About

Shelley Bettker- founder and director

Shelley Bettker is an outdoor play expert, passionate advocate for child-led learning, and the founder and director of Explorer’s Forest School. Dedicated to providing enriching play experiences to all children, she works with kids aged 1 to 13 on a prairie oasis east of Saskatoon. Often found alongside children in the dirt and trees, Shelley fosters curiosity and a sense of wonder through hands-on, nature-based experiences. In addition to her work with children, she runs a parented program, guiding caregivers to embrace and understand the benefits of outdoor play.

Shelley holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan and is a certified Early Childhood Educator Level 2. She completed the Forest & Nature School Practitioner course through the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada.

Shelley enjoys sharing her knowledge and her experiences with others. If you are interested in her speaking at your conference or at a professional development day for your staff. Reach out and connect.

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Our Team

Explorers Preschool Teacher

Melanie Giannios

Mme. Giannios grew up in rural Saskatchewan, where she developed a deep appreciation for nature and outdoor learning. She is a certified Early Childhood Educator with experience in preschool classrooms across Saskatoon and a background in music and movement. She serves as the Lead Teacher at Explorers Preschool, bringing creativity, movement, and a love of the outdoors to each day.

Explorers Preschool Teacher

Erinn Dziadyk

Erinn has her ECE and her Forest School practitioner certification and she has been working with children since 2007. She is a mom to two children. She loves being outside and her second love is traveling, she has visited 32 countries so far!

Explorers Forest School Teacher

Tressa Schultz

Tressa is a mom of two, social worker, and strong believer in outdoor, child-led play. After discovering Explorers programs with her own children, she is thrilled to support meaningful outdoor experiences for families.

Explorers Forest School teacher

Kylie Simone

Kylie is an outdoor lover and has a great knowledge of plants and their uses. She has gained experience with children while working as a nanny. She enjoys spending time with her husband on the family farm.

Before and After School Supervisior

Shannon Soshyski

Shannon has been working with Explorers since 2018. She started as a before and after school leader and has been the supervisor for 3 years and is the main contact at the school daily. She works as a preschool teacher in Hanley. She has two grown kids and enjoys time with with her husband and their dog.

The Full Story

Explorers was founded in 2013 at Cardinal Leger as a preschool and before and after school program serving the local school community. Shelley was the director the lead preschool teacher for ten years. She continued her training with forest school training. In 2019 the second location was added to provided more outdoor adventures formerly know as TimberNook Saskatoon now the Explorers Forest School location. The addition of year round programs and summer camps required more time and energy away form Cardinal Leger. At this time a new teacher was hired for the preschool and programs continued to be added, including parent and tots programs.

The Why

Explorers Forest School, childhood is honoured and play is valued as essential. Our outdoor, play-based programs support the whole child—body, mind, and heart—while fostering a deep connection to nature. In a fast-paced, indoor-focused world, we slow things down. Time in nature helps children regulate, build resilience, and learn through curiosity, movement, and meaningful play. The forest becomes a co-teacher, offering space for exploration, creativity, and confidence to grow. Guided by skilled and caring facilitators, our child-led programs create safe, nurturing environments where children can explore, take healthy risks, and discover their own potential. At Explorers, we believe children thrive when they are trusted, supported, and free to play.

What is Explorers Forest School?

Explorers is all about enhancing and promoting healthy child development. We offer year round programs- Forest Adventures, Trailblazers, Explorers Preschool, and Before and After School Care. We also one week summer camps. Our little Sprouts program is offered seasonally.