BushKids is exploring ethical space between Indigenous education and Western education principles in Yellowknife, NT. The co-founders are both trained forest and nature school practitioners.
Chloe Dragon Smith is a Dënesųłiné – Metis woman from Yellowknife, who grew up learning on the land through the Indigenous education principles of her family.
Wendy Lahey is a non-Indigenous educator trained in the Western education system, who has lived in the north for a long time.
The two women are committed to working together and with the community as much as possible to create a curriculum that equally honors these systems of teaching and learning on the land.
The goal of BushKids is ultimately to affect the public education system, and ensure all northern students spend regular time on the land throughout the school year. Programming is currently offered throughout the school year for pilot classes of all ages, from early childhood to high school. BushKids educators also work with teachers in public education systems with the goal of enabling them to bring their classes outside as part of their learning.