The earth is what we all have in common.
- Wendell Berry
Our mission
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors is dedicated to fostering confident, caring, and empathetic future leaders who are connected to protecting their environment and their communities.
Our values
Compassion . Curiosity . Awareness . Gratitude.
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors started in 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic. The pressure of the pandemic highlighted the increasing need for children to be outside exploring through unstructured, play based experiences. Roots 2 Rise Outdoors educators provide opportunities that evoke imagination, curiosity, compassion and connection. Space to freely explore, to wonder and to let their imaginations run wild. Nature-based play is an antidote to the ever increasing screen time and addresses all aspects of child development through a holistic approach to care.
Our history
Our approach
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors has been inspired by many amazing educators and psychologists around the world, and extend our appreciation to those who are connected to this work. Our approach has been influenced by numerous philosophies of education, including the Reggio Emilia approach, Forest Schools, Montessori and various naturalists including Richard Louv and Jon Young.
Process over Outcome
Connection over Accomplishment
Kindness over Competition
We integrate a similar program rhythm into each of our experiences. This rhythm is based on the cycles that we see and experience throughout the natural world. Each experience is rooted in our values and are introduced to activate each child's curiosity, awareness, compassion and connection.
Program Rhythm
Our educators are trained in the art of observation. We look for qualities of awareness, enthusiasm, health and vitality, rather than measuring a skill, or testing for information storage. We tune into what the children need, we listen closely to each story, watch for when their eyes light up, fostering those sparks of kindness and connection.
Observation
Each program looks and feels uniquely different. There is a natural flow between the ideas of our educators, understanding where the children are at through careful observation, and the ever changing beauty of the environment. Our programs nourish each child's unique growth. Our educators provide a container for kids to move freely and to come as they are.
Integration
We offer a unique approach to education.
Prioritizing what it means to feel heard, seen, and valued.
Environmental Responsibility
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors is dedicated to caring for the earth. By providing opportunities for connection, we are helping our future leaders make choices in taking positive action to protect something they are connected to. We follow Leave No Trace principles and are conscious about leaving the spaces we use better than we found them. We assess our use seasonally, and ensure that we show prioritize the respect and gratitude we have for the wildlife and creatures that inhabit the places that we visit.
What we love, we are likely to protect.
Diversity and Inclusion
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors strives to create an inclusive and diverse space for all children, staff and families. These programs take a non-clinical approach to positively impact mental health and wellness. If your child has any special accommodations or needs, we will be happy to discuss ways to best understand your child and how to support them in the program.
Land Acknowledgement
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors currently operates on the land we now call Toronto. As a small company who is dedicated to re-connecting children to nature, it is important for us to respectfully acknowledge the land and the Indigenous Peoples who have for many thousands of years occupied and cared for this land. We are committed to and are currently learning alongside Indigenous Peoples, understanding the ongoing impacts of colonization and residential schools. It is important for us to be leaders in the community by not only acknowledging that colonization is ongoing, but also how we can take effective action towards the truth and reconciliation commission. "Acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, reparation for the causes, and action to change behaviour. Reconciliation must inspire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to transform Canadian society so that future generations can live together in dignity, peace, and prosperity on these shared lands." (Toronto.ca)
With respect and gratitude we acknowledge that the land that Roots 2 Rise Outdoors operates on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Roots 2 Rise Outdoors is dedicated to raising awareness about our cultural history. We are committed to continuously learning and taking effective and intentional actions towards contributing to inclusive and understanding communities.
We are all treaty people in Canada and it is up to all of us to uphold these values and put forward respect to the land. It is our collective responsibility to leave this land better than we found it.
Robyn Broudie has been working in the outdoors for over a decade. She has spent many nights under the stars and has been continuously drawn to exploring the wild places of the earth. Her many years of travels have taken her through exotic rainforests, snowy mountains, reef covered oceans, and stark desert dunes. Having a background in Child Development, Robyn has facilitated and supervised numerous children's programs over the years. She has always had a passion for working with people and facilitating spaces for them to connect to the natural world. Her deep curiosity to learn more about human psychology and nature lead her to working in the field of wilderness therapy. Her experience guiding backcountry expeditions and facilitating adventure therapy programs with vulnerable youth, highlighted the incredible healing potential of the human connection and our vital need to sustain our innate relationship to the natural world.
Meet Robyn Broudie,
Founder of Roots 2 Rise
Robyn has had the opportunity to work in many roles to help develop various outdoor programs serving children and youth with specialized needs including Autism, ADD, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and addictions. She is always continuing to learn more about the field of Ecopsychology, which focuses on the relationship between human psychology and nature. Robyn is passionate about providing opportunities for children to freely explore the wild, and believes that these experiences are needed now more than ever.