Description

Initiative Outdoor utilizes experiential education models to provide the students with the opportunity to Learn by Experience and try feel, and practice all skills-but most importantly reflect and connect their new skills to happening in their life and community. The benefit of experiential education is students actively participate rather than being told information, because of this students remember and connect to the topics in a lasting and meaningful way. 

Course Objective

To parallel or complement the existing school curriculum, Initiative Outdoor has divided our outdoor adventure programming, environmental education, leadership development, Life improvement, and first aid programs into unique modules that can be combined to create the perfect day courses or multiday excursions that are sure to foster student’s passion for learning.

Learning Goals at I.O. 

The aim of all I.O. courses is to offer participants the opportunity to develop essential skills that will serve their overall development and future success. In the context of the outdoors, participants test their physical abilities, develop technical skills and come to master activities. Moreover, they gain confidence in their own abilities to work with a team to meet defined goals. These abilities require skills of communication, cooperation, sound judgment, self-reliance, and awareness - qualities that are carefully fostered in all I.O.

IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULAR EXPERIENTIAL EXPERIENCES

The addition of experiential education modules to any school curriculum is most effective if scheduled on a monthly to quarterly basis. This regular exposure keeps the student's capacity to integrate their experiences into their learning fresh. It also provides students with an incentive to perform well academically and helps to reduce stress levels.

Leadership skills

Our active and academic approaches to leadership development provide students the opportunity to engage in situations where essential leadership skills are highlighted. Each module can be taught in ½ day session. Perfect for combing with an adventure education module. Trust, Teambuilding, Conflict resolution, Communication, Consensus Building, Goal Setting

LEAVE NO TRACE

Leave No Trace is best taught in the context of the outdoors, where open spaces and natural areas serve as the setting to teach students how to care for nature. Leave No Trace for Every Student sees every moment of a Students time in nature as an opportunity to explore what it means to have fun outside while taking care of it.

Community Visit

There is a village nearby the campsite with different backgrounds of people and lifestyles. Students can explore community, forest density, landforms, identifying plants, water management techniques, culture, and rural lifestyle. Perhaps this activity can be replaced with leadership and personal development activities.

        Environmental Education

• World and local water concerns ½ day -This lesson focuses strictly on world water supply, and water scarcity while providing students the opportunity to learn about their own consumption and habits. The course finishes by providing students with the framework to make positive changes in their lifestyles and communities to reduce the impact they personally have on the water cycle.
• Weather and climate ½ day -During the weather and climate lessons students with interact with global models to see the relationship between geography, weather, and human development. We touch on topics such as landslides, natural weather disasters, and the impact such events have on the modern world, and vice versa.
• Energy Profiles ½ day -During this fun session students learn and play with energy models while learning about the impacts that each energy source has on the natural world.
• Urban Independence (instructor favorite) ½ day -The urban independence course is designed to expose students to urban farming techniques, basic water harvesting, and backyard composting, and create an awareness of the pressure that large urban centers create for surrounding communities.

        Adventure Programming

• Self-support backpacking Minimum 2-day 1-night adventures provide students the opportunity to pitch tents, cook for themselves, and live with minimal comforts. Camping can be added to any of the other modules.
• Rock climbing 1/2 day + -Rock climbing helps students overcome fear while reinforcing concepts of communication and trust.
• Rafting 1-day minimum Rafting provides students with the best opportunity to be out of their comfort zones while emphasizing teamwork.
• Caving ½-multiple day caving excursions Day The various caves in Nepal provide the perfect setting for overcoming fear, learning about geology, Aesthetic lifestyles, and various levels of tourism development.

        First-Aid and Emergency Saftey

• CPR Full day Internationally recognized SOLO (Stoneheart Open Learning Opportunities) curriculum based on the American Heart Association guidelines. Recommended for class 8+
• Basic First Aid and Self-Safety Course-Class 8+ In the day emergency safety module students will learn basic first aid techniques such as injury prevention, body substance isolation, what to do in instances of injury, how to support one another, and how to keep themselves safe during a variety of emergencies common to Nepal. The courses are taught in an age-appropriate manner with younger students learning in a fun setting, while students up to grade 10 will learn life-saving techniques so they can aid their fellow classmates or communities if needed. We recommend Grade 8 days, Grade 9-two days, and Grade 10-3 days to build a solid foundation of student first aiders.