This page is designed for teachers, educators, and/or group leaders who have registered their class for an LPS School Program. Please carefully review and complete all steps necessary to prepare you and your class for a program. Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Documents and
Waivers (PDFs)

Program Prep: Step by Step

The following step-by-step guides and teacher prep packages are program specific. Please select your appropriate program, and take the time to review the prep documents. For Special Programs, please contact us to determine which prep package is most appropriate for you.

Program Prep: Water Keepers

In order to ensure that you and your class are fully prepared for your Water Keepers program, please make sure you are on track to complete the steps listed below.

Complete the Pre-Program Questionnaire, found via a link on your booking confirmation.
Carefully review of the LPS Program Prep Package: Water Keepers. In addition to providing essential program information, this package includes a copy and/or links to important documents including:
- Take Home LetterWhat to Bring: LPs Water Keepers
- Site Maps
- LPS Waivers
Share our Take Home Letter, What to Bring list, and Waivers/Informed Consent forms with students’ families, to help them be informed and prepared. These documents are all included in your Program Prep Package.
Review the “What to Bring” list with your students. It makes a HUGE difference if all participants are ready for a full day outside, rain or shine! Remind them to leave behind anything that they don’t want to get wet or dirty.
Ensure you are available by phone during the evening before and morning of your program. Certain circumstances (e.g. extreme weather) may require last-minute adjustment or cancellation of your program. We will do our best to avoid this scenario but it is sometimes unavoidable.
Bring all fully completed LPS Waivers, prepared to hand in upon arrival.
Remind our staff when you arrive in person if you have any particular concerns. For example, scheduling an early pick-up, planned adjustments for behavior or student needs, or a change in the number of participants.

If you haven’t already done so, we also recommend that you consider these SD71-EOL resources on Forms & Policies, Grants & Funding, and Transportation to help you prepare for a full-day, outdoor field trip.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding LPS program prep, you may direct them to our School Programs Coordinator. We look forward to a day of programs with you and your class!

Program Prep: Forest Friends

In order to ensure that you and your class are fully prepared for your Forest Friends program, please make sure you are on track to complete the steps listed below.

Complete the Pre-Program Questionnaire, found via a link on your booking confirmation.
Find your Program Prep Package listed on our Teacher Resources page. Follow the Step-by-Step instructions and find all of our documents, here. Be sure to select the package designed for your specific program (Water Keepers, Forest Friends, Floating Classroom, or Overnight Camp Out).
Share our Take Home Letter, What to Bring list, and Waivers/Informed Consent forms with students’ families, to help them be informed and prepared. These documents are all included in your Program Prep Package.
Review the “What to Bring” list with your students. It makes a HUGE difference if all participants are ready for a full day outside, rain or shine! Remind them to leave behind anything that they don’t want to get wet or dirty.
Ensure you are available by phone during the evening before and morning of your program. Certain circumstances (e.g. extreme weather) may require last-minute adjustment or cancellation of your program. We will do our best to avoid this scenario but it is sometimes unavoidable.
Bring all fully completed LPS Waivers, prepared to hand in upon arrival.
Remind our staff when you arrive in person if you have any particular concerns. For example, scheduling an early pick-up, planned adjustments for behavior or student needs, or a change in the number of participants.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding preparing for your program, you may direct them to our School Programs Coordinator. We look forward to a day of programs with you and your class!

Program Prep: Floating Classroom

In order to ensure that you and your class are fully prepared for your Forest Friends program, please make sure you are on track to complete the steps listed below.

Carefully review the LPS Program Prep Package: Floating Classroom Canoe Charter. In addition to the providing essential program information, this package includes a copy and/or links to important documents including:
- Important Considerations for Planning your Day
- Sample Schedules
- What to Bring List
- Take Home Letter
- Site Maps
- LPS Waivers
Ensure that you are prepared for the portion of teacher-led activities and planning involved in this Canoe Charter. Resources and considerations to help you plan your day are included in the Program Prep Package.
Get in touch with the School Programs Coordinator to confirm your learning intentions and rough plan of the day.
Review the What to Bring list with your students, also included in the Program Prep Package. We also recommend that you review/share this “What to Wear for Outdoor Teaching and Learning” resource created by the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada.
Share our Take Home Letter and What to Bring list with students’ families, to help them be informed and prepared. This is also included in the Program Prep Package.
Ensure that you are familiar with LPS policies and safety considerations around reservation, cancellation, and program/activity choice (found on this webpage).
Ensure that LPS Waivers are fully completed for all participants. Bring them with you on the morning of your program.
Update us with any changes in class size, timing, and/or any additional medical or behavioural information.
Confirm Contact Info: Ensure that you are available to be contacted the evening before and/or the morning of your scheduled program, in case circumstances require last minute program cancellation/rescheduling. We will do our best to avoid this scenario, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding preparing for your program, you may direct them to our School Programs Coordinator. We look forward to a day of programs with you and your class!

