Teacher Pro-D: Introduction to Place-Based Learning (Grades 8-12)
Webinar
Session 4: Introduction to Place-Based Learning (Grades 8-12)
October 2025
How can the places students know and care about become starting points for deeper learning?
This introductory session will explore the foundations of place-based learning and how educators can connect local environments, communities, and real-world issues to learning in Grades 8–12. Participants will explore ways to use place-based approaches to support inquiry, critical thinking, and meaningful connections between students and the world around them.
Explore resources from the webinar
- Learn the language of the Indigenous community on whose territory you live. Visit FirstVoices.com
- Learn more about our education program and the free resources available to educators here.
- Check out our nature-based activities & resources page here.
Meet the Speakers
Cèilidh Smith
Cèilidh Smith is the Education Program Manager at Sierra Club BC, where she leads the organization’s environmental education and professional development programming for educators and youth across British Columbia. She holds a Master of Forestry from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Science from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Her approach to education centres justice-oriented, community-centred, and place-based learning, with a focus on creating opportunities for young people to build meaningful relationships with the lands and waters around them.
Photo Credits: Mya Van Woudenberg