how to submit an event or LESSON

Vancouver community-based organizations or teachers and educators that engage in outdoor learning are invited to share and “showoff” current outdoor learning activities or approaches by contributing an event or lesson to the WAV festival. Events and lessons should fall within the four criteria of WAV – outdoor, educational, experiential and free!

Events can be added by local community-based organizations that offer outdoor education experiences. Potential hosts may be, but not limited to, non-profits, for-profits, and in/formal educational organizations (including those who may not see themselves as being just outdoor-based).

Teachers and educators are invited to submit a lesson to WAV, showcasing the lessons and activities they are doing outdoors.

The weekday events will focus on schools, teachers, community-based organizations, and students, while the weekend events will be directed towards families and community-members at large. Most school lessons are closed events, and not open to the general public. Events may be open or have a registration. Check each event/lesson for details.

Events are for the community at large. Event hosts will determine the “event” they wish to contribute to the festival (stand-up paddle boarding, gardening, cycling, art, music, etc). All aspects of the event are organized by each event host including the date and time of the event, equipment, safety, supervision, insurance, and registration of participants. Additionally, events must be held in Vancouver, be of no cost to participants, and there must be an educational component that invites participants to take something away that they can enact elsewhere (school, home, community-centre, etc.) and share their experience with others.


Lessons are offered by teachers/educators ONLY. They will be closed events that only the teacher and students participate in. Different classes many join up for a lesson, or even different schools and grade levels may collaborate for an outdoor lesson. Outdoor lessons are a chance to share what you are currently doing outdoors with other teachers/educators.

Wild About Vancouver will offer advertising and promotion of your event in addition to an event schedule and map of the festival to assist participants in choosing events to attend. WAV will also hold a preparation workshop for event providers in the weeks leading up to the festival. After the event, WAV will help collect data from the event so we can all learn from the experience.

For lessons, WAV will share your outdoor teaching with other teachers/educators to help inspire them to take their teaching outdoors and offer some ideas about the range of learning that can happen outdoors.

Groups and/or individuals wishing to offer an event in the WAV Festival may apply for funding to help with costs associated with their event. There is no guarantee that WAV will be able to find a sponsor, but we will try!

Looking for funding for your event? Check out Go Grants or the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants.

Get Involved!

WAV is grassroots and open to everyone. If you are passionate about time spent outdoors and outdoor learning, we would love to have you join WAV. Find out more about the many volunteer opportunities by clicking the button below.

Scroll to Top