Growing Innovation

Child standing in the ocean

Begun as a UBC Faculty of Education – BC Ministry of Education partnership Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning has taken on a life of its own, comprising now close to 100 projects over time that have transformed and inspired rural education in BC since 2011.

The projects mapped and shared here are supported and celebrated for their focus on community-emplacement, student engagement, innovation, and inquiry in rural education.

We are honoured to represent so much diverse and important work, along with a growing collection of links to artifacts, reports, presentations and many other forms of documentation from Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning projects.

In regard for the geography of rural education in B.C., we observe that “the education system itself must be transformed into one that rejects the racism embedded in colonial systems of education and treats Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian knowledge systems with equal respect” (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Canada’s Residential Schools: Reconciliation (PDF download)(2015), p. 122).]

31. Community Connections: Learning and Teaching Haida Language
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 50 (Haida Gwaii) This project explores what happens when students are taken into the heart of the Haida community to nurture relationships and language learning with Elders. It will create a community classroom (school outside the conventional school building) in order to empower First Nations learners through visits to the Skidegate Haida Immersion […]
9. Connecting Generations
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 64 (Gulf Islands) On Salt Spring Island, the Connecting Generations project continues to expand and redefine itself in response to the new opportunities it creates for students, educators and their community. Continuing is building bridges between generations through dialogue, intergenerational learning and relationship building. New project videos: Surrendering to Spontaneity and Weaving a Mentorship: Room to […]
86. Decolonizing our Learning Environment
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) Inspired by Richard Van Camp’s story-telling, this project engages the act of telling stories for students in grade K-9, through first learning about culture, community and place in order to develop story telling as a way of developing identity, understandings of place and each other and transforming and decolonizing schooling.
85. Building Shared Understandings of Loose Parts Learning
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 79 (Cowichan Valley) This project takes up “loose parts” – materials that are beautiful in their diversity, inspire creative thinking and offer learners many ways to capture their thinking and express ideas – to further develop and co-create shared pedagogy, understandings and logics about spaces, rhythms and routines.
84. The Numeracy Pilot Project: Engaging with and Embedding Indigenous Practices
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 74 (Gold Trail) This project aims to enhance numeracy instruction and experience in K-1 classrooms by supporting curricular competencies, decolonizing learning in the classroom, offering choice, and responsibility and support through hands-on tactile activities.
83. Trauma Informed Restorative Practices at Barriere Secondary
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) This project is focused on developing a culture of restorative practices in school, and becoming more trauma informed to support teaching and learning. By implementing trauma informed and restorative practices, it aims to build relationships and support children in successful development.
82. Strengthening Local Connections in the Robson Valley
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 57 (Prince George) This project explores pedagogical approaches in taking up historical thinking, geographic thinking, and place-conscious/place-responsive learning. It engages in local practice and learning that brings school communities into meaningful contact with stories and other artifact of the histories and geographies of the Robson Valley Region through, in part, visiting sites traditionally […]
81. Mackenzie Secondary Food Security
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 57 (Prince George) Following First Peoples Principles of learning “throughout the entirety of the project,” this project encourages collaboration among Mackenzie and the Mcleod Lake Indian Band in good relations and to tackle common problems of food security. The school will operate as a hub to connect and enable multiple groups to be […]
80. Our Walk Toward Truth & Reconciliation
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 54 (Bulkley Valley) Respecting and being guided by the First People’s Principles of Learning, this project’s inquiry builds capacity among students and staff to work to weave Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into classrooms, seeking to discern the transformative therein from “simply adding” to current practice. It also aims to strengthen students’ relationship with […]
8. Global Citizens as Renewable Energy Consumers
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 69 (Qualicum) Students at False Bay School on Lasqueti Island will build positive understandings of renewable energy systems and social responsibility by examining local solar, micro-hydro and wind power projects with area experts. Here is a video about the project based at False Bay school on Lasqueti Island: Here are some project related […]
79. VOCAL: Triangulating Assessment
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 54 (Bulkley Valley) In the leadership of learner support teachers working in collaboration, this project aims to improve and innovate with respect to assessment, where students may lead in creating a more inclusive environment and equitable assessment practices.
