Outdoor Education

Head of Outdoor Education: Shelley Lloyd-Smith
Phone +61 3 8805 3800
Email

Outdoor Education is all about relationships. Challenging outdoor activities are used as a medium for students to explore and learn in three distinct areas of education – personal development, social development and environmental education.

The Outdoor Education experience begins in Year 9, as an elective subject. Students are involved in a practical based course, which includes single day outings involving bushwalking, orienteering, canoeing, cross-country skiing, rafting, mountain bike riding, rock climbing and abseiling. A popular program amongst students, it provides an opportunity to experience a range of activities and learn about the precious and unique environments associated with each.

Outdoor and Environment Studies is offered to Year 10 and 11 students as a VCE subject and explores the ways humans interact with and relate to natural environments. The study is directed towards enabling students to make critically informed comments on questions of environmental sustainability and to understand the importance of environmental health, in local, state and nation-wide contexts.

Students explore natural environments such as the Otway Ranges, Cathedral Range State Park, Dinner Plain and Barmah State Forest in Year 10 and further explore Wilson’s Promontory, the Grampians, Hattah-Kulkyne and the Bogong High Plains in Year 11. Throughout the two years, activities include camping, hiking, mountain bike riding, surfing, rock climbing, abseiling, cross-country skiing and canoeing.

There is an additional cost for the VCE Outdoor and Environment Studies to cover the cost of excursions and camps, which are compulsory components of this course. There is no additional cost for the Outdoor Education program at Year 9 level.