KOLA Kelowna
KOLA Kelowna is a teacher-led, curriculum-aligned outdoor learning academy for youth ages 9–18. We launched here because Kelowna families value nature, connection, and meaningful education — and they’re ready for something different.
— Emily Grace
🌿 Our Okanagan Valley Setting
Experience the rhythm of our outdoor learning journey through each meaningful moment of the day
Lakes & Hillside Trails
Learn beside the glistening shores of Okanagan Lake and explore the rolling hills that surround Kelowna. With access to beaches, bluffs, and arid ecosystems, students engage with a landscape that invites reflection, movement, and connection to land and water.
Dry Forest & Grassland Classrooms
Our outdoor learning spaces include ponderosa pine forests, grasslands, and shaded gullies — each offering unique opportunities for ecological discovery. These living classrooms become places where students learn to track seasonal changes, study local species, and develop practical outdoor skills grounded in their environment.
Community Spaces & Collaboration
KOLA Kelowna partners with local parks, farms, and community hubs to create accessible, inclusive learning environments. Whether we’re gathering in a public orchard, connecting with elders, or learning beside a local artist or land steward, our shared spaces remind us that education is deeply rooted in community.
Core Program
Monday to Thursday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Our full KOLA experience featuring guided outdoor learning, social-emotional development, and hands-on activities in small groups with dedicated mentorship.
Program Highlights
Ages 6-18 welcome Small group learning (1:8 mentor ratio)
Nature-based curriculum Social-emotional learning focus
Learning Environment
Outdoor experiential Neurodiversity-affirming approach
Curriculum-aligned academics Community-based partnerships
Meet Our Team
Fan Zhang
Lead Educator – KOLA Kelowna
Fan Zhang brings a unique blend of academic expertise, healthcare training, and heart-centered teaching to her role at KOLA. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Guangxi University (Xingjian College of Science & Liberal Arts) in China, and later earned a Master of Arts in Educational Studies from the University of York in England, UK. A multilingual educator with a cross-cultural background, Fan is deeply committed to inclusive, trauma-informed learning.
Her career bridges both education and healthcare: after several years of classroom and online teaching, Fan completed her Practical Nursing diploma and was previously registered as a Practical Nurse before formally resigning from the College of Nurses of Ontario. While her nursing work sharpened her empathy and resilience, it also affirmed her calling to return to education — this time with a renewed focus on emotional safety, student voice, and community-based learning.
Fan’s teaching philosophy is rooted in multisensory engagement and neurodiversity-affirming practice. She integrates tools like visual icons, oral storytelling, mind mapping, and reflective journaling to make learning both accessible and meaningful. Her students feel seen, heard, and supported — not in spite of their differences, but because of them.
Currently committed to completing her Wilderness First Aid, Forest School Teacher Certification, and Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT) training, Fan is committed to ongoing growth as both an educator and guide. Whether she’s leading outdoor explorations or offering quiet, grounded support during a hard moment, she helps students build the courage and confidence to learn in their own way.
At KOLA, Fan is not only a teacher — she is a mentor, an advocate, and a trusted presence for every learner she serves.