CHILD OF THE WILD FALL SESSION

We are excited and eager to share from our hearts in regard to our Child of the Wild program offerings for our fall session.

FALL SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS
This fall our program will be held in multiple locations, in hopes of greater accessibility/carpool alternatives (the specific location addresses will be shared upon completed registration).

We are excited to share that we will be based out of Brighton, Cobourg & Warkworth. Each location will run on different days of the week (see below), but all will start and end at the same time each day- 9:30am-3:30pm and run for the same 12-week duration (September 9-November 26).

Cobourg (Foragers Farms)- Tuesdays
Brighton (The Hippie House)- Wednesdays
Warkworth (Location TBA)- Thursdays

PROGRAM STRUCTURE & FLOW
We don’t follow public school curriculum, rather, we focus on emotional regulation, social skills, team building, leadership development, gratitude + mindfulness, being one with nature, learning with the seasons + natural elements, survival skills, etc.

Each week has a theme which offers structure + focus to our days, which we’re very excited about (COMING SOON).

Alongside of our focused activities we also do our best to harmonize and invite in ‘the flow’- which can look like a change of plans based on the group needs that day/that moment and we also welcome child-led experiences as they naturally unfold.

AGE RANGE SUGGESTION
We believe that age is just a number and our age range of 5-11 is a reflection of that. We set it with the intention that every child’s needs are met within our offerings and that what is being offered isn’t too “old” / to “young” for them, and so you can view this range as a suggestion. We are happy to work with you to see if it’s a good fit if you have a child that falls outside the ages of 5-11 and you're called to enrol them.

EARLY BIRD ENERGETIC EXCHANGE
We value accessibility and hope that our sliding scale invitations meet your family’s needs. Additionally, we have added a separate ‘Sibling Sliding Scale’ for those of you with multiple children.

Our EARLY BIRD exchanges ENDS Tuesday, August 5.

Single Child Sliding Scale
Early Bird: $55-$75, per child, per day
Regular: $60-$80, per day

TWO Sibling Sliding Scale
Early Bird: $50-$70, per child, per day
Regular: $55-$75, per child, per day

THREE Sibling Sliding Scale
Early Bird: $45-$65, per child, per day
Regular: $50-$70, per child, per day

Payments can be made in full, in two or three separate payments. The first payment of $100 per child enrolling being due upon registration and the second/third being due no later than Friday, August 29, 2024.

REGISTRATION ACCESS
If your called, and it’s a full body YES for you and your family please fill out our registration + waiver form below.

If you're called and have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out on Instagram or send us an email at childofthewildnorthumberland@gmail.com

Registration ends Wednesday, September 4 @ 11:11pm.

🌞🍂 COMING SOON 🍂🌞

Program Accessibility Measures
✨4 WAYS TO SAVE✨

Lately, our minds have been flooded with this thought:

“How can we, as a program within the Alternative Education Sector, make the programs we offer more accessible for families within our community?”

And our hearts, overwhelmed with feelings of HOPE and DETERMINATION.

There has to be a way.
There is a way.
We found a [few] ways.
🙌🏼❤️✨

Every child deserves the opportunity to experience what is being cultivated within Child of the Wild programming and we are proud to share our commitment to creating ways that support program accessibility.

Below are opportunities every family can now explore prior to enrolling in our program, regardless of financial status.

1️⃣ CHILD OF THE WILD SCHOLARSHIP

Spring 2023 was the kick-off to our scholarship program. We are thrilled to share that we have since welcomed nine wilds as a result of our commUNITY’s scholarship efforts.

APPLY
To apply for one of three scholarships for the 2024 fall session please visit this link and fill out the form in full: https://fs6.formsite.com/ZNAQjb/u3zj2y0gsz/index

Scholarship status will be shared with all applicants on or before Friday, August 29, 2024.

DONATE
These scholarships are dependent upon donations. If it is within your means to contribute to Child of the Wild’s Scholarship Fund, with a monetary donation of any amount, please connect privately and/or send an e-transfer to childofthewildnorthumberland@gmail.com.

2️⃣ THE CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION GRANTS- CAMPS OF HOPE

The Children’s Foundation was just recently brought to our awareness and after further communications with the foundation, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the initiative they have in place for our local communities (Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward Counties) and the families (whom are eligible) for funding to put towards their children’s programing.