78. School and Community Connections
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 50 (Haida Gwaii) This project explores how students acquire language, culture, and knowledge while working with a Haida Elder in a Language Nest, how children from different schools interact with each other and develop their skills, while working together, and how two school communities share their strengths.
77. Integrated Learning Imagine High
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 33 (Chilliwack) This project inheres in Imagine High which, for grade 9 & 10 students is “unique, innovative and substantially different from traditional secondary schools.” It aims as imagining and implementing “significant, research-informed structural changes” to schooling, in order to “provide a context for deep learning pedagogies.”
76. Reimagining the Role of the High School as a Bridge to the Community
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 20 (Kootenay-Columbia) This project supports student engagement through wellness, toward a school-wide initiative that promotes Core Competencies by way of a personal and social curriculum. In a cross-curricular approach to learning, and in growing understandings of trauma-informed practice, it aims to create a school-wide culture of community, service, connection and wellness, for which […]
75. Rossland Community Garden Relocation and Wetland Rehabilitation
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 20 (Kootenay-Columbia) This project is relocating the current community garden to a better location (& rehabilitating the current one) – in part for use as an outdoor classroom and for foods and cafeteria programs for K-5 students, as well as for working with community garden members and the City of Rossland.
74. Shared Wisdom & Growth
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 10 (Arrow Lakes) This projects aims to “push practice to adapt and support the needs of our students” in part by breaking down barriers between communities and schools and revisioning children’s belonging beyond school. Working with community Elders to “create a space of shared wisdom,” it aims to broaden experiential learning, career/life connections, […]
73. Primary Literacy Coherence as a Catalyst for System Change
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) In work toward more effective district literacy support for grades 4 & 5, this project deploys a Spirals of Inquiry model to reconsider pedagogical practices toward a coherent and balanced literacy program.
72. B.K WILD (Wilderness Integration Learning Design)
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) Committing to take students out of the classroom into their surrounding community for at least 1 full day per week, this project is place-based, student-led and multiage with outdoor learning. For ranging out from their ‘nest’ in the forest, easing pandemic restrictions promise more “connecting our learning to a wider […]
71. Beyond 4 Walls – Using an Outdoor Classroom
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) This project includes the development of an outdoor classroom that eliminates the barriers to taking students outside by creating a welcoming outdoor learning space which will offer a variety of strategies for teachers to connect indoor learning to outdoor learning in all subject areas.
70. Primary Outdoor Learning Space
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) As shared by project leadership: Our hope is to create a safe, accessible, and intentional outdoor learning space on our school grounds for K-3 classes, while other user groups such as intermediate classes, PAC, StrongStart and After School programs may also access it. We want to embed Indigenous knowledges, uphold […]
7. Nature Kindergarten
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 62 (Sooke) The district will develop a Full Day Nature Kindergarten program that provides children the opportunity to learn in a natural setting where outdoor exploration is the foundation of all learning. To visit the Nature Kindergarten blog, click HERE. A PDF of the program’s pedagogical principles is HERE. For a PDF of a Globe […]
69. PRISM: Pride, Race, Identity, Sexuality and Movement
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) As shared by project leadership: This project involves the Gay Straight Alliance club (PRISM) at Sparwood Secondary School. This club is open to any students at the school and we hope to foster inclusion in the school and local community through community contributions. We also hope to integrate First People’s […]
68. How to Empower Staff and Students While Growing an Inclusive Culture
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 81 (Fort Nelson) This project explores team teaching and collaboration as a method to build more meaningfully inclusive practices school-wide – on the traditional territories of the Fort Nelson First Nation and where approximately one third of the school population is Indigenous. It continues in both bringing new staff into its culture and […]
67. Cariboo Chilcotin Colonization Timeline
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) Connecting with local knowledge keepers, this project engages key historical events to see how they have influenced the development of the region and its communities. Through historical inquiry, high school students are engaging both Indigenous and non-Indigenous authorities in challenging the absence of Secwepemc and Tsilhqot’in history from their classrooms, in […]
66. Chilcotin 360
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) The project aims to give our Indigenous youth an opportunity to share their communities with the world. We will use innovative technology to build 360 degree community tours with embedded content that can be viewed through a shared weblink online. The project hopes to share the language, culture and pride of […]
65. Expanding Beyond the Classroom: Elementary ADST and Career Education (Part 2)
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin)  In resonance with the curriculum’s standards of community collaboration, personalized learning and inquiry, this project supports cross-curricular activities to explore different skill sets and careers not commonly found or funded in elementary education. In doing so it asks how exploring career opportunities earlier will help students later with respect to their […]
64. Join the Circle
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) This project explores how rhythm, and the drum circle, can bring cross-curricular connections toward intangible but profound outcomes in belonging, leadership, healing and resilience in high school. How does a ‘convivial ambience’ change schooling? From positive experiences showing both inclusion as well as leadership potential among specific students, this project […]
63. Sparwood Secondary School Sawmill
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) This project explores student engagement with community partners in the local and regional economic activity of turning natural resources into valuable products. In doing so, it creates new opportunities for reconsidering curriculum in unique and situated ways.
