative support. In fact, I personally believe it provides a shining example of what education could and should look like in middle and high school settings and possibly serve as a model for other Districts.

Yours sincerely,

Kim Fulton - Med. Environmental Education. 

Former Administrator SD83, 

Former Teacher SD83, 

Current Facilitator Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

To Whom It Concerns:

My name is Norbert Maertens and as a retired engineer/teacher and active Naturalist, I have been volunteering in the Awaken Inquiry & Adventure Okanagan Program in SD22 for the past two years.

The reason I support this valuable program as a volunteer is that I see the need for the school-aged generation to learn about the importance of the natural environment and to instil hope for a viable future amidst a time of environmental catastrophes caused by climate change and the increasing exploitation and destruction of their natural inheritance.

By the same token, I have come to realize that, as those young adults are learning about their challenging life ahead, they become awake and come up with the most inspiring ideas and potential solutions for a more sustainable future.

Finally, this unique program would not be what it has become without the relentless dedication of the teachers involved.

I’m sure that this program could serve countless students currently suffering from eco-anxiety and I hope that many School Districts throughout the country will use this program as an example.

Norbert Maertens

nmaer10s@gmail.com

Witnessing the direct impact of curiosity led learning on the students is incredibly inspiring. From nature journaling to plant identification to salmon spawning and the impact of watershed pollution, we are always so amazed by the students' hunger for knowledge and ability to make deep, meaningful connections with the natural world. The experiences that the program fosters are priceless. These students are developing into community minded individuals who are going to change the world.

Alexis & Chantelle, Allan Brooks Nature Centre

December 4, 2023
To whom it may concern.

My name is John Wilson, and I am part of the Leadership Team at Vernon Men’s Shed. Men’s Shed Vernon is a collaborative environment where over 120 men work shoulder-to-shoulder to create a variety of projects for themselves and community organizations. For the most part, our members are retired senior men with an interest in woodworking and metalworking, giving back to our community, and social interaction with like-minded guys.

In the past few years, we have had several collaborative interactions with students from the AIAO program at Fulton Secondary. The students have experimented with our higher technology equipment such as our laser burner, worked side-by-side with senior men to make items such as charcuterie boards and birdhouses, and participated in our members’ work on community projects. Our guys operate the machinery, the students glue and sand, and everyone talks.

We are grateful for each of these opportunities to connect with the students, and our members have enjoyed and profited from each Dme we have seen them enter our facility. We have photos on the wall in our facility of the things we are proud of, and the students of AIAO factor largely in our display. Our members enjoy the opportunity to teach and pass on their interest in their craft, but mostly the opportunity to meet and know such grateful and engaging young men and women. I believe that the students also profit from these connections, and that is the reason we are so proud to have had the opportunity.

I have been a teacher and principal in both the elementary and secondary public school system, and a principal in an independent elementary school for students with learning disabilities. I believe that the AIAO program offers an important alternative program for the students who have come to us, and we commend School District 22 for their initiative and ongoing support of these children.

I am happy to chat if the reader has questions or further clarification. Kind regards

John Wilson
Vernon Men’s Shed.

250-550-6595

John.janet.wilson@gmail.com
mensshedvernon@gmail.com

I have been involved with the educational aspect of Museums and Heritage Sites in the Valley since 1980, and continue to contribute to that effort in my position of Curator of the Fintry Estate. I place a high value on the opportunities to introduce students to the world they live in, and will have to caretake, by using actual objects, and experiencing field trips that put those objects into context.

Rob has likewise been involved with education of this nature and I have known of his commitment to this for over five years. His classes have been brought to Fintry, and on those occasions, it has always impressed me that the students are appreciative of the visit, and it is clear that they are able to make their own choice of the topics offered by the collection there. They formulate their own questions based on the experience, and their own interests. I can honestly say that I wish that I had the same opportunity when I was at their age. I encourage Rob to continue his work, and urge all concerned to support it to the fullest.

Dan 

Curator, The Fintry Estate

I first heard about AIAO at UBCO (University of British Columbia - Okanagan). As a teaching candidate in the B.Ed program, I was immediately drawn to the experiential nature of the school. The AIAO staff welcomed me with open arms. 

Starting in mid-October, I visited AIAO weekly to learn about their school, initially intrigued by their pedagogy. From my very first visit, I learned the AIAO community was more than just an experiential school: they are welcoming, compassionate, and care deeply for their students. 

Fast forward a few weeks, and I began one of two practicums (a two and a five week) with AIAO. The AIAO team allowed me the freedom, like the kids, to be myself. The students were open to learning. Together, we dove deeply into my passion, marine biology, as well as cooking international foods, photography, science, and genocide studies. The students are part of a strong community at AIAO in which people care more about each other and their work than I had ever experienced myself in high school. 

I cannot express enough my gratitude to AIAO for providing such an influential practicum from which I’ll take lasting memories and friendships. 

With hugs,

Sean

I was a former teacher candidate through the University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus. I was privileged enough to be placed at AIAO, under the guidance of Rob, Caitlin, Murray, and nearly 50 inspiring youth. My lens of life, the trajectory of how I teach will forever be changed within the ever evolving walls of AIAO. I since seek schools that allow for the breadth of experiences that aliven, challenge, and expand not just the students, but those who take up the opportunity to work in collaboration. A truly co created structure that reflects the students interests and needs all while building community connections so that youth not just see themselves in the learning but feel empowered to be part of the learning community.

When I invited my cousin to teach a mini lesson on medicinal teas, she had told me she wishes there was a school like this for her when she grew up. As well, she noted the ability for the students to share and be so articulate was something she had never seen before in a class. I echo those words in that when students are part of a place that truly require your voice to move forward, and you are in a safe space to explore your skills passions and various paths, students are excited to share their insights and creations. I was able to bring forward and explore what my role and responsibilities would be at AIAO. I was able to infuse my background and create different in-situ’s getting to see how we could create a theatre class outside at Polson Park. We started our program for 3 months outside! I learned how to teach an Anatomy Physiology class at the rock climbing centre, pulling real-life experience into understanding how our body moves.

Leaving AIAO was a tearful experience, hearing 50 people you care about share thoughtful and heart filled sentiments in a circle is something I recommend everyone experiencing once in their life. This place was filled with creative critical thinkers who live with their hearts. This place allows people to come alive.

With much gratitude,

Riana