The Times, (2010 October 22). SD42 at forefront of place-based learning. Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Times. p. 7 Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/759710311?accountid=14656

This article is an introduction to Maple Ridge’s Environmental School Project, at that time just a proposal.  Without providing significant detail, the article outlines the school’s vison for a primarily outdoors, place-based school focussed on an interdisciplinary study of the local environment.  the article continues on to describe the school’s search for community partners to support the project’s financial and facilities concerns.

Landreville, T. (2012 January 12). Kids’ classroom moves outdoors. Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Times. Retrieved from: http://www.mrtimes.com/Kids+classroom+moves+outdoors/5983609/story.html

In a follow up to the previous article, The Times reporter, Troy Landreville follows the newly created  Environmental School Project (a partnership between community groups, SD42 Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows, and Simon Fraser University) students for part of a day and interviews the coordinator and administrator, Clayton Maitland.  Maitland bemoans the lack of holistic primary experiences in traditional educational settings and touts the project’s flexibility to learn anywhere and put education into context in the article.  A parent of two children in the school likens the choice to put her children in the school to choosing other alternative programs like French immersion.  She also approves of the school’s inclusive policy (as it is a public school), though Maitland cautioned that students with Oppositional Defiance Disorder will be refused due to safety concerns.

These articles, in themselves, provide few details into the theory and practise of place-based learning.  However, they do provide conclusive evidence that there is community, parental and pedagogical research support for it as to allow for a k-7 school of only 60 students to be approved, funded and staffed.  Presumably, further detail can be found through Clayton Maitland or the school’s website which maintains FAQ and In The Media pages.