Education

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 15 Visit Prov.ca/Communications to learn more MORE IMPORTANT MEDIA LITERACY HAS NEVER BEEN Providence Communications & Media students learn to be critical consumers of media. They also go on to work as videographers, radio journalists and corporate communications professionals. MITT.ca Your Career Starts Here. At MITT, we offer dozens of certificate and diploma programs—each one built in partnership with industry and tailored to meet the needs of Manitoba's labour market. Whether you are looking to enter the workforce right away, or ladder into continued post-secondary training, an MITT education is your bridge to opportunity. Learn more at MITT.ca. NATURE- BASED LEARNING AND BEYOND By Todd Lewys for the Free Press If you were to use one word to describe the educational programming Assiniboine Park offers during the winter months, it would be diverse. Award-winning artist and author Willow Wolfe will lead the Goldfinch Painting course, and there will also be a Family Style Mini-Macramé Making workshop at Assiniboine Park this winter. Submitted photos In fact, the various courses, workshops and camps are far more diverse than you'd think. It goes without saying that many of the offerings are associated with the park's calling card: nature. But dig a little deeper, and you're bound to unearth a few courses that you thought you'd never be able to take in the park's pristine confines. "We really do have an eclectic selection of courses and workshops you can sign up for," says Karen Lind, Manager of Education and Programs for Assiniboine Park Conservancy. "We're very excited about the wide range of educational programming we're going to be offering this winter." A pair of unique courses will close out 2017 in DIY style. "People can sign up for two workshops that will start Dec. 6 — Scrubs and Holiday Containers. Scrubs shows you how to make bath and shower scrubs with salts and essential oils and sugars," she says. "Holiday containers teaches you how to create beautiful winter containers that you can use to decorate your front steps or home interior." Those self-made masterpieces can also be used as Christmas gifts. "You can take what you make and then give a bit of the park to a friend or family member as a Christmas gift. It's the ultimate in nature-based giving." The New Year will then start off with one of Assiniboine Park's perennial favourites: Winter Zoolympic Camp for kids. "We'll kick off 2018 with some winter-land fun for the kids," says Lind. "They'll explore nature, learn about animals and make new friends. Each day, weather permitting, we'll enjoy indoor and outdoor activities, trying to make time for skating or sledding (those who want to skate must bring their own). You can sign your child up for the four-day week, or just the days you need. It's a great way to gear up for a beautiful winter." Meanwhile, other workshops have been designed specifically to bring nature indoors. "A number of wonderful workshops will be offered under the heading of recreation and leisure, such as Kokedama with Verde (Jan. 25), Indoor Herbs with Sage Garden (Feb. 7), as well as a Yoga Self-Care and Connection Workshop with Becky Watson (Feb. 10)," she says. "These workshops and others associate healthy living with the park experience." Other workshops — such as Honey Harvesting with BeeProject — are being brought back due to popular demand. "That workshop can be found under our Sustainability and DIY sub-category. Participants can join folks from BeeProject Apiaries for a hands-on experience in extracting honey from one of their urban hives, enjoying a custom cheese pairing with some Manitoba varietal honeys," Lind adds. "You also learn how to support the honey bee population in an urban setting, and about beekeeping (in general)." Two workshops stand out in the Creative Arts sub- category: Métis Beaded Medallion with Nancy Gouliquer (Feb. 10), and Goldfinch Painting with Willow Wolfe (March 17). "Nancy Gouliquer, a Métis artisan and Knowledge Keeper, will teach students traditional Métis beading techniques, and guide students in the creation of beautiful flower beadwork," Lind says. "Students will ultimately create a two-and-a-half-inch medallion that can be pinned or hung." Then, there's Goldfinch Painting, led by Wolfe, an award-winning artist and author. "Willow will bring her unique style and instruction techniques to the park, teaching a step-by-step approach that will help students create beautiful works of art inspired by nature," says Lind. "Métis Beaded Medallion and Goldfinch Painting are great ways to get creative, and learn new skills." There's also no shortage of great choices in the Children's Workshop sub-category. "There are two Zoo Tots workshops — Swim, Swing, Soar, and Animals from All Places and Spaces. Both courses are interactive, and encourage a child's natural curiosity about the world around them. There will also be a Family Style Mini-Macramé Making workshop, where kids can learn how to make their own macramé hanger with an air plant that can be enjoyed at home or given away as a gift." Lind says to check out what Assiniboine Park has to offer if you want to expand your — or your child's — educational horizons this winter. "We want to be the park for everyone this winter. Look at our winter workshops — I think you'll find something you'll want to try!" To find out more about Assiniboine Park's wide range of winter workshops, visit assiniboinepark.ca/programs or call 204-927-6070. ❚ ASSINIBOINE PARK

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