Jared Ball

Background

About Jared Ball

As a high school teacher in the Durham District School Board since 2007, I have taught various levels of English, Geography and Health & Physical Education, but my passion is Outdoor Education. In 2009 I developed a dual credit integrated Outdoor Education course for grade eleven students that pairs Geography with Health & Physical Education. While covering the curriculum content for these two credits through an outdoor lens, my students participate in multi-day backcountry canoe and hiking trips, winter camping excursions and mountain biking adventures on our local trails. I currently occupy the role of Outdoor Environmental Education Facilitator. I manage and teach at our three board-run outdoor environmental education centres. In this capacity I work with a team of instructors to deliver outdoor environmental programming to students in grades two through twelve. I completed an Honors Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism degree at Lakehead University in 2004. In 2007 I graduated from the Outdoor Experiential Education program at Queen’s University. In 2021 I earned a Master of Education degree in the Outdoor Education cohort at St. Francis Xavier University My experience in the fields of outdoor recreation and education spans two decades. I spent eight summers as a guide, trip leader and safety/video kayaker on the Ottawa River. I worked as a snowboard instructor in Thunder Bay. I have taught flat water and moving water canoeing and kayaking both privately and as a sub-contracted instructor. I am interested in all aspects of Outdoor Education and look forward to expanding my own knowledge and experience as well as introducing more young people to the benefits of outdoor learning and play.