Prepared by Peter Boldt and Monica Shore (Iisaak Olam Foundation)
Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) is proud to announce that we will be partnering once again with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation https://www.iisaakolam.ca/ (IOF) for the second phase of their Indigenous Climate Action Preschool Program (ICAP). Phase 1 was entitled ‘Cultivating Connections: Building Relationships between Nature, Culture and Community through Early Childhood Education’.
With the huge success of the pilot and the continuing support of the TD Friends of the Environment, we are pleased to support IOF as they offer a second phase of this inspiring educational program, with a pandemic-influenced twist: ‘Cultivating Connections between Children and Nature from the Safety of Home.’ This will include five nature-based educational modules that are delivered online and that young children, families, and educators can use and adapt. Indigenous and western knowledge systems and teaching styles/tools will be employed to provide a rich and unique experience.
“We hope that this program will inspire young children and their families to connect with and learn from the environmental and cultural diversity of the place they call home. By home, we mean not only the dwelling or house in which we sleep, but the broader environment and ecosystems that teach us about our place in the world and our responsibilities to care for it,” explains Monica Shore, Executive Director of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.
While COVID-19 has certainly challenged us and caused our organizations to make adjustments to our work, PPP is delighted to assist IOF with such important programs for children. This project will advance work that began with the launch of the pilot in January of 2020, where IOF facilitated early-childhood education experiences in Saanich Parks, weaving together Indigenous and western teachings about nature and diversity. The next phase of this program will provide virtual learning opportunities for connecting young children to their local environment, applying both Indigenous and western knowledge systems.
For more information, please visit https://www.iisaakolam.ca/cayac. More details to come in January 2021!