MORE INFO/APPLY: https://www.thechildrensfoundation.ca/camps-of-hope

3️⃣ JUNIOR WILD GUIDES VOLUNTEER PROGRAM *NEW THIS SESSION*

Junior Wild Guides, new this session, a volunteer opportunity for your nature loving wilds ages 13+ years awaits. The intention of this program is to inspire young minds to learn and grow alongside each other. Wild Guide volunteers will be asked to step into a leadership role and to provide support with the wilds enrolled and the needs (when appropriate) arise.

We are more than happy to sign off on highschool volunteer hours as well.

APPLY
This is an application based program and a short interview will be conducted prior to program acceptance.

Please send an email to childofthewildnorthumberland@gmail.com for more information/to apply.

4️⃣ USED GEAR DEPOT/LENDING LIBRARY *COMING SOON*
A neighbouring nature program, Wild Hearts, inspired this idea. It’s GENIUS! The cost associated with suitable gear for each season when attending nature programs can add up. Not to mention the rapid growth of children in the early years.

And so, we are officially accepting donations for The Child of the Wild Clothing Depot/Lending Library. Please connect if you have items your family no longer needs/if you are in need of any related items.

This is only the beginning folks. We are calling in abundance and accessibility for all.

Now. and forever more.
Bec & Team 🤍

MEET THE TEAM

Our team of facilitators is growing and it is my pleasure to virtually introduce you to the amazing souls who will be bringing their loving and inspired hearts to the program this summer.

✨Bec, Program Founder & Facilitator✨
Bec is a wearer of many hats and pursuer of many passions. Working with children being at the forefront, especially through a relational, trauma-informed and therapeutic lens.

Bec holds an Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care and has many years of frontline experience in both traditional and non-traditional settings (public education system, community outreach, private respite care, residential care and nature based education).

Her inner child is potent and present in all she does, which led her to creation of what we know to be today, Child of the Wild, a program that her inner child would have only dreamed of attending.

Her visions and hopes for the future of the program and the children in her care are abundant. With a grateful and excited heart, she looks forward to the wild journey ahead.

✨Addie, Boss Baby & Wildling✨
Addie (Addison), our littlest wildling to date, joined us earthside in November and made Bec a mama for the first time. She is a busy little being, loves spending time in nature and adores being around older kids. She will be in tow with her mama this summer and is so excited to learn from the older kids.

🌻THIS SUMMER🌻
To fully honour the initiation into the Motherverse, Bec with Baby Addie in tow, will be flowing ‘in and out’ program wide this summer. This will allow her to fully embrace her first year as a mother while equally showing up for her ‘second baby’, Child of the Wild.

Integrity is one of Bec’s greatest values. She knows that she can’t facilitate as a ratio’d facilitator, safely and effectively while her daughter still has ‘all consuming needs’ at her age and stage. As a result, she has hired a team of facilitators, who share the same vision/values as Child of the Wild and who have extensive experience in the alternative education sector and with children. She trusts her team and cannot wait for all they will pour into the program this summer (and for sessions to come… EEK) and is so grateful she can pop in and out when it aligns. #bestofbothworlds 🙌🏼

Following suit with the many hats Bec wears, outside of program time, she pours into the backend of things in a variety of ways to ensure the opportunity that is Child of the Wild, remains available and accessible to the families within our surrounding communities.

———————

✨Ashley, Program Facilitator- Cobourg✨
Ashley has been working with children since she was a young girl herself. Her ability to connect deeply with children, follow their curiosities and offer support to expand on their ideas and thoughts comes naturally to her. As a result she is often seen as a safe adult to connect with.

Her natural abilities with children led her to a career in the field of Child and Youth Care, where she has been practicing as a Child and Youth Counsellor for just under 20 years and in a variety of different settings- early childhood education roles, the school board, in treatment homes and in the outdoor/alternative education sector.

Ashley loves being outside and is inspired by nature everyday. She is the perfect candidate for this position and we are so blessed to have her apart of the team! 🙌🏼🌲✨

More about Ashely below:

1️⃣ What inspired you to join the Child of the Wild team?
I was inspired to join because being outside brings out my best and surrounding myself with curious children inspires my heart. I’m a big kid inside!

2️⃣ What is your favourite thing to do in nature?
I love climbing trees!

3️⃣ How do you think spending time in nature benefits children and what do you hope the wildlings take away from your presence in the program?
Spending time in nature, I believe, helps children take healthy risks, learn how to move and trust themselves. I hope the children of this program will feel alive, connected to nature and each other with a playfulness that I am excited to create with them.

