Tailored for individuals, families, schools, corporate groups, etc.
Victoria Group Outdoor School Program Description
WEA offers partial, full & multi-day outdoor education programs for school groups on Vancouver Island with activities like canoeing, kayaking, hiking, geocaching, fire-building, archery, camp cooking, campfires, wilderness navigation, forest running games & more. All of WEA's outdoor education programs are convenient, accessible, safe, fun and staffed by the best people in the industry! Free and subsidizied programs and financial assistance is available. Sign-up for our newsletter or contact us for more information on free and subsidized programs. We also offer school bus charters in Victoria and on Vancouver Island, click here for more info!
"As an educator, my hope is students experience situations that help them develop in many ways. Being in nature together is the perfect opportunity to build upon their curiosity, resilience, initiative, balance, integrity, collaboration and empathy. Landon and his team at Western Educational Adventures did a fantastic job of organizing and running our "Outdoor Day" with Grade 6 and Grade 7 students. Our students were engaged and appropriately challenged throughout the day as they learned to work and play together. Both parent and student feedback was overwhelmingly positive and I do not hesitate to recommend Landon and his team to other school groups. "
-Zyoji Jackson
Outdoor Education Coordinator
St. Michaels University School - Victoria BC
Cost is based on WEA providing 2 of our staff members with the rest of the supervision provided by parents and teachers. If you require different locations or more supervision, it is available at a higher cost.
Description: This program can be run as a standalone program or as part of one of our longer programs. It can potentially be run at your school, at a nearby nature area or at select sites on the island, for which we have permission to use. The program starts with an in-depth briefing, progresses to the main activity and concludes with an in-depth debrief, all relating to key curriculum items for the specific grade or grades.
The animal game is a giant tag game designed to teach participants about the food chain, forest ecology and other science/physical education curriculum items. Participants are given specific character roles such as a carnivore or herbivore (and a few other characters!). Herbivores survive by finding food and water stamps and by evading carnivores. Carnivores survive by eating (tagging) herbivores. It is a super fun, fast paced game!!
Skills taught: Forest ecology, general biology, geology & geomorphology, recent cultural history, how to be active, impacts of modern development and usage of natural areas, self guided discovery, and more.
Curriculum Items: Integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, worldview, big ideas, deeper learning, constructivism, differentiated instruction, social and environmental diversity, inquiry-based approaches, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, physical literacy, personalized learning, ecology and the environment.
Notes on Price: Cost is based on us providing 2 of our staff members with the rest of the supervision provided by parents and teachers. Minimum group size is 15 students. If you require different locations or more supervision, it is available at a higher cost.
Description: This program can be run in numerous locations. The entire day focuses on immersing students into nature and teaching them how to survive in the wilderness with minimal resources - which will necessitate student leadership, cooperation and teambuilding. Students learn how to build basic shelters, how to start a fire, about the camping triangle, about poisonous and edible plants and more.
Description: This program can be run as a part of our seperately from the snow shoe hike day. It is intended for various school groups in numerous mountain locations on Vancouver Island such as Jordan River, Cowichan Lake, Port Alberni, Strathcona Park, etc. WEA typically provides transportation for this program at an additional cost due to winter driving conditions. The entire day focuses on immersing students into the winter environment and teaching them how to survive in the wilderness with minimal resources - which will necessitate student leadership, cooperation and teambuilding. Students learn how to build basic snow shelters, how to start a fire, about the camping triangle, about cold weather safet, winter travel and more.
Description: This program can be run as part of the winter survival skills program or on its own. Locations include almost anywhere there is snow, such as Jordan River, Cowichan Lake, Port Alberni, Strathcona Park, etc. WEA typically provides transportation for this program at an additional cost due to winter driving conditions. The program is all about getting students out into the winter wilderness while getting exercise and having a blast on snow shoes. The entire day will physically and mentally push students in a fun, exciting and safe way.
Description: The reccomended program runs for 1 ½ days. During the first half day (in the classroom) students learn: the basics of map and compass use, the cardinal direction system, how to read/understand topographic maps and all about the compass (what the parts are called, how to use it, why and how it works, etc.). Compass work is a great application of basic arithmetic, angles, basic trigonometry and more!
The classroom session is followed by a full day outing in a unique learning environment at a local park or more remote wilderness setting (if desired) where students get to apply their newly acquired skills in a topographically exciting, outdoor area.
Skills taught: Compass and map reading, compass usage, cardinal direction system, elevations, distances, related units of measurement, wilderness safety skills, angles, trigonometry, vectors.
