Outdoor Education

"MY LOVE FOR OUTDOOR PURSUITS WAS FOSTERED AT STRATHCONA-TWEEDSMUIR SCHOOL WHERE I WENT ON MANY OUTDOOR EDUCATION TRIPS. HAVING GONE TO THE MOUNTAINS TO HIKE AND SKI WHEN I WAS AN EARLY TEEN SHAPED MY LIFE IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT MY LIFE WOULD BE LIKE IF I HADN'T HAD THAT EXPOSURE TO THE OUTDOORS WHEN I WAS YOUNG." - JAMIE CLARKE '86, EXTREME ADVENTURER, EVEREST SUMMITEER, OWNER OF OUT THERE ADVENTURE CENTRE & LIVE OUT THERE WEB BUSINESS

 

If you pass by the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir campus, our commitment to OE is clear. You’ll see enthusiastic Grade 4 student teams navigating with maps to find “treasure” on our forested campus. Groomed tracks are alive with Grade 7s learning to cross-country ski. Pairs of Grade 8s are laughing as they paddle canoes.

Outdoor Education is the signature program at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School. Its roots took shape early in the School's history and are deeply ingrained into the STS fabric. OE is essential to our mission of developing well-rounded students who demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership and character. It challenges students to always do their best. 

TACKLE THE MOST INTERESTING CHALLENGE. THAT PRINCIPLE HAS GUIDED MY CAREER. STS WAS A PROVING GROUND. - MICAH LIBIN '91, LAWYER, BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR, COMMUNITY LEADER, ADVENTURER

Every student takes part in OE on campus.

Trips range in length from part of a day for younger students, to four days in the backcountry. Our staff — who already know the students well — supervise the preparation, go on the adventures, and transfer learning from OE to academics and everyday life. 

The new context gives students and teachers an unexpected way to get to know one another as part of the STS “family.” Alumni speak about a sense of belonging and lifelong friends. We think shared experiences around a common purpose are a big part of that – sometimes through challenging circumstances.

Spending time outdoors as students mature helps them become outdoor enthusiasts for life. They learn to love and nurture the overall wellness that nature brings.