It’s a Fact

NVOSAS formed to ensure children and youth develop an ethic of environmental caring for the natural world.

NVOSAS programs include the Kids Bursary Fund, ensuring no child is denied access to the Outdoor School for financials reasons, and the Leadership Scholarship Fund, which assists high school volunteer counsellors pursue post secondary studies. Offering critical support and guidance to youth, many participants have gone on to successful careers in science, environmental education, conservation and natural resources management.

To complement the financial assistance programs, NVOSAS provides emotional support to the children and youth at the Outdoor School. They provide countless hours of mentoring to over 300 high school students, who train to become Outdoor School counsellors. These counsellors then provide 5 000 primary and secondary students with the opportunity to experience the Outdoor School. NVOSAS also helps the Outdoor School serve over 11 000 adults and children each year by raising funds for infrastructure repairs, educational enhancements, and ongoing trail maintenance and habitat restoration on the school’s 420 acre ecological reserve. They are also instrumental in the success of the Outdoor School’s annual Open House, engaging over 1 500 children and adults around environmental education and protecting the local ecosystem and wildlife.

With the support of NVOSAS, the Outdoor School has become an inclusive and accessible, internationally recognized model for environmental education and conservation.