Curriculum Items: Concept-based curriculum, inquiry-based approaches, constructivism, deeper learning, goals, facts, habits of mind, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, numeracy, self-directed learning, ecology and the environment.
Description: This one-day program runs at a local outdoor nature centre. Students participate in multiple outdoors activities of choice including outdoor games, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, orienteering, fire-building, archery, etc.
Skills taught: Dependent on the activities chosen. Typically include canoeing basics, kayaking basics, swimming, navigation basics, archery basics, map reading, fire building, basic forest flora and fauna, etc. Personal skills include independence, interdependence, cooperation, teambuilding and leadership.
Curriculum Items: Self directed learning, indigenous concepts, integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, big ideas, deeper learning, constructivism, differentiated instruction, environmental diversity, inquiry-based approaches, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, personalized learning, ecology and the environment.
Description: This 3-day program runs at a local outdoor centre and is a more extensive version of our 1-day program. Students participate in multiple outdoor activities including (age appropriate) nature and wildlife games, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, orienteering, hiking, fire-building, campsite set up and safety, campfires activities, drama activities, etc. This is not an average camp program where the focus is only on student “fun”! Like all of our programs, we actually teach students how to do the activities and the historical background of the activities, all while infusing them with local natural history, cultural history (including indigenous history) and other relevant knowledge.
Skills taught: Hiking, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, archery, campsite design and safety, campsite cooking and safety, wilderness safety, wilderness navigation with and without a compass or map, etc., team building, independence, interdependence, leadership.
Curriculum Items: Self directed learning, indigenous concepts, integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, big ideas, deeper learning, constructivism, differentiated instruction, environmental diversity, inquiry-based approaches, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, personalized learning, ecology and the environment.
Description: Depending on the school’s location, students either walk to, or are transported to, a local natural environment where they get to explore the natural area. Students are told stories that originated from local First Nations while being taught about local plants and their historical uses, recent cultural history, local geology and geomorphology as well as the impact of modern society on the natural environment. They also participate (in age appropriate) fun and educational nature and wildlife games - eg. “The Animal Game”.
Skills taught: First nations history, forest ecology, plant identification, traditional plant usages, local geology & geomorphology, recent cultural history, impacts of modern development and usage of natural areas and self guided discovery.
Curriculum Items: Indigenous concepts, integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, worldview, big ideas, deeper learning, constructivism, differentiated instruction, social and environmental diversity, inquiry-based approaches, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, personalized learning, ecology and the environment.
Description: This program runs for 2 days and includes 1 overnight. Students are transported to a local camping beach where they are exposed to amazing biological, ecological and geological sights. Students learn how to set up a full campsite, including tents, cooking area, etc. and how to build and cook over an open fire. On day two, students travel to another marine location where they get to explore amazing shoreline marine life in awesome tidal pools. This is a day of guided self discovery. Students learn to identify the marine life using supplied field guides and books. They are then responsible for doing a presentation to the rest of the group about what they observed. Our staff are there to guide them, keep them safe and, if needed, share valuable tidbits of information.
Skills taught: Marine life identification, data compilation, rapid report compilation and oral presentation skills. Team building, cooperation, conflict resolution and leadership.
Curriculum Items: Self directed learning, ecology and the environment, integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, differentiated instruction, environmental diversity, inquiry-based approaches, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, personalized learning.
Description: This program is a multiday sea kayaking, canoeing or hiking expedition style program that incorporates many aspects of our shorter programs. Like our summer programs, students learn the basics of the program specific sport. For example, on the kayak trip students will learn how to do various paddle strokes, kayak rescues, marine navigation, assess and understand marine weather, meal plan, pack food, group leadership and more!
Skills taught: Hiking, kayaking or canoeing, swimming, campsite design and safety, campsite cooking and safety, wilderness safety, wilderness and/or marine navigation, wilderness and or marine communication. Team building, independence, interdependence, leadership.
Curriculum Items: Concept-based curriculum, inquiry-based approaches, constructivism, deeper learning, goals, facts, habits of mind, interdisciplinary learning, literacy, numeracy, self-directed learning, indigenous concepts, integration of areas of learning, horizontal connections, big ideas, deeper learning, differentiated instruction, environmental diversity, personalized learning, ecology and the environment.
Description: Western Educational Adventures can design and run almost any custom outdoor program you can imagine in various locations across British Columbia and Alberta. While we focus on running sea kayaking, canoeing and hiking programs we also often run many other activities such as climbing, navigation training, orienteering, lifesaving courses, downhill skiing, and more!
