The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada aims to support high-quality Forest/Nature School practice and programming through evidence-based, practical, and inspiring professional learning opportunities, community building, and advocacy.
Our goal is for all children in Canada to have the opportunity to lead their play and learning on the Land as an integral part of their education and healthy development.
The Forest and Nature School Practitioners Course is a year-long certificate course that consists of both in-person outdoor, experiential learning, as well as an optional, online self-directed certification. We have been offering this course since 2012, adapting and improving it each year based on participant feedback and the ever-evolving Forest/Nature School landscape in Canada. While some things have changed, what remains consistent is our intention to offer an immersive and transformative professional learning experience with like-minded educators and the Land.
We currently offer the course in two formats:
Five consecutive days of in-person learning outside, followed by an optional 12 months of online coursework to receive certification. Please note that both the in-person and online parts of the course are required for certification. (See “Invest in Your Career” below, for more information.)
Five days of in-person learning outside (spread over two weekends, usually six to eight weeks apart), followed by an optional 12 months of online coursework to receive certification.Please note that both the in-person and online parts of the course are required for certification. (See “Invest in Your Career” below, for more information.)
We currently offer three pathways to certification:
This designation is for professionals that currently work in a regulated setting like a licensed childcare program, a school, an extra-curricular program or other program where children attend regularly.
This designation is for those interested in running independent programming, such as new private Forest/Nature School Programs.
This designation is for those working in an existing Forest/Nature based program as support to other trained professionals.
*Please note that the in-person training is a prerequisite for completing the online coursework and receiving certification.*
If you choose not to pursue certification at the time of registration but decide you’d like to after completing the in-person training, don’t worry! You’ll have the opportunity to opt in to the online coursework and certification anytime within 12 months of completing the in-person training – at a time that best suits you.
The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada is a charitable non-profit, and because of costs involved in coordinating each course, the $650 course deposit is non-refundable and non-transferrable. In addition, the remainder of the course fees are non-refundable 12 weeks before the in-person start date. Cancellations within 12 weeks of the course start date are subject to a fee. Please take the time to consider whether this course is something you can commit to at this time.
If the cost of the course presents a barrier for you, please reach out to us at admin@childnature.ca to inquire about our flexible payment options and available training grants.
Relationship with the Land is at the heart of what we do, and this Land is Indigenous Land.
Although many people in Canada trace the roots of “Forest/Nature School” back to the United Kingdom, and look to CNAC as a national leader in land-based learning, we acknowledge that Indigenous peoples have been learning with the Land since time immemorial.
As a white settler-founded organization that works on and benefits from stolen Land, we have appropriated and caused harm to Indigenous Peoples’ knowledges and sovereignty on this Land. We have come to understand that we cannot ethically speak of learning and connecting with the Land without telling the truth about its colonization, and honouring and centring Indigenous sovereignty as we support the development of relationships to the earth in a holistic way. We are grateful to the many Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, communities, and team members who have worked with us over the last 10 years and have supported us in deepening our understanding and responsibilities to our core values of Justice, Truth, Community, and Accountability.
The CNAC team is learning to care deeply about past, present, and future generations, and living in right-relations with ourselves, each other, and the Land. We are committed to co-creating current and future programming with Indigenous partners, so that our programming is safe, meaningful, and culturally relevant for all participants.
To that end, we endeavour to center Indigenous voices in the Practitioners Course by:
Our conversation and discussions will be guided by the Elder or Knowledge Sharer present, acknowledging that their knowledge and teachings are incredibly valuable to this work. In keeping with the Forest School approach, this course is learner-led, emergent, inquiry-driven, and playful! We explore those pedagogies, tell stories, and dive deeply into supporting risky play. We may practice “hard” skills such as firebuilding, knots and tool work depending on the needs and interests of the group. And we share practical tips, recommendations, policies, and protocols for the day to day operations of a Forest/Nature School program. Please note: We do not extensively discuss “how to start a forest school” in terms of legislation or licensing requirements, which vary from province to province, and territory to territory. We recommend that you seek your own legal counsel and guidance from an insurance professional, and many of the course assignments are designed to help you put together the documentation legal and insurance professionals (and parents!) will ask of you. As each day unfolds, we will deepen our relationships with the Land, each other and ourselves.
