The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce the launch of its Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre, on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., 8 St. Paul Street, in the township of Killarney. The new Outdoor Environmental Education Centre is the latest addition in the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s commitment in promoting environmental awareness and educational opportunities in a natural environment.

The Outdoor Centre will seek to support and expand the environmental, educational, cultural and historical aspects of the town of Killarney, St. Joseph Catholic School and the whole of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board by establishing an outdoor centre in the heart of the community. The Board owns seven acres of property associated with St. Joseph Catholic School which will serve as the host site for the centre. The centre is only eight kilometres from one of the most prestigious parks in the world-Killarney Provincial Park that boasts an average annual visitation of 100,000 people.

The Sudbury Catholic District School Board is partnering with the Municipality of Killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, and the “Friends of Killarney Park’ to offer exciting, exhilarating and very diversified activities. All programming is based on the Ontario Ministry of Education school curriculum with the added bonus of the unique Killarney experience. At the elementary level the centre will offer the students the opportunity to learn about: authentic Aboriginal culture and teachings, ecological and environmental studies, sustainability of resource uses, healthy living, child and youth stewardship, values of faith, community studies and much more.

The ecological focus of the centre will extend across elementary through to secondary and even post-secondary learning and will focus on the latest innovative “green” technologies and practises. Secondary school opportunities will permit biology, geography and geology students to partake in practical field course experiences. This will blend the theory of the class room with the reality of the outdoors and better prepare them for making post-secondary and career choices.

Please join the Sudbury Catholic District School Board in celebrating the launch of its Killarney-Shebanoning Outdoor Environmental Education Centre on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., (8 St. Paul Street) in Killarney.