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WILDE School Blue Mountains is a not-for-profit private school[1] in Kimberley, Ontario, within The Blue Mountains. Founded in 2019, the school provides an educational model that integrates the Ontario curriculum with outdoor, experiential, and leadership education.[2][3] It offers programs for students from Kindergarten to Grade 8, with a high school program announced in 2025.[4][5]
Founder and History
[edit]The school was founded in 2019 by Jeff Barrett.[6] Prior to founding the school, Barrett worked in outdoor education at institutions including Upper Canada College and Outward Bound, and was involved in developing ecotourism programs.[7]
Blue Mountains WILDE School was the first location in the Canadian Wild Schools network, which later expanded to include a school in Yukon.[8]
Campus
[edit]The school is located on the Kimbercote campus[9] in the Beaver Valley, at the southern tip of Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada.The campus, described as a "classroom in a park" in an article by Mountain Life magazine in 2023[10], utilizes geodesic domes and other structures for its indoor learning spaces. Students spend time moving between indoor and outdoor classrooms, including morning hikes, as part of the daily schedule.
Educational Model
[edit]The school's model is based on the acronym "WILDE," which stands for Wilderness Integrated Leadership Development Education[11]. According to a February 2021 article in Mountain Life magazine, the model differs from a traditional "forest school" in that it begins with the standard Ontario curriculum and adapts it to an outdoor, student-led, and experiential format[12].
The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay identified the curriculum as being based on four "streams": Ecological Education, Outdoor Education, Experiential Education, and Leadership Education.
Programs
[edit]Kindergarten to Grade 8
[edit]The core K-8 program follows the school's "living curriculum," which integrates standard subjects with outdoor projects.[8] For example, a student-led activity like sliding down a hill in the winter time was reportedly developed into a lesson on snow science, trajectory, and physics.[12]
High School
[edit]In 2025, the school announced the launch of Apex WILDE High School. As reported by CollingwoodToday.ca, the high school program will use a "hybrid model" that combines accredited online academics with in-person mentorship, co-op placements, and wilderness expeditions.[13] Each high school student is intended to co-design a "Strategic Student Plan" (SSP) for their education.[14]
Recognition
[edit]In 2024, a student from Blue Mountain WILDE School was selected to represent Team Bluewater at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Her project was titled "Gro(w)zone: The Effects of Ozonated Water on Plant Growth."[15]
The school and its founder have been profiled in regional media outlets, including Mountain Life and The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay. Jeff Barrett has also been featured as an expert on nature-based education by the non-profit organization BOLD, a global platform for empowering caregivers and educators with information and tools to help children learn and develop.
References
[edit]- ↑ "About WILDE School Blue Mountains". WILDE School Blue Mountains. November 5, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Bay, The Institute of Southern Georgian (2023-10-26). "Jeff Barrett: Pioneering the Socially and Environmentally Conscious, Wild Education Revolution". The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Curriculum Overview". www.wildeschool.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Apex WILDE Private High School in Blue Mountains—Collingwood Area". www.wildehighschool.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Spotlight: Can high school actually prepare students for the future? This Collingwood school may have the answer". CollingwoodToday.ca. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Jeff Barrett, Founder & Executive Director at Wilde School". www.wildeschool.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Our Team - Yukon WILD School". 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "About Us - Yukon WILD School". 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Our Location & Campus". www.wildeschool.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Mountain Life – Blue Mountains – Winter-Spring 2023". Issuu. 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "What is a WILDE School?". www.wildeschool.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- 1 2 "Nature as Teacher: Outdoor Schools Bring Learning Into the Elements - Mountain Life". 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "New Blue Mountains school aims to redefine education". CollingwoodToday.ca. 2025-05-06. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Spotlight: Can high school actually prepare students for the future? This Collingwood school may have the answer". CollingwoodToday.ca. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ↑ "Team Bluewater members picked to go to Canada-Wide Science Fair". owensoundsuntimes. Archived from the original on 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2025-11-06.