62. Moveable and Organic Classroom
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) This project explores and discerns student engagement with the outdoors, especially in respect of both core curriculum and First Peoples Principles of Learning. In doing so, it seeks also to engage community and reimagine education in pandemic times.  Especially timely in pandemic times, this project is following inquiry outdoors…towards a […]
61. Middle School at Lillooet Secondary School
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 74 (Gold Trail) This project explores and shares multi-disciplinary community and relationship student leadership and inquiry – in working to create an ‘atmosphere of celebration and curiosity’ among the school and those who live around it. It continues in work to “provide deeply engaging projects for our students to partake in throughout the […]
60. SSS Diversity Team
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 54 (Bulkley Valley) This project explores and extends increased engagement of students with diverse strengths and needs through relationship building in often spontaneous and informal education. It also looks to share its inquiries and findings with neighbouring schools and communities. We welcomed the opportunity to engage with this project in considering its 2020 […]
6. 21st Century Learning: PBL in the Energetic Learning Campus
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 60 (Peace River North) At Fort St. John, the ELC project will look at how a healthy living environment and personal fitness affects student absenteeism, test scores, collaboration skills, student engagement and school culture. This is a video about the unique school called the Energetic Learning Campus in Fort St. John, also in […]
59. Designing Math for All Learners
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 54 (Bulkley Valley) This project extends innovative approaches to inclusion into elementary mathematics education, building capacities of teachers to help them focus better on the competencies of their students.  With this project’s leadership, the 2020 Rural Schools Symposium was able to discuss and consider its story of innovation and shared artifact: a fractions 7 […]
58. South Okanagan Secondary School Equine Pilot Project
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 53 (Okanagan Similkameen) Supporting those less well served by conventional education, this pilot project aims to deepen understanding of the new curriculum and First Peoples Principles of learning through using horses to develop relationships that engage stress and emotional management, self-concept and self-talk, personal responsibility, group dynamics, conflict resolution and empathy.
57. Food Literacy and Sustainable Practices in Rossland Summit School Cafeteria
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 20 (Kootenay-Columbia) Exploring cross-curricular and multigrade pedagogical innovation in a placed-based approach to sustainable living and a classroom to community model, this project engages farming, food, sustainability, with Indigenous ways of knowing and within community connections. Here is this project’s 2020 Rural Schools Symposium presentation (.pdf opens in new window)
56. Mount Sentinel Revisioning Middle Years (Year 3 – from visioning & planning to action!)
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) This project aims to ‘reinvent’ the school timetable and organizational structure for the benefit of the school’s youngest students – in supporting transitions, developing multidisciplinary and fostering student empowerment. Following two years of planning, research and community building, it now enters year one of a revitalized middle years program for […]
54. Exploring Science through a New Lens
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 60. (Peace River North) A regional science fair committee from schools in the North East of B.C. takes the lead in this project to both spark interest in and develop Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) technology in education with students and, through this, to extend critical questions about knowledge, understanding and place. […]
53. Connected Classrooms – French Immersion Instruction
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District:  No. 59. (Peace River South) In Dawson Creek and Chetwynd, B.C., this project seeks to “explore alternative ways at delivering French programming” at district high schools involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Here is the Connected Classrooms 2018-2019 final project report (opens in new tab).