4️⃣ How will you ensure safety and inclusivity for all wildlings in your care?
I will ensure safety by setting out group agreements before our group begins activities and exploration walks. I will also have them be part of the process of checking in and problem solving so we can learn and grow together.

5️⃣ What are three fun facts about yourself that you would like the Child of the Wild community to know about you?
✨ I can run super fast, using my tippy toes.
✨ I am always up for listening and helping kids work through tough feelings
✨ Playing games and laughing is the best part of my day with kids!

———————

✨Caelan, Program Facilitator- Cobourg & Warkworth✨
Caelan has found deep meaning and joy in mentoring kids at forest schools across Ontario for over 7 years. After a fulfilling journey of learning land-based skills, he took a break after running his own forest school to pursue his other passion project as a holistic counsellor guiding people into deep well-being and purpose. Now, he wishes to weave together these worlds and explore how community nature connection can be deeply healing through reclaiming a sense of belonging to self, community, and nature.

More from Caelan below:

1️⃣ What inspired you to join the Child of the Wild team?
I was inspired by Bec's care and intention with creating a welcoming community-oriented space of creative learning. I feel my values for celebrating the unique gifts and qualities of each child is very much in alignment with Child of the Wilds vision

2️⃣ What is your favourite thing to do in nature?
I love re-creating a shared sense of village-mindedness and belonging in nature by connecting with trees, animals and rocks as sacred sentient beings. I do so by reclaiming meaningful ancestral practices like bushcrafting, basketweaving, friction firemaking, wild edible harvesting, singing, storytelling, and meditating.

3️⃣ How do you think spending time in nature benefits children and what do you hope the wildlings take away from your presence in the program?
I believe that empathy and emotional connection to nature is the bridge to being caretakers and protectors of nature. I wish to instill memories, free-play, wonder and magic, and meaningful belonging to land and place, so the next generation sees the land as alive and sacred rather than a lifeless resource.

4️⃣ How will you ensure safety and inclusivity for all wildlings in your care?
To ensure safety and inclusivity, I will introduce and reinforce shared agreements around taking care of self, other, and nature and explore what it means to be kind and caring in our daily experience together. I will also bring more awareness to natural and human-made hazards with respect for our environment such as referring to Poison Ivy as the "protectors of the forest".

5️⃣ What are three fun facts about yourself that you would like the Child of the Wild community to know about you?
✨ I love forest school work because it helps me reconnect with my "inner child" who wants more joy and play in life
✨ I am a holistic counsellor who loves helping people heal into their most authentic self
✨ Some joys of mine: baking, music/drumming, sports, deep chats, and DJing outdoor dances (I'll be hosting dances at foragers this summer!)

———————

✨Kelsey, Program Facilitator- Warkworth✨
Kelsey, a wearer of many hats, joins our team with many admirable skills and traits. She has a background in childcare and ample experience in the field, she is a certified yoga teacher and offers fun classes in the surrounding areas (did someone say goat yoga? 😉), holds her Reiki Level 1 Certification and last, but certainly not least, she is a mama of two. They are her greatest teachers and she is always learning from them.

Kelsey is a kind, compassionate and empathetic woman who believes that children need to spend more time outside and less time inside. She cannot wait to get to know your little wilds this summer! 🥰

More from Kelsey below:

1️⃣ What inspired you to join the Child of the Wild team?
I’d been watching Bec’s journey with the beautiful unfolding of Child of the Wild and was drawn to ask if she was looking for some help and in divine timing, she was!

2️⃣ What is your favourite thing to do in nature?
I love to observe nature. I love seeing beautiful, lush green views, animals doing their thing, the wonders of big strong tree roots and waving tree tops. Soaking in the sunshine is one of my favourites too.

3️⃣ How do you think spending time in nature benefits children and what do you hope the wildlings take away from your presence in the program?
There are endless benefits to spending time in nature. The energy is grounding and brings about joy and good health. I hope the wildlings take away a great appreciation for all that is and the ability to patiently watch as things naturally unfold.

4️⃣ How will you ensure safety and inclusivity for all wildlings in your care?
Conversations will be open and ongoing about group safety measures and the importance of keeping our energies together throughout the day. I will also lead by example, to ensure the group dynamic experienced feelings of safety, belonging, respect and acceptance of all.

5️⃣ What are three fun facts about yourself that you would like the Child of the Wild community to know about you?
✨ I love the smell of lavender
✨ I love to find new ways to move my body
✨ I get excited about all life in nature