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World Bound Educators: Yukon
A professional development and educational adventure for outdoor enthusiasts and aspiring change-makers
The Yukon is a special place for Fireside Adventures. It was our earliest teacher, revealing the transformative educational power of nature and the urgent need for climate action. Words can’t quite do the Yukon justice. Larger than life, it’s a place that’s larger that boasts thousands of years of Indigenous culture, and an unparalleled environment for outdoor adventures, while also bearing the ravages of climate change that are ten times what southern Canada is experiencing. In many ways, the Yukon is both a look into our past and into our future.
Itinerary and Trip Details
Packing List
DETAILS
Date: Summer 2025 (10 days)
Group Requirement: Minimum 8 participants to run the course; a maximum of 12
Facilitator: Jeff Willis
Locations: Whitehorse, Carmacks, Fort Selkirk, Yukon River and Dawson City
PRICES (CAD)
$2999.00 + GST (register a friend to get $150 off per friend!)
Deposit: $300.00 CAD + GST
Visit our Grant and Funding Support page for ideas about how to offset the cost of this course
Includes:
– Course instruction
– Canoes and group camping gear
– 7 days of guided paddling on the Yukon River
– Flight from Dawson City to Whitehorse
– Land transportation shuttle
– Food on canoe trip
– Coordination support pre- and post-course
– World Bound Educator course instruction by experienced guides, resource booklet, and World Bound Professional Development Certificate
Does not include: Flight to Yukon, hotel stays in Whitehorse and Dawson City, and anything not mentioned above.
In learning and educating we support and adhere to the First People’s Perspectives and Principles of Learning
More info: office@firesideadventures.ca
Test yourself on the Yukon River and learn the skills of outdoor education and climate leadership
On the World Bound Educators Yukon course, participants will paddle the majestic Yukon River from Carmacks to Dawson City (406km) with a stop to visit our friends, the Selkirk First Nation, at Fort Selkirk. On this professional development adventure, we will be travelling back in time as we learn about Yukon’s geography, history (pre-colonization to now), modern resource management, and how Yukoners are adapting to the severe impacts of climate change.
Educators will test themselves by learning the fundamentals of wilderness expeditions, engaging with thriving Northern Indigenous communities, and exploring the best of Whitehorse and Dawson City, all while learning the professional skills needed to become classroom climate leaders. Crucially, we provide an inclusive experience for participants with varying skill levels, interests, and agendas to keep the experience informative, safe, and fun for everyone.
Key Course Takeaways
Learn core outdoor educator skills
On this epic, 406 km canoe journey, we’ll teach you what we do best: developing and utilizing outdoor education skills to provide kids with experiential learning opportunities in the great outdoors. We ensure the knowledge you learn is transferable to the classroom, enabling you to share bushcraft techniques and wilderness knowledge with your students and maybe even plan some exciting field trips!
Take Yukon climate change workshops
As with all our professional development adventures, we provide workshops (totalling 10 hours) and education materials (K-12) relating to climate change education. Education materials for this experience will be Yukon-focussed, to teach kids about Canada’s most iconic northern territory. Of course, both our expedition and curriculum are also intended to be more broadly transferable to climate change education being taught in the classroom.
Meet our World Bound Yukon youths
Our Yukon adventure provides the most unique and in-depth collaboration between youths and educators out of all our offerings. Both youths and educators will navigate a portion of the Yukon River together while sharing their hopes, fears, and ideas for action with one another. This is intended to provide both groups with a holistic perspective that builds a sense of collaboration in climate education.
Consult with Northern Knowledge Keepers
As long-time guests of the Yukon, we are able to connect educators with the wisdom and knowledge of the Yukoners who are intimately familiar with what it takes to live lightly on the land and take up the challenge of climate change. We will introduce you to knowledge keepers of both the Selkirk First Nation and the Yukon government, in order to discuss the past and future of Canada’s wilderness.
The Yukon: a classroom unlike any other
There’s more than one reason that Fireside Adventures keeps coming back to the Yukon year after year. From the people to the vast expanse of nature, here are just a few reasons that the Yukon is one of the world’s greatest classrooms.
A Natural Paradise
With a population of less than 48, 000, it’s impossible to visit the Yukon and not find yourself far from the hustle of civilization. Once you leave Whitehorse, you’ll be immersed in some of the most pristine and thriving wilderness that Canada has to offer. In the Land of the Midnight Sun, you’ll see an abundance of wildlife, the ruins of the Gold Rush, enjoy days of zero darkness, and so much more.
Room to Breathe
Alongside your trusty guides and the best fellow educators, there’s no better way to recharge and refocus so you can return in September ready to take on the challenge of being one of your school’s most competent climate leaders. Get ready to free yourself from the demands and distraction of modern life, and find the space to breathe deeply. Fresh air and peaceful days await on the Yukon River!
A Place for All
Warm People
The Yukon can be an intimidating place to those who have never been. While this land demands respect, it is welcoming to people of all levels of outdoor experience. This World Bound Educator Course is designed to be flexible and suitable for participants who want to simply get out on the river with their peers and partake in the ultimate professional development opportunity.
Yukoners are renowned as some of the hardiest, most pragmatic people in Canada. What people don’t always know is that they are also inviting and willing to teach visitors the skills needed to make a home in the wildest part of Canada. On this trip we’ll connect with local Yukoners to learn their wisdom and outlook. As you’ll discover when you take in the wild vibe of Dawson City, Yukoners also like to have fun!
Highlights from the adventure ahead:
Experience Whitehorse, the cultural centre of northern Canada, and hotspots like the Eclipse Hot Springs, McBride Museum, and the downtown arts and culture area.
Learn and hone invaluable outdoor skills like canoe safety and paddle technique, wilderness cooking and first aid, and plant and animal identification.
Connect with the history, land, and culture of the Yukon’s First Peoples, hearing the stories from Indigenous people’s own perspective during an overnight stay at Fort Selkirk.
Encounter iconic Canadian wildlife in their natural habitat, including moose, elk, bears, eagles, and more.
Let loose in wild Dawson City, a place plucked straight from the Gold Rush, with its famous attractions like Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, the Sour Toe shot, the sternwheeler graveyard, and the Midnight Dome.
Like all of our experiences, we’ll cater to your group’s collective and individual outdoor experiences and interests while handling all the gear, food, and logistics… sweet and simple! Please reach out to office@firesideadventure.ca to learn, book your group or join a group.
Your adventure starts with giving yourself permission to have a larger than life experience!
Our Yukon Canoe Journey
Funding Support for Educators
Fireside Adventures views this experience as essential professional development for empowering educators in their role as conscientious climate leaders. As such, we are committed to assisting educators with whatever they need to access available professional development funding to offset the cost. Visit our Grant and Funding Support page for ideas about how to offset the cost of this course, or contact us with any questions or support needs.