52. Exploring Virtual Reality through 360 Degree Video
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District:  No. 52. (Prince Rupert) As “entry points for students to be creative and see results quickly through this technology” this project in Prince Rupert B.C., explores VR in uses developed and led by high school students in “collaboration, experimentation and problem solving” in an “an opportunity to promote and celebrate what makes us unique […]
51. Creating VR Place-consciousness Connections
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District:  No. 10. (Arrow Lakes) This project’s aim is to explore the integration of Virtual Reality and Place-Conscious learning. Teachers and students from three communities (Nakusp, Edgewood and New Denver) are developing new ways to collaborate in developing this intriguing project that seeks to lay the groundwork for future education in the region that is […]
50. Capturing the Stories Using Green Screen Technology
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 8. (Kootenay Lake) In South Nelson, B.C., this project marries intergenerational learning and technology in student-led historical inquiry (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) toward contributions to community self-understandings. Initial artifacts and project documentation have been shared below! Our inquiry started with exchanging stories with the Tlicho Dene people in Gameti, NWT. We shared introductions and maps of our […]
5. Aboriginal Academy 9
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 58 (Nicola-Similkameen) Students in Merritt will participate in authentic, hands-on Aboriginal activities aimed at enriching their understanding of the local culture. View a project video on the SD 58 website HERE or on YouTube HERE. To find this district’s projects & events in aboriginal education (including the Aboriginal Academy 9 under ‘projects’), click HERE. From the Growing […]
49. Understanding our Species at Risk from their Viewpoint
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 6. (Rocky Mountain) How can VR/AR (Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality) provide students and schools new opportunities to “create context, and interact with our surroundings, and consult with many specialists that work in our valley”? Using new technology and problem-based learning to interact in new ways with place is generating new understandings through student inquiries […]
48. Sparking Student Engagement with Immersive VR Experiences
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District:  No. 5. (Southeast Kootenay) This project explores the “barriers and benefits” of using Virtual Reality (VR) in an educational environment. With the involvement of 5 local communities (Cranbrook, Jaffray, Fernie, Sparwood, Elkford), all schools in this district will participate in developing a “student centered, inquiry-based approach” in the use of VR in exploring student […]
46. Unlearning and Decolonizing Education
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 79. (Cowichan) Continuing Q’Shintul – Walking Together – The Story of Mill Bay Nature School, in exploring what is possible and faithful to its place in/as a new nature school, this project facilitates “the storying of our school birthing and ongoing development” in a good way. It is a model full of possibilities […]
45. Enhancing Quality Teaching Through Collaborative Learning
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 54 (Bulkley Valley) Through the provision of collaborative, co-planning and co­-teaching opportunities for educators, this project explores the effects of quality teaching and leadership development on student success and completion. It will also be concerned with what it makes possible in connections among schools and with communities (in Houston and Smithers, B.C.). Initial artifacts and […]
44. Plastic to School and Beyond: A Social Venture
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District : No. 50. (Haida Gwaii) Chemistry, sustainability and student emotional connections with curriculum are central to this project in “applied study,” where converting plastics to fuel to evaporate salt for development of a marketable herbal remedy will involve community members in cross-curricular student-led environmental stewardship in an entrepreneurial spirit. This artifact is a picture of […]
40. Take A Tree, Plant a Tree
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) A multidisciplinary innovation initiative in inquiry into sustainability in Elkford, B.C., this project involves school, regional and corporate partners led by Indigenous ecological knowledge and student learning toward “many plantings of trees in our area.” The artifacts included are pictures of theprocess of building the portable nursery for growing our […]
4. Educational Food Innovations
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 49 (Central Coast) Students in Bella Coola will be taught to mill their own organic flour and grains to produce a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods in a project that will encourage them to make better nutritional choices. For a powerpoint presentation about this project, click HERE.
