Our school based adventure programs are designed for 3rd through 12th grade students to provide a nature experience with a developmentally appropriate challenge while augmenting the classroom curriculum. Whether it is overnight in a cabin, tent camping experience, or a week-long backpacking adventure, we can custom build a program to meet your goals and give your students a once in a lifetime experience.
How Wild Is Your School?
“How Wild is Your School?” is a fun, energetic, thought provoking way to teach your students about the world around them. Camptown staff will come to your school and working with your class will bring outdoor education to the everyday through a hands on learning experience that not only teaches students about nature, but helps to develop a love for the environment.
Program Description:
- 45 minute to 1 hour programs done outside at your school
- Activity based, hands on learning for 15-20 students at one time
- Curriculum applicable to 3rd-8th grades
- Multiple classes can receive instruction in one day
- Topics align with Indiana Academic Standards
- Current topics include Animals and Their Habitats, Earth Keepers, Orienteering/Map Skills, and Teambuilding.
Animals and Their Habitats
Allow students to develop concepts of animals and their habitats and the interrelation between the two. What is a habitat? Who lives there? Where are habitats around our school? These are topics we will discuss as you and your students work through these hands on activities. Students will have the chance to get in the “animal mindset” and discover what animals truly need to survive. Also fits in well as your students discuss food webs and food chains. Do your students already know all about animals and their habitats? These activities will help reinforce these concepts and put them in ways in which the students can see hands-on the concepts they have learned.
Earth Keepers
Show students the role they play in taking care of the environment through fun, hands on activities
Together we will explore how humans impact the environment around us. What happens when an animal’s world gets flipped upside down? How long does it take a plastic bag to decompose? What happens when man encroaches to much on natural settings? All these topics and more will be discussed. If you are close to a river or a body of water we can even explore what clean water looks like through the
Map Skills and Orienteering
Allow students to develop a better understanding of maps and compasses as well as how to use them.
Does that arrow in a compass really always point north? Ever wondered how to use a compass to get around? Then this is the program for you. Together we will explore different map styles including topographic and road maps. We may even have time to make our own maps at the very end. Once we have explored a few maps we will spend time learning how to us a compass. From vocabulary, to everyday use to tricks of the trade, Camptown’s trained wilderness guides will help you and your students use this old navigator’s tool.
Teambuilding
Provide opportunities for students to examine what teamwork, examine different roles in a group, and put into practice what it means to work together. This fun-filled challenging time of individual and group problem solving will allow your students unique opportunities to see what it means to truly work as a team. Whether it is “crossing the peanut butter river” or getting through the “buzz saw” students will be challenged to work together and solve the problems in front of them. Undoubtedly your group will leave more in tune with each other and ready for what is ahead of them. Also a great chance for students to build individual confidence as they each are allowed to add a unique prospective to the problems. Great for a class just starting the year together or really group that wants to learn to work together and treat each other more respectfully.
Eco Camp
Eco Camp is a one day science immersion at a local park. Students will learn about water, woods, animal ecosystems, and how humans influence that ecosystem. Designed for 5th– 6th graders, your students will rotate between stations, do activity based learning, and get up close and personal with nature.
Overnight Camp
Our school based overnight camp is designed for 4th to 6th grade students. Students will stay at a State Park in cabins. During the day students will participate in activities that include hiking, an animal nature program, teambuilding games, and crafts. Camptown can also customize activities to meet your teaching curriculum and give your students a once in a lifetime experience.
Trailblazers
Trailblazer programs are for high school students with cognitive and developmental disabilities. This program challenges these students to apply classroom, life skill concepts in a real world experience. Our Trailblazers adventures reinforce life skills such as independence, menu prep, cooking, cleaning, teamwork, and respecting nature. Teachers are often amazed at the potential that their students demonstrate!
Graduating Seniors
Whether your life goals are taking you directly into the work force, college, trade school or onto the mission field, you need to be prepared for the unexpected challenges that lie ahead of you. This seven-day program will help graduates learn to plan, prepare, prioritize and deal with the unexpected challenges that life can throw their way. Similar to the Wilderness High Adventure program, students will be involved in all phases of the planning and preparation of their adventure. With guidance from trained Wilderness guides they will lead plan and lead their trip. All equipment and transportation is included. Students need to provide their own food and personal clothing.
Teacher Testimonials
“Camptown was a great experience for my 7th Grade Life Science students! The program “How Wild is Your School?” was an opportunity to build and reinforce concepts related to the needs of living things, ecosystems, and food chains. The approach was hands-on with games and activities to involve all students. The materials were simple but adequate and easy to work with; the objectives were met in ways to “stick” with the students. I was amazed at how well the program correlated with our curriculum, providing connection with prior knowledge and yet giving “launch points” for new discussions. The Camptown staff were a delight to work with and they developed a great rapport with the students. The “jewels” for the program were connecting today’s youth with the outdoors and promoting stewardship of God’s created world. ”
– Terry Heffelfinger, Heritage Christian
“Camptown’s “How Wild is Your School?” program was fantastic. Brent, Don, and Scott were great with the students and were well prepared w/equipment and supplies. Students learned how to survive as different animals and how they can help animals survive. The activities not only taught the students about the habitats in their community but it also taught teamwork! There was a good variety of individual activity, small group, and whole group activities that allowed the students to have a good change of pace during the hour. Teachers, come prepared to enjoy the activities just as much as the students! We are really looking forward to working with Camptown in the future!”
– Michelle Trout, Christel House Academy
