By Raymond Viger
The interview takes place on a hands-free telephone, in front of the young people from the center and the parents present.
Milaine Brousseau Ouellette, who has two children, operated a daycare at her home. She let the kids play outside all the time, even in winter. Milaine took care of Justine Lavoie’s child.
The documentary L’autre connexion (The Other Connection) changed Milaine’s life. It’s the story of a school in the countryside inspired by ancestral indigenous cultures. The Wolf School is located in British Columbia. No matter what the weather, children connect with nature, with others, and with themselves.
This is how Milaine mobilized parents for the creation of Le Centre d’Apprentissage Libre en Forêt Arborescence (the Arborescence Forest Free Learning Center, or CALEFA). Her philosophy is that you protect what you love. “I like to create beautiful things and make them accessible,” she tells us.
The center creates a strong attachment with the forest. It’s a place where magic happens. It is with great enthusiasm that she describes the connection to oneself, to others and to nature that children can experience there. They manage to recognize their emotions, to express them, to reach out to others, to take up the challenge of sharing, empathy, listening… All this in the forest is a beautiful immersion, it’s incredible.
Although the interview was conducted over the telephone, I could feel a sparkle and effervescence in Milaine’s voice when she described this magic that takes place with young people.
There are outreach and relationship activities with the community. A grandmother came to show them how to knit. The young people also went to their village library to bring poems written in the homes of their communities.
Children also have experiences of self-management. They meet without parents present and decide how the day will go, what activities will be prioritized. They also have a Harmony Committee to resolve potential conflicts between them. If necessary, they can ask for help from a parent or facilitator.
Milaine has only one wish, that all children and parents can have such an experience.
While we are on the phone, two 10-year-olds also want to participate in the interview. As for parental authorization, no problem, their parents are present.
Émy S. explains to us that she appreciates the freedom to play often and to participate in organized activities. “Beautiful, not beautiful we play outside. I like swimming. In winter we go to the swimming pool in St-Gabriel. In summer we go to the lake.”
Lily L. has been attending the center for three years now. She loves contact with nature. “They let us play with our friends. It’s okay to have younger people in the group. They play with each other. They are really cute. I go horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking, sliding. The center is like my second home, like my village.”
Published in Reflet de Société No. 31.4, June 2023
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