Program Prep: Overnight Campouts

Details coming soon!

Fees and Subsidies

We have moved to a sliding-scale pricing model in 2024. Lake Park Society is a non-profit and our program fees are based on recovering our costs and do not generate a surplus. Even so, we recognize that many classes cannot pay the full cost recovery rate. We are proud to provide financially accessible outdoor programming.

Our Connection Grant program provides up to $300 in subsidies towards Forest Friend programs and up to $550 in subsidies towards Water Keeper and Floating Classroom programs. You will be provided with an opportunity to request a subsidy during registration. Subsidies are issued on a self-declared basis, with no additional application required. Unused subsidies will be applied to future school year programs and to provide additional financial support for classes that cannot afford our sliding scale rates. Please contact us if you have any questions about our pricing, or if our programs remain inaccessible at the maximum subsidy rate. We have additional funding options to ensure all students can participate.

Providing funding for transportation is beyond the financial scope of LPS. Therefore, we strongly encourage all teachers to consider additional sources of funding/grants that may provide extra support for transportation costs and/or remaining program costs. We recommend that you explore the following SD71-EOL resources to help you in this search, and apply for grants as early as possible.

Grants & Funding – Relevant funding options, e.g. Daytrippers, Go Grants
Transportation – SD71 approved options for how to get to the lake

Policies and Safety Considerations

Reservation Policy: Your reservation will not be confirmed until payment is received. Payment is due 4 weeks before program date. If your program remains unpaid at this time, you will forfeit your reservation, allowing time for another class to book this date.

Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be issued to programs that are canceled with less than 2 weeks’ notice. This excludes programs cancelled on behalf of Lake Park to Society, due to weather or other factors. It is very hard for another class to fill a program with short notice. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are considering canceling your program. We will do our best to reschedule.

Program Choice, and/or Activity Choice: LPS will educators have final say on activity choices based on weather, group dynamics, and other factors. Programs may also be adapted to suit participant needs (e.g. mobility) and group dynamics. Please complete the Pre-Program Questionnaire to alert your instructors to any potential concerns.

Weather: Programs will run rain or shine; however, if weather conditions create a safety concern, programs will be adjusted or rescheduled accordingly. For example, if high winds create unsafe conditions for canoeing during a Water Keepers program, we will switch to our alternative watershed program which will take place in the forest and/or along the lakeshore. In the case of an extreme weather forecast, you will be contacted by one of our educators the evening before the program to cancel. We will give as much notice as possible, but in some circumstances, this may happen last minute – the forecast is dynamic, and does not always align with actual conditions. Please ensure that you are available to be contacted the evening before and morning of your scheduled program in case cancellation is necessary. We will do our best to reschedule your class for another day.

Safety: LPS maintains safety as a priority. Our risk management protocols are designed and continuously revised to meet or exceed industry standards. LPS educators are certified in first aid; have experience in nature-based programming with youth; and are trained in a Big Canoe program led by Paddle-Canada certified instructors via Ridge Wilderness Adventures. For most canoe-based school programs, we lash the two boats together making them incredibly stable; and we only travel in appropriate weather conditions. Properly fitting PFDs are worn and checked, and safety information is shared with the participants.

All group safety gear (including first aid kits) will be provided by LPS. Participants with any known anaphylactic allergies are required to bring a valid EpiPen, stored in a waterproof container/bag. In the event of an incident requiring first aid, our staff will act as first responders on site. In the case of an incident that needs further treatment (but no ambulance), it will be the responsibility of the teacher to take students off site to seek further treatment.

Communicable Disease Prevention: The health and safety of our participants and staff remains our top priority. LPS has adopted a Communicable Disease Prevention Plan to manage health and safety and will continue to monitor and follow public health guidance. While this is continually revised, below is a brief summary: all of our programs take place outside; all staff and participants will wash hands (or sanitize) prior to snack time and lunchtime; and all staff and participants are welcome to wear masks if they wish. Please stay home if you are sick with a communicable disease or have been directed to self-isolate and follow public health guidance.