River School

The Ottawa River and its tributaries are at the heart of our River School education programs. Our experienced environmental educators bring the river to your classroom and – for students who come to our beautiful Learning Lab at the NCC River House – the classroom is the river (from a safe distance, of course)!

We offer engaging workshops at schools within 150km of Ottawa/Gatineau for Grades 2-12 and at our Learning Lab at the NCC River House for Grades 8-12. The workshops have extensive connections to both the Quebec and Ontario curricula.

River School integrates the scientific research of Ottawa Riverkeeper’s own community-based monitoring programs with Two-Eyed Seeing, environmental and sustainability education, authentic hands-on learning experiences, and a commitment to collaborative action.

Learning to respect the river and water is the core teaching that members of the Algonquin Advisory Circle shared with us in developing River School, and we strive to integrate this into our programming as part of our commitments toward decolonization and reconciliation.

We are pleased to offer River School educational programming to public schools at no charge, thanks to the contributions of our funding partners and generous individuals. Note that we attempt to accommodate all requests, and that we prioritize schools in underserved communities in our selection process.

Grade 5-12 Science/Geography/Social Sciences

• Learn about traditional Anishinābeg Algonquin canoe building and its importance in Algonquin culture
• See a birch bark canoe built at Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Learning Lab and watch a video of its construction
• Explore how we can practise respect, relationship, responsibility, and reciprocity towards rivers and the watershed

Watershed

(Fully Booked for the 2025-26 School Year)

Grade 2-12 Science

• Overview of the Ottawa River watershed
• Sources of pollution in the watershed
• Threats to the future of our water
• Conservation actions we can take

Outdoor activity included (fall/spring): Watershed clean up & pollution sources

Biodiversity

(Fully Booked for the 2025-26 School Year)

Grade 2-12 Science

• Ecosystems
• Flora & Fauna species
• Threats to the biodiversity of the watershed
• Scientific observation and species identification

Outdoor activity included (fall/spring): Bioblitz / Ecology Nature Walk

Water Quality

(Fully Booked for the 2025-26 School Year)

Grade 4-12 Science

• Water quality sampling and analysis
• Impacts of human activities on water
• Road Salt Monitoring (Winter)
• Outdoor option year-round

Outdoor activity included (fall/spring): Storm drains, culverts, role of wetlands

Access Educational Resources

Are you an educator seeking to connect students to local environmental issues or perhaps enhance your school science education program? Are you looking for hands-on learning materials to teach about watersheds and protecting water? Ottawa Riverkeeper has many activities built for educators that you can borrow from our learning library.