A safe setting...there is a clear set of safety guidelines and procedures to be shared with all participants early in your experience...there are regular inspections of site, equipment and facilities for hazards and safe operation.

Improved leader/learner ratios... the staff of the school and the staff from the outdoor centre combine to provide an improved supervisory ratio. Most programs are conducted with a teacher/student ratio of better than 1 to 15.

Indoor and outdoor settings... while most outdoor adventures can be adapted to take place in varying weather conditions, centres can also provide reasonable alternatives to full-time outdoor activity for extended periods of inclement weather.

Trained personnel... the staff of all outdoor centres receive site specific training as well as general leadership training...waterfront supervision is provided by qualified staff.

Environmental management... Water quality (drinking and swimming), food service, sleeping quarters meet the most stringent standards...the rustic nature of a camp setting must be balanced against the type of experience the classroom teacher expects for their outdoor adventure.

Curriculum relevance... outdoor centres should be able to provide teachers with clear links to the learning objectives set out by the Ministry or provided by the teachers...the activities should be adapted to varying age and learning competencies.

A positive experience... whether or not the weather is great, the adventure always is...

Day visits to a nearby outdoor centre can have a profound effect on the learning outcomes and the social fabric of any class. They can be quick, economical and convenient from an organizational point of view. They also provide for easy next day follow-up on the experience.

Two days, of course! In general, the longer the stay at an outdoor centre, the more opportunity there is to move students into the camp rhythm, into a wider variety of camping skills and into a more intense relationship with the outdoor experience.

As the personnel present in all three parts of the outdoor experience (before, during, after), the teachers remain as the driving and defining force in determining the exact program that best suits their students. The emphasis can be on using the outdoors as the medium for English, French, Science, Mathematics, History, Geography or Physical Education. Outdoor centres can provide as much or as little up-front leadership as a teacher desires. It is "yours for the asking".