Who are we?
Les élèves plantent des arbres!
Visiter une ferme pour bien comprendre la réalité de ceux qui nous nourrissent!
Les élèves plantent des arbres!
École-O-Champ is an exceptional non-profit organization in Quebec, dedicated entirely to agricultural education in both languages. His curriculum is directly linked to agroenvironmental sciences, making him a key player in environmental education in Quebec. This uniqueness has allowed it to develop numerous partnerships with ministries, universities, schools, unions of educational organizations, programs for young farmers, farms and agricultural societies.
Our story
Inspired by the American Farm-to-School movement, École-O-Champ (EOC) was founded in January 2013 as a student project at the Macdonald campus of McGill University (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences). Our initial mission was to develop agri-environmental education activities for students from surrounding primary schools. From 2013 to 2015, EOC reached nearly 1,000 children through its day camps offered on the Macdonald Campus educational farm, as well as holding workshops in elementary school classes in Montérégie and Montreal. Over the years, EOC has forged many links in its community, among others with local producers, teachers and university students. In a desire to develop its expertise and increase the scope of its mission, EOC officially became a non-profit organization in 2016.
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We are proud and grateful to be part of the prestigious Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC) organization since 2020. We have the invaluable opportunity to collaborate with AITC to promote agricultural education to children and youth. This association allows us to access resources and a network of experts, strengthening our ability to provide enriching educational experiences and sow the seeds of passion for agriculture in future generations. Together we cultivate the knowledge and love of agriculture.
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In 2023, École-O-Champ takes a major step forward by obtaining its charitable status from the Quebec government. From now on, accessible and innovative agricultural education for young Quebecers can be supported more widely. A new era is dawning, allowing more people to contribute to our educational mission.
OUR VISION
To be the reference source in agricultural, food and environmental sciences for the education of youth.
Our goals
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Promote local agriculture and raise awareness among young people and the general public about sustainable agricultural practices.
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Improve the knowledge and skills of young people in the fields of environmental and agri-food sciences, while respecting the objectives of the MESS (Ministry of Education and Higher Education) science curriculum.
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Increase the presence and level of teaching of agri-food and environmental sciences in Quebec schools.
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Encourage collaboration between the different stakeholders involved in agricultural education in Quebec, such as agricultural training schools, university environmental faculties, farms, environmental, agricultural or food organizations, and facilitate schools' access to agricultural resources.
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Offer young people the opportunity to develop their knowledge of agri-food and the environment, to promote healthy lifestyle habits, to develop their open-mindedness, their civic awareness and their critical thinking.