The Outdoor and Experiential Education (OEE) program at Queen’s is back, giving future teachers a hands-on place to learn and connect with the wild once again.
After a year-long hiatus, the long-standing Faculty of Education program will start accepting applications this fall and welcome a new cohort of students in May 2027. It’s all happening thanks to the generosity of OEE alumnus Grant Linney, Artsci’74, Ed’78, and the establishment of the Outdoor and Experiential Education Legacy Fund in Memory of Bob Pieh.
Named for OEE’s founder and one of Linney’s most influential teachers, the fund is supported by Linney’s $1-million endowed gift and will provide sustainable support for the program into the future. It means teacher candidates can continue building the skills and confidence needed to bring outdoor and experiential learning to schools and communities.
For Linney, the gift is deeply personal. His time in OEE helped shape a lifelong commitment to outdoor and environmental education, one he has carried into classrooms, community settings, climate education, writing, and advocacy. Since 2010, he has delivered more than 1,100 presentations as part of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, and he continues to teach people of all ages about the importance of connecting with nature.
“OEE changed the course of my life,” says Linney. “Bob Pieh showed us that teaching could be rooted in community and a real relationship with the natural world. He led quietly, but his influence stayed with you. This gift is my way of honouring Bob and helping future teachers discover the same sense of purpose and possibility that so many of us found through OEE.”
For generations of Queen’s teacher candidates, OEE has offered a different way into teaching – one shaped by direct experience, time spent learning in the field with others, and a belief that outdoor learning should be welcoming and accessible to all. Founded by Pieh in 1968 and offered as a program track in the Faculty of Education since the 1970s, OEE blends classroom learning with outdoor and community-based experiences.
Today, the 12-month track introduces teacher candidates to the many ways outdoor and experiential programs can be offered in school and community settings. Through the program, they build practical skills, develop confidence as leaders, and learn how to create spaces where students from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences can connect with each other and the world around them.
For Amy Burns, Dean of the Faculty of Education, that kind of learning speaks directly to Queen’s commitment to providing an educational experience that prepares students to be the leaders of tomorrow and live lives of purpose and impact.
“We’re deeply grateful to Grant Linney for this generous and meaningful gift,” says Burns. “OEE has a special place in the history and heart of our Faculty, and this support helps ensure the program can continue welcoming future teacher candidates for years to come. As we look ahead, we’re committed to making OEE accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds, and we hope others who believe in this program will join Grant in helping it thrive.”
To support the Outdoor and Experiential Education Legacy Fund in Memory of Bob Pieh, visit Give to Queen’s.