Quick List of Themes we Explore:
Relationship with Land and Working with the Land in your unique context
Relationship with Play
Relationship with Story
Relationship with Learning
Relationship with Power
Relationship with Trust
Relationship with Risk
Throughout the course we will hold space for conversations and experiences that bring these essential relationships to life within the context of Forest and Nature School. Some of the questions we may dive into include:
If you choose to complete the online coursework for certification, you will have 365 days from your first login on the online learning platform after your in-person training. During this time, you can engage in self-directed learning with support from peers and CNAC Facilitators in the Practitioner Community Forums, as well as optional virtual gatherings led by CNAC Facilitators. There are many resources we recommend and you will use them to complete the assignments required for certification. Please note: The number of assignments you are required to complete depends on the certification pathway you choose. See above for more information.
The assignments will prompt you to go deeper with themes introduced during your in-person, and to develop the documentation you will need to safely start and run a high-quality Forest/Nature School program. You will be encouraged to complete your assignments in whatever way feels most meaningful to you. That may mean that some assignments are written, while others are more audio/visual. It will be up to you!
Practitioners are expected to complete all course elements within the 365 days timeframe, and we encourage participants to prepare to invest 2-5 hours/week reading, reflecting, connecting with the Land, and completing coursework. Please remember, this is a learner-led, highly self-directed program, and CNAC will not be checking up on you and enforcing readings or assignment completion.
Registration for courses happens on a rolling basis. Registration is a three-step process:
Step 1: Find the course of your choice, either directly on our site here or via social media. You can either directly select “register” and go straight to the form or go to “more information” and then find the form there.
Step 2: Once on the registration page you will find a form asking for some basic information, a few questions to answer, and informed consent. The registration form takes about 10-20 minutes to complete, and the registration page will time out at 45 minutes. We encourage you to set aside 20 minutes to fully complete the form in one sitting, so that you do not get timed out and are able to secure your space in the course.
Step 3: After completing the registration form, you will then be directed to complete your payment for your non-refundable deposit and review all your information. You will be sent an email confirming your enrollment and giving you all the important information you will need for the course!
Please note: The tuition is due 12 weeks before the start of the course and must be paid in full prior to first day of your course. If the payment schedule presents an issue for you, please get in touch with us.
When the course is full, you have the option to add yourself to the waitlist, and we will reach out to you if a space becomes available. Please note that waitlists do not carry forward to the following year.
All participants who take this course will gain knowledge and skills in leading play and learning on the Land with children. After the in-person training, participants have the option of pursuing certification by choosing a designation path. They will complete an assignment package based on their designation and professional needs over 12 months. Throughout the course, participants will have opportunities to:
At this time, there are no official prerequisites for this course. This course is designed for child-focused professionals, parents and caregivers who have influence on the learning experiences of children. Whether you are starting a program at your school or childcare facility, or exploring opening your own Nature Based program, this course can help you!
A background understanding of the emergent learning process can be helpful to course participants, but is not required. This course has a flexible structure that takes learning out of the classroom and onto the Land. It’s unlike any course you’ve taken. Be prepared to learn from and be guided by the First Peoples of the Land when learning how to live in good relationship with Land.
This course is most often taken by educators and early learning professionals, but we’ve also noticed an increased attendance of homeschooling parents, outdoor enthusiasts or professional guides, recreation workers, social workers, occupational therapists and health care professionals.
Please connect with us if you’re considering attending and still have questions.
Host: CNAC
Location: Fish Creek Provincial Park [Exact Location: TBD]
Dates: October 6 – 10, 2025
Host: Hinterland Nature Worker Cooperative Limited
Dates: August 11 – 15, 2025
Host: Out and About Forest and Nature School
Dates: July 7 – 11, 2025
Host: The Guelph Outdoor School
Dates: May 19 – 23, 2025
Host: Knowlesville Art & Nature Centre
Dates: August 18 – 22, 2025
