This fall, the Palisades Stewardship Education Centre is unveiling a newly revised program called Adventures in Stewardship. The week-long course was adapted by the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division聽 (GYPSD) and so far six schools are registered, including Jasper Junior/Senior High School. 鈥淪pending the first week back at school at the Palisades Centre is a tradition for Grade 10 Jasper High students since we started running educational programs here about 10 years ago,鈥� said Dee Jessome, partnering and engagement officer at the Palisades Centre.
Students will do hands-on work in the park and use that knowledge to create a final project when they return home.
The project has two parts, said Tanya Desjardins, education team member at the Palisades Centre. The students will work with different people in the park to see how the project planning is done, and then they return home and do it themselves.
The Palisades Centre accomplishes so much with stewardship education because it establishes community partnerships, said Jessome.
鈥淲e have a great partnership with the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division (GYPSD) and the Marmot Learning Centre at the Marmot Basin ski area,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a number of innovative programs that we鈥檝e been running for quite some time now and will be continuing with them.鈥�
These programs include water experience, winter travel and photography courses.
The winter travel course helps students learn about topics like avalanche safety, both in the classroom and through hands-on experience on the hill, said Desjardins. 鈥淲e also meet with ski patrol and other people on the hill so that they also get to learn some different jobs there and how certain avalanche safety features are done throughout Marmot Basin and the park itself.鈥�
The Palisades Centre is first and foremost a stewardship and education centre, but it also welcomes the opportunity for other groups to participate in programming.
鈥淒ifferent corporate groups sometimes come out and we do a lot of similar activities,鈥� said Desjardins. The centre deals with learners from a wide range of age groups, so programming is tailored accordingly.
Programming at the Palisade Stewardship Education Centre 鈥渋s really important for Parks Canada because our mandate is to protect and present our national parks and national historic sites to Canadians in ways that safeguard them for future generations,鈥� said Jessome.
That mandate is met in the centre, as youth learn about ecological and cultural sustainability, as well as aboriginal traditions and mountain recreation, while basking in the awe-inspiring beauty of Jasper National Park.
Sarah Makowksy
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