A Nature Based Learning Alternatives program has been approved by the Foothills School Board trustees.

Superintendent Chris Fuzessy says the board's decision came after a presentation last month.

"The team that put that proposal together did a tremendous amount of work making sure that all the requisite information was there for the board to consider and they're very excited to get to work and we're happy to support that program starting next year," Fuzessy says.

Assistant superintendent Drew Chipman says they did a great deal of consultation, going out to parents, which he says was key to their understanding that this is something the community is very interested in.

The program will be run out of Percy Pegler school in Okotoks if there's enough registration.

"There are teachers across the division that have a passion for nature based learning, two of those teachers teachers, Ryan Lemphers who teaches at Percy Pegler and Graham Campbell who teaches at Westmount school were teaching one group of kids, an elementary sized class as part of their teaching assignment, so this would take it from two classrooms to a kindergarten through to grade six model, again depending on registration those could be combined one-two classes moving forward," Chris Fuzessy says.

The program will start in the fall.

 

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