Who We Are
Staff
Emma Jane Woods – Teacher/Coordinator
Emma Jane is excited to join the YLS team as the teacher of World Issues, Environment & Resource Management and Sustainability Leadership courses within YLS! She is passionate about nature and helping people create connections to the natural world that will inspire them to take action to protect it.
Before teaching, Emma Jane worked as an ecologist for the Ontario Farmland Trust, completing field surveys and working with landowners to preserve and steward the agricultural land and natural areas on their properties. She also wrote policy recommendations to provincial and federal government bodies to stress the importance protecting and preserving farmland and associated natural areas for the benefits of future generations. She also has experience as a research assistant completing field work on academic projects including bee research and permaculture research.
Since transitioning to teaching, Emma Jane has taught science and math at Campbellford DHS and Kenner CVI, and she is looking forward to continuing her career with the YLS program. She has been involved with environmental education initiatives for over 10 years and is looking forward to continuing in this field. A core philosophy of Emma Jane’s teaching practice is to foster independence and critical thinking in students by presenting them with numerous opportunities for experiential learning and inquiry.
Emma Jane completed her B.Sc.H in Environmental and Resource Science and her B.Ed, both at Trent University. As part of her teacher training, she completed an alternative settings placement in Cambodia where she was a guest teacher at CamTech University in a number of different courses. This was an incredibly valuable experience to her and she enjoyed learning from and with the faculty at CamTech University and from her supervising Trent professor Dr. Luigi Iannacci.
In her spare time, Emma Jane enjoys camping and hiking. Emma Jane and her fiancé Sean enjoy travelling and connecting with and learning from folks around the globe. She also spends lots of time on a local farm gardening, and values connections to agriculture and to the land.
Kelly Simms – English Teacher
Kelly will be teaching grade 11 NBE (Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit Voices), alongside grade 12 English. She is excited to build connections between course content and the sustainability of our environment.
Kelly has been a teacher for 16 years. Most recently, she taught the Carriage House Program which offers schooling to community members connected to the Youth Emergency Shelter (Y.E.S.). Throughout her career, Kelly has taught at several schools including Kenner C.V.I, Norwood D.H.S, Bowmanville High School, and Clarington Central Secondary School. She has experience teaching English, History, Family Studies, and Social Sciences. Kelly’s work with At-Risk Youth, and her role as Literacy Lead, both highlight her strong commitment to student success. Kelly’s experience brings a rich and unique perspective to this program.
As a busy mom of two equally busy boys, Kelly has boundless energy. In her spare time, Kelly loves to explore the waterways and trails of the Peterborough area. Hiking, cycling, and paddle boarding are activities which bring Kelly great joy, as well as coaching many school and community teams.
Kelly embraces life and learning with vigour.
Program Founder
Cameron Douglas
Cam founded the YLS program in 2018 as a personal and professional response to the mounting ecological crises. He led until July 1025.
He is the 2020 recipient of the Ontario Teachers Federation Secondary Teacher award for his work creating and leading the YLS program, and he values the award mostly because the nomination came from his students.
Cam is currently the Director of Pearson College of the Pacific’s (near Victoria, BC) Climate Action Leadership Diploma program. Pearson College is part of United World Colleges (UWC). UWC “makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”.
Trent University
One unique feature of the YLS program is our strong connection to both expertise and resources at Trent University. Several faculty have informed this pilot project and continue to be a resource as we move forward.
School of Education and Professional Learning
Trent University’s School of Education and Professional Learning is an exciting place to teach and learn through its Consecutive B.Ed. Program, the new Indigenous Bachelor of Education program, the Teacher Education Stream, the Emphasis in Teacher Education Program, Professional Learning opportunities for in-service teachers, and the Masters in Educational Studies Program. The School is one of very few teacher education program in the country that has sustainability and Indigenous education within its (mandatory) core programing.
School of the Environment
Building on Trent University’s recognized leadership in teaching and research in all areas related to the environment, the new Trent School of the Environment positions Trent University as Canada’s leading postsecondary environmental institution, offering students the chance to make their mark on this planet in a thoughtful and sustainable way.
