 School camping and outdoor education experiences permit thousands of Ontario students and teachers each year to turn the natural world into a classroom like no other - a classroom without limits - and a grand adventure in learning. In the outdoor world of experiential learning, specific curriculum objectives are complemented with critical life skills as students engage in comprehensive project-based experiences under the supervision of trained outdoor leaders.
The camping community in Ontario has a 100-year history of masterfully blending the learning experience with the recreational one. Ontario Camping Association camps have opened their gates in the spring, winter and fall to assist teachers to provide to their students what camp directors provide to their campers each summer:
The camp setting is the perfect ‘laboratory,’ for outdoor education and adventure. Trained personnel with both a natural commitment to and belief in people, a community resource designed to both engage and educate youth, a safe setting with ’managed risk’ orientation - all of these factors provide a teacher with a helping hand toward developing a meaningful school-based outdoor experience. While obvious curriculum links can be made in the areas of science, geography and physical education, the greatest benefit of the outdoor adventure may be in the blurring of the lines between various curriculum elements and an ability to target many more of the less obvious curriculum goals and outcomes. Every outdoor centre is prepared to help you with writing support documents, designing a customized program and delivering the very best possible product. Add the great additional links between humans and animals; between teacher and learner; between forest and city; between inside and outside; between school and lifelong, experiential learning and educators can truly discover that the outdoors is a classroom without limits.
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