MOST MEMORABLE LESSON
Step into a world of discovery with renowned National Geographic Explorers, live on stage in Calgary
Into the wild The most enduring lessons happen beyond the classroom.
Stacey Hannay
Executive Staff Officer, ATA
EVERY TEACHER carries a memory or two that outlives the semesters, a reminder of why we chose this path. Mine lives in the forests of Kananaskis, where I led Grade 9 students on a survival trip— four days, three nights and a world away from our class- room routines. The students trained for months. They studied ethics and safety through hunter edu- cation. They honed skills with maps, bows and Moran knives. But the real lessons, the ones that lasted, came not from the curriculum, but from the quiet resilience and transformation that took root in the wild. When we arrived at camp, which was three hours from the nearest cellphone signal, the students built their lean- tos so well that even a Marriott executive might have recon- sidered their business model. Fires sparked to life with such precision that Smokey the Bear himself might have smiled (after double-checking our fire permits, of course). One student, Aidan, was known in the city for
THE CHALLENGE Letting go of the reins so students can discover their own path
“ I didn’t know I could be good at anything until now.”
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Jaime Rojo: Chasing Monarchs Curriculum connections: Living systems, biodiversity, ecosystems, environmental sciences, human and environmental interactions Jess Cramp: The Untold Story of Sharks Curriculum connections: Life science, ecosystems, biological diversity, science/technology/society (STS), environmental impact, species at risk Heather Lynch: Penguins of Antarctica Curriculum connections: Life cycles and living systems, ecosystems, biological diversity, science/technology/ society (STS), interconnectedness of land, animals and humans
FEB 2 & 3, 2026 10:15 a.m.
disruption. But in the forest, he thrived. First to light his fire. First to guide his group back home by compass. His lean-to stood like a fortress. On our final night, beside a crackling fire, he said softly, “I didn’t know I could be good at anything until now.” That moment reminds me why this work matters. Beyond shelters and archery, students rediscovered some- thing deeper: how to listen to the land, each other and them- selves. Cliques faded. Leaders emerged. They faced rain, fatigue, lost phones, and grew. When we left, we took everything with us, leaving the area exactly as we’d found it, but we also carried something
else back with us: a reverence for the earth and ourselves. Years later, former students, some now rangers, scientists or teachers, still remember the forest, the fire and who they became when tested. In today’s overburdened classrooms, this trip taught me that teaching isn’t about holding the reins; it’s about clearing a path for discovery. Sometimes, the most en- during lessons happen around a fire, under an open sky. ⊲ Got an idea? Summarize it in up to 300 words and email it to managing editor Cory Hare at cory.hare@ ata.ab.ca.
MAR 9, 2026 10:15 a.m.
APRIL 20, 2026 10:15 a.m.
Each presentation includes a post-show Q&A.
Jack Singer Concert Hall, Werklund Centre
FIND OUT MORE werklundcentre.ca/ngl-ed
Presenting Sponsor
BluWater Partner
EXPLORE National Geographic Sponsor
Student Engagement Sponsor
EXPLORE National Geographic Supporting Sponsors/Partners
Innovation Sponsor
Public Sector Support
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THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
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