"Time is the most important thing with kids. But it has to be good time."
My name is Joanna Mueggenburg; I am the founder of KIN Outdoor Learning and proud mother of 3 boys. My background is predominantly in Behaviour Intervention, working with children and young adults on the spectrum. I was lucky enough to work with some of B.C.’s top Behaviour Consultants, examining the behavioural effects that diet, exercise, and time outdoors can have on individuals. The results of this examination provided more than enough inspiration for me to start our program.
For nearly 20 years, I have worked caring for others. I have done so in 3 different countries, in a myriad of roles, while gaining a wealth of knowledge and appreciation for the differences of them all!
I grew up on the Iron Gait farm, where our program is based, and I know this forest! I know where all the best trees, puddles, blackberry patches, trails and wildflowers are, because I was once a little girl running around in these same woods! These 100 acres of forest are still as magical for me today as they were back then, and have been lovingly cared for by three generations of my family. I am so excited to be able to share a piece of it with your child; to watch kids truly enjoying this forest bring me such joy! We are always a work in progress and have many exciting projects in development!
I have assembled an amazing group of educational care-givers that make up our team. Our staff-to-child ratio is never above 1:10. This enables us to provide many hands-on adventures that do require higher levels of supervision such as: archery, swings, cordage, fire safety, cooking/baking, carving, bike riding and trail blazing! We have built a team of smart, creative, energetic, imaginative, hardworking, very much ‘outside’ kind of people! We believe learning is a wondrous adventure and invite your child to come along for the journey! Our students thrive on balance of freedom and form, taking care and responsibility for themselves, each other, the earth, and the learning centre as a whole.