As part of the 2026 PHE National Conference, we are pleased to offer a diverse series of experiential learning sessions that bring movement, inclusion, culture, and innovation to life. These hands-on workshops take place in both indoor and outdoor settings and highlight adventure-based learning, movement-integration, Indigenous-informed practice, inclusive physical activity, and student-centered program design.
Led by experienced educators, community leaders, and national organizations, each session provides meaningful, practical strategies that participants can immediately apply in their schools and learning communities. Together, these sessions invite delegates to explore new possibilities for physical literacy, leadership, and lifelong engagement in movement.
Explorer Within & Adventure-Based Learning
Designed for Grades 7–12 educators, this hands-on workshop explores how to bring adventure, curiosity, challenge, and meaningful movement into junior and senior high learning spaces. Through active stations, participants will experience a series of team-based and individual micro-adventures rooted in the Explorer Within philosophy—activities that build resilience, confidence, leadership, and connection. From navigation puzzles and problem-solving challenges to low-equipment games and outdoor-inspired team missions, this session demonstrates how exploration—not competition—can unlock deeper engagement for Adolescents.
Educators will walk away with practical frameworks for designing adventure-based lessons, fostering student leadership, and creating inclusive, low-barrier movement experiences that resonate with diverse learners. This session is active, meaningful, and designed to expand what physical literacy can look like in Grades 7–12.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will:
- Explore hands-on adventure-based activities that support physical literacy, leadership, and belonging.
- Learn how to design student-led challenges, missions, and exploration-focused lessons for Grades 7–12.
- Understand how the Explorer Within mindset builds resilience, confidence, and engagement in adolescents.
- Leave with adaptable, low-equipment activities that promote curiosity, teamwork, and meaningful movement.
No Session Cap
ISPARC - Learning in Motion
The Learning in Motion Training is a dynamic, 3-hour professional development event designed to equip educators with the knowledge, tools and confidence to integrate movement-based learning into the classroom and throughout the school day.
This deep dive session explores the strong connection between physical activity and academic success, emphasizing how movement can be a powerful tool for engaging the student’s body, mind, heart, and spirit. Grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, the forum highlights the role of movement in fostering holistic student well-being. Participants will gain practical, culturally informed strategies to enhance focus, well-being, and classroom engagement through active learning approaches that reflect Indigenous values and support meaningful student learning.
The curriculum and session focuses on developing a variety of movement competencies, including:
- Stability
- Locomotor skills
- Quality of movement (time, weight, space, flow)
- Sending, receiving, and retaining skills (object manipulation skills)
- Gross and fine motor skills
Join us for a hands-on opportunity to learn new approaches that can be applied to your physical activity and physical education programming!
Session Cap: 50
Paddling as Pedagogy: A Traditional Coast Salish Sea Navigation Session
This experiential activity invites educators to reflect on how land- and water-based learning supports student engagement, belonging, and wholistic well-being by creating meaningful, shared experiences beyond the classroom. Join us for a guided longboat journey on Coast Salish waters that brings participants together through shared physical activity, teamwork, and cultural learning.
This experience is designed to be inclusive and welcoming for all skill and fitness levels, with a steady pace that allows everyone to participate comfortably. As you move together on the water, you will learn about traditional Coast Salish sea navigation, the importance of communication and collective responsibility, and the deep relationship between people and water. For students, these approaches empower confidence, cooperation, cultural respect, and a sense of belonging while strengthening physical literacy and social connection.
Surrounded by the natural beauty of the coastline, this longboat journey offers educators a lived example of how culturally grounded physical activity can support student well-being and learning, strengthening your ability as a teacher to intentionally design inclusive, team-based, and relational learning experiences for your students.
Session Cap: 27
Adaptive and Inclusive Lacrosse the Lacrossing Barriers Way
This session will take a play and laughter-based approach to sharing lacrosse and allowing everyone to experience and enjoy the Medicine Game the way you need.
This session will focus on:
- Learning through gameplay, using lacrosse-based activities, not drills
- Contests and games to help people learn the way they need. If we laugh and have fun; we learn.
- Proving that culture is more important than clinic
- Providing fun experiences using the sport of lacrosse, helping everyone learn the way they need.
We won't focus on:
- Teaching you how to pick up a loose ball (but we will play Hungry Hippos)
- Doing basic dodging and cradling drills. Instead we will play Sharks and Minnows.
Session Cap: 30
Game Changers Training
Join PHE Canada for this 3-hour train-the-trainer session where delegates will leave as a certified PHE Canada Game Changers trainer.
Game Changers is a student-center design program for students of all abilities where they co-create a school-based physical activity program tailored to their interests to reduce and eliminate barriers to physical activity participation at their school. Game Changers takes a whole school community approach, is rooted in inclusion, and supports the development of student leadership skills.
Trainers will...
- Become a part of a national network of like-minded professionals who support the growth of the Game Changers program in K-12 schools across the country;
- Learn about inclusion, adapted sport and physical activity, student-centered design, physical literacy, leadership, and quality physical activity experiences, and healthy school communities, specific to Game Changers programming;
- Leave with a "ready-to-use" implementation package to deliver a Game Changers Design Studio;
- Receive physical copies of the All Abilities Guidebook and accompanying infographics; and,
- Receive a certificate of training completion, and a free access code for the All Abilities e-learning courses from the PHE Campus
No Session Cap
How to register:
- Your conference registration includes access to these experimental sessions.
- Pre-registration is required for sessions with limited capacity, as indicated below for each session. Pre-registration instructions will be provided prior to the conference start date.