39. Common Ground
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) In Sparwood, sciences, social studies, and First Peoples curricula are explored together in this project with student identity, and diverse student identities, as a ‘common’ focus. Through tanning animal skins, and expanding the activity both out (into community) and in (as identity exploration), many purposes are being discovered and served […]
38. The Roy Watkins Elementary School Growth Mindset
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 84 (Vancouver Island West) In Gold River, teachers at RWES are exploring, via the Spiral of Inquiry method, the engagement of ideas from a shared study in very specific considerations of their practical implications and consequences. This allow a comparative process of inquiry into the manifestations and promise of the concept of growth […]
37. The Utilization of the Flexible Timetable and Learning Centres to Maximize Learning Opportunity for Students and Staff at Osoyoos Secondary School
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 53 (Okanagan-Similkameen) In Osoyoos, this project inquires into teachers’ use of innovative teaching practices to best facilitate student learning. Combining flipped classrooms and flexible timetables, interdisciplinary and cross-curricular teaching, the project takes the form of a search, with teachers seeking to “find more meaningful ways to work together” for the benefit of their […]
36. Disrupting Systemic Racism in Math and Science
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 48 (Sea to Sky) This project engages time in schools, in looking to shift “structure and approach” in recreating a high school timetable (in Pemberton) in order for students to engage in a diversity of “personally meaningful, real world, and cross-curricular inquiry.” Through inquiry into changes wrought by teachers’ co-planning, co-teaching, and co-assessing […]
35. Integrated ADST: Innovative Student-Powered Implementation of Tech/Design
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) Combining professional collaboration among educators, schools, students and community, this project combines multi-age learning and student pedagogical and curricular leadership and design in a shared inquiry about the incorporation of technology in science, social studies, math and computer studies curriculum. Resourcing student strengths in technology for curricular and pedagogical design […]
34. Community & School Improvement
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 6 (Rocky Mountain) Through a concerted effort to increase capacity for collaboration and collegiality through inquiry, this project seeks to “challenge foundational understanding” to move thinking forward toward changes to high school programming. Including participation of students and community mentors, the PLC expects to propose a new model of high school education that […]
33. Deepening Connections in the Middle Years Program
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) Through student-driven inquiry across a number of important local initiatives, this project will ‘diffuse the boundaries between school and community’ to better integrate the two both enrich learning and improve the community – while considering resultant student engagement and sustainable and generative local connections among school and its place. As […]
32. Desert Sands Middle School
September 16, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 74 (Gold Trail) This project examines how interdisciplinary, project-based learning will promote student engagement, design thinking, and academic rigor in a small rural-school environment. It evolves into specific inquiries into critique, pride and commitment in exploring concepts of quality and diversity in bringing into student inquiries both community and local Indigenous participation. Now […]
30. Growing with the Community in Eagle River Secondary
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap) From a welcome new district to Growing Innovation, this project develops and explores new forms of school/community involvement, including in public administration (through town council participation) and school/community academic partnerships.
3. Connections Project
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 48 (Sea-to-Sky) At Don Ross Secondary School in Squamish, the Connections Project provides opportunities for dialogue between Aboriginal, non-Aboriginal students and the Squamish First Nations community.
29. MacGyver Maker Fair
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) Involving all students within Clearwater Secondary school, along with teachers and some community members, this project investigates a wholly new format for student engagement while allowing teachers new ways to approach and develop project-based learning in communities of practice.
28. The Rocky Mountain Elementary and Elkford Secondary School Greenhouse Project
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) Students at two secondary schools collaborate in creating and maintaining a greenhouse and garden, and to investigate how students thereby come to engage healthy food choices, how school culture transforms and how relations among the schools improve as the result. Grade 2 class with a special guest learning about vermicomposting:
27. Cariboo-Chilcotin Outdoor Classroom
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) A very large rural district investigates moving rural education outdoors by engaging natural areas as sites for both curricular outcomes and connecting students to their natural communities – and to each other. This project is evolving into developing teacher capacity for outdoor education by way of a new mentoring initiative in […]
26. Designing for Change Paddling with Passion and Purpose
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 10 (Arrow Lakes) Students at four schools – and throughout the district – participate with teachers, local artists and designers, to investigate the forms and fruits of creative thinking, critical thinking and engagement in design thinking through hands-on project based learning. This project is evolving with the participation of community members and the […]
25. Medieval May
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay) Students at Sparwood and Elkford Secondary Schools engage in the annual creation of an interdisciplinary event designed to foster community across the student body while achieving learning outcomes in creative ways.
24. Local History of the North Thompson Valley
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) This project focuses on intergenerational learning as students at Clearwater Secondary School learn writing, speaking, video production and editing as they interview elders in the valley to capture local stories.
