Our onsite activities are facilitated by trained and qualified staff. Activities may include:
At Garapine, we deliver more than just activities. Our programs are designed to deliver outcomes. Topics such as comfort zones, leadership, goal setting and teamwork are discussed through short lead-in activities before completing the big fun adventure activity. At the end of a session, we then reflect and debrief on the activity and the topic discussed to enhance the experiential learning.
We will work with you to design a personalised program based on the cohort’s needs and school’s preferences whilst ensuring it is age appropriate and delivers the desired outcomes.
Camp provides students with an opportunity to get to know one another in a unique environment and build relationships through team challenges, problem-solving and getting outside their comfort zones.
We have outlined below some popular program options and curriculum links. We do cater for all year levels so please contact us about your needs when planning school camp for your students.
Be it a multi-year level camp, an overnight stay or their first camp experience, we have a range of activities that even the youngest students can get involved in.
With experience in providing suitable camps for multiple year levels and small schools, we are here to help you bring the younger ones into the outdoors for an adventure they will remember forever.
Our school camp programs are aligned to the curriculum developing personal and social capabilities, critical and creative thinking, ethical understanding and sustainability.
Camp provides students with an experiential learning opportunity to explore leadership skills, problem-solving and decision making.
Plus students get the experience of being away from home and travelling to a new place, developing independence and self-confidence.
Curriculum focused programs:
We aim to work in with your previous and future camp experiences, simply contact us for a chat to tailor our program to suit your needs.
The experiential learning benefits of camp can be used to achieve many outcomes. For older age groups, we can design a program around your requirements, subject or desired outcome. Simply contact us to discuss your camp needs.
Conducted on the banks of the river, each team must design and construct a raft using a certain amount of equipment. The objective is to build a raft that will stay afloat on the river. This activity requires group discussion and collaboration.
Fitted out in harnesses and helmets, students experience trust, risk and teamwork to make their way around a high ropes course. Comfort zones are tested. Students feel a great sense of accomplishment on completion.
Students are stranded in the bush and must work together to “survive”. Students will experiment with building a shelter in the bush, learning and then practicing different fire starting techniques, how to collect water and learn about life-saving snake bite first aid. Students then celebrate their “survival” with some damper making.
Students learn to prepare and pack for a lightweight overnight expedition conducted on the Garapine site. A bushwalk takes students to their camp-out location where they must pitch their tents and cook their own dinner. This mini version of an expedition exposes students to learn the skills and knowledge required for expeditions, preparing them for larger expeditions in the future.
Team initiatives affords students the opportunity to work with their peers to solve challenging, novel and physical problems. This session focuses attention on the group process, decision-making, communication and innovation.
The Garapine property borders the Mary River which is alive with wildlife including turtles, platypus, fish and birds. This kayaking session involves a discussion about the Mary River before a short walk to the river followed by kayaking instruction from qualified staff and a journey upstream to explore the river system. This activity will also emphasise communication skills, teamwork and decision making whilst learning about the river and and water safety.
We do cater for all year levels and if your school has an existing sequential outdoor education program, or if you would like us to help you implement one into your school, please contact us to discuss creating a personalised program for your group, we can cater to the activities you required or desire.
Let us deliver the best school camp for your students.
Get in touch to find out more – we are here to make planning school camp easy for you!
The curriculum identifies four dimensions of outdoor learning which we base our programs around:
A range of skills and knowledge is needed to work together and be active and safe in the outdoors.
As students spend time learning in nature about safe travel and experiences, they develop a broad range of skills that contribute to a deep understanding of the potential hazards inherent in a range of environments. They learn that investigating environments in a safe way, planning and preparing, being organised, working together, having a leadership structure and having an incident response plan are important skills and responsibilities for those who spend time in natural environments. In this way, students learn to foster their adventurous spirit while engaging in healthy, non-competitive, lifelong physical activities.
An individual’s experience in natural environments enhances human–nature relationships.
Educational time in nature allows students to develop multiple ways of knowing and creates strong connections to natural environments. With repeated visits and multiple ways of engaging with natural environments, students learn to appreciate nature as a health-giving resource rather than a danger.
Ecological, cultural and personal knowledge of and experiences in nature enhance decision-making about conservation and sustainability.
Time invested in learning about scientific, western cultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural, economic, recreational and aesthetic knowledge provides a foundation for the critical analysis of human interaction with the natural world. Students investigate strategies to reduce the local and global impact of human activity on natural environments and engage in actions that positively contribute to conservation and sustainable living.
Experiences in natural environments promote personal growth and development, and health and wellbeing.
Students experience the deep personal impact of time in nature. This includes the role of natural environments in providing a balance to modern, technologically intense living and in supporting physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Students are given unique opportunities to reflect on their own and with others about themselves, their relationship with others and their place in the world.
The “Challenge by Choice” philosophy is incorporated throughout our programs to provide opportunities for growth and personal development in a safe learning environment. Students are encouraged to “have a go”, but ultimately their level of involvement in a challenging activity is their choice, empowering them to make their own decisions and be responsible for their actions.
This is how “Challenge by Choice” works…
The group recognises that the attempt is more significant than performance results, demonstrating respect for individual ideas and choices.
Let us deliver the best school camp for your students.
Get in touch to find out more – we are here to make planning school camp easy for you!