WHEREAS at Meeting #2/21 held on February 26, 2021, TRCA's Board of Directors endorsed the Final Report and Recommendations of the Outdoor Education Task Force, including Recommendation #1: Establishment of a Multi-stakeholder NSEC, as a sub-committee of TRCA’s Board of Directors;
AND WHEREAS NSEC, as an advisory board of TRCA’s Board of Directors, has been convened to make recommendations to TRCA related to the provision of out-of-classroom learning related to natural science, conservation and the environment;
AND WHEREAS the work of NSEC informs TRCA, school boards and government and agency partners on improvements and future needs as it pertains to the provision, planning or access for students to out-of-classroom learning related to natural science, conservation and the environment in the Greater Toronto Area;
AND WHEREAS at the NSEC meeting held on June 6, 2022 the Committee endorsed a series of proposed minimum standards for student access to out-of-classroom learning related to natural science, conservation and the environment to be considered by TRCA’s Board of Directors;
THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT the enclosed minimum standards of student access, as recommended by NSEC, be endorsed;
THAT the Natural Science and Education Committee report on Minimum Standards of Access be circulated to area School Boards, partner education-focused government ministries including the Provincial Ministers of Education and Environment Conservation and Parks, the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change and crown agencies with an updated request for Provincial involvement in the next phase of Committee work.