Outdoor education - the camp experience

This article appears in the August 2009 edition of Sportshorts.

A school camp at a NSW Sport and Recreation Centre is a much anticipated experience by students and teachers alike.

For kids, camp is wrapped up with the excitement of being away from home, often for the first time, and the thrill of new adventures. For teachers, it’s a chance to see their young charges blossom in a supportive and friendly environment.

Glendenning Public School in Sydney’s north-west visits Milson Island Sport and Recreation Centre on the Hawkesbury River once a year. This year, 34 Year 5 students took part in a three day camp, along with two of their teachers. Fiona Liddle says the camp is the school’s favourite.

“Everyone at school looks forward to going to Milson Island,” says Ms Liddle. “The students love camp and all the activities and the staff appreciate the attention to detail and the high level of organisation. It’s great to know that when you arrive on the first day, everything will be ready so we don’t waste a minute. It’s great value – we’ve looked elsewhere but there aren’t too many places that can offer us the same value for money.”

Ms Liddle says camp is a great way to get across ways to live well for life. “We are trying to deliver the message to our students that being active and healthy is not a chore, it’s actually great fun,” she says.

“The whole camp experience at a Sport and Recreation Centre is a non-competitive environment that enables us to impart this message very strongly.

“It’s also the perfect environment for students to learn about things they haven’t experienced before. They begin to realise that they are able meet life challenges such as facing their fears and that they can do things they previously thought they couldn’t, such as learning to kayak, make their own bed and meet new friends from other schools.

“It also provides a unique opportunity for students who always try hard but sometimes struggle to achieve their best – it’s an avenue for them to excel and shine.”

Ms Liddle says the camp experience is invaluable once camp is over and everyone is back in the class room.

“Although everyone loves the activities, it’s not just that that keeps us coming back,” she says. “The students learn about team work and community service through the serving of meals and washing up, the preparation for activities such as the cookout (where students cook their lunch in the bush), carrying their own bags onto and off the ferry, making their beds and realising that they can do a whole range of things without the assistance of their parents. We take these experiences and apply them in the school setting post-camp.”

Program Coordinator at Milson Island Sport and Recreation Centre, Carolyn Duggan says there is extensive communication between school and Centre staff well before camp.

“We liaise closely with teachers to learn as much about the school and the children as possible – their backgrounds, level of experience, involvement in other activities and most importantly, the expectations the school has of the camp. It is important that we design a program that will achieve the outcomes that are important to the school.

“We plan this in partnership with teachers,” says Ms Duggan. “When we develop a program for a school, we discuss what the teachers would like to accomplish for the group and for the individual. Certain activities will promote personal development and engage students to step outside their comfort zones, for example, rock climbing and abseiling. Other activities such as raft building and orienteering help build leadership, communication and cooperation skills.”

Ms Duggan says the camp’s Program Officers work towards these outcomes when preparing children for activities and facilitating the activity itself. “Program Officers play a vital role in aiming and facilitating the activity towards the desired outcomes,” she says.

“The transfer of skills learnt at camp to life situations outside of camp is important. This is an aspect that teachers can continue to follow-up and work on back at school.”

Basic organisation is also critical to a successful school camp. Dietary and medical information, even ferry timetables all contribute to ensuring that camp runs smoothly and everyone has a positive experience. Ms Liddle says her school promotes camp as a unique experience that is more important than the cost. “We provide flexible options for the cost of camp and encourage parents to use payment plan options,” she says. “This year our activities at Milson Island included kayaking, abseiling, flying fox and the cookout. Everyone had a great time!”