23. Evolving our Full Cycle Food Project: The Crawford Bay School Garden
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) From the Elementary/Secondary school in Crawford Bay, this project investigates food self-sufficiency in relation to youth leadership in community involvement. Aimed at “developing youth leaders in the evolution of human-scale agriculture, local food processing, environmental responsibility, and community building”, The Full Cycle Food Project at Crawford Bay Elementary/Secondary School is […]
22. McLeod Grandparent Buddies
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 91 (Nechako Lakes) Educators and seniors’ care administrators in Vanderhoof investigate buddying between grade 3 students and seniors in terms of empathy, kindness, caring, and respect and acceptance of differences. Soon to be starting collaborative work on a mural with the help of a local artist, Grade 3 and 4 students from W.L.McLeod […]
21. Intergenerational Learning
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 6 (Rocky Mountain) Educators in numerous schools in the communities of Golden and Invermere investigate intergenerational learning to understand its benefits to participants, challenges for educators, related/emergent pedagogies and curricula and, by contrast, the norms of monogenerational learning sites in terms of new possibilities. These images are from the Intergenerational Learning project in […]
2. Values of the Doukhobor Community
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 10 (Arrow Lakes) Students in SD 10 reached out to Doukhobor elders, learned about the values of this culture, and produced films and a project blog reflecting their learning. Below is a rich, diverse and probing collection of student videos from the Values of Doukhobor Community:  Then and Now.  This Growing Innovation project […]
19. Reconciliation Through Art
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation
District: No. 10 (Arrow Lakes) Students at Nakusp (Elementary & Secondary), Lucerne (Elementary & Secondary) and Edgewood (Elementary) schools work with Indigenous Elders and artists to build understanding about the impact of residential schools on Indigenous communities and Canada, and work towards reconciliation.
18. Community Outdoor Education
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, New and Sustained Growing Innovation Projects, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 50 (Haida Gwaii) By focusing on student interactions, community involvement and environmental learning, this project investigates effects on school culture and the larger community, and new forms of learning from year-long and school-wide outdoor education. From the Haida Gwaii project, run by Leighann Rodger, we have a nice collection of images! As part […]
17. Elementary Connected Classrooms
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 74 (Gold Trail) Elementary and secondary teachers and students in rural schools in Lytton, Ashcroft, Clinton and Lillooet will be linked in connected classrooms and via other digital (& also physical) means. We are proud to have a new Growing Innovation Project video to share.  This one is from one of our original […]
16. Technology Embedded Learning and Assessment at DCSS
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 59 (Peace River South) This project has evolved from a focus on Project Based Learning into examining the coordination and development of digital resources for students in concert with new ways of collaborating and planning among teachers at Dawson Creek Secondary School. Here is a video about this project – About an initiative […]
15. Place-Based Learning in Mackenzie Schools
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 57 (Prince George) Students in Mackenzie Schools and seniors will work together to landscape a newly constructed senior housing facility.
14. Transforming school-wide Academic Achievement
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 84 (Vancouver Island West) This project will energize student learning at Zeballos Elementary Secondary School by focusing on purposeful, relevant, real-world experiences.
13. Community Revitalization
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 52 (Prince Rupert) Grade 9 students at Charles Hays Secondary School will explore the theme of urban development through a community revitalization project for Prince Rupert. Here are some project related pictures – Growing Innovations Team-Charles Hays SS, Prince Rupert, BC – Carla Rourke, Raegan Sawka, Jamie Scott, Mikael Russell: Two views of […]
12. Community Partnerships
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 51 (Boundary) The project engages students in Midway in Community partnerships, technology, and functional curriculum to focus on ways to support rural secondary students with special needs. A very succinct and informative presentation on this project is to be found HERE. “UBC Research grant used to develop curriculum” – Two local newspaper articles (PDF) […]
11. Collaboration without Boundaries
September 20, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 85 (Vancouver Island North) At Eagle View Elementary School in Port Hardy, this project will explore ways to encourage greater family participation in education through a wide range of communication tools. Visit the project blog HERE. Here is a video about this project – Here are some project related pictures – Growing Innovations Team […]
10. First Nations Assessment Program
September 18, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
Kitwanga Elementary School staff will explore the use of culturally relevant assessment and teaching strategies to more effectively support their First Nations students.
1. Digital Storytelling Project
September 17, 2022
| Growing Innovation, Recent Growing Innovation Projects
District: No. 8 (Kootenay Lake) This video, titled Digital Heritage Connect, documents the Digital Storytelling Project in the West Kootenays.