The TREK Program
For 20 years, this alternative Grade 10 program has offered students wilderness adventures combined with education for sustainability
by Antony Blaikie I
T IS EARLY SEPTEMBER and 12 TREK students have just reached the summit of Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Provincial Park in southwest British Colum-
bia. At an elevation of 7,000 feet, this summit is physically and mentally the high point of their seven-day backpacking trip. As they gaze out over the impressive landscape, one of their teachers describes what they see before them: glaci- ated peaks, dormant volcanoes, ancient lava flows and old growth forest. It is a lesson in natural history and apprecia- tion. Before leaving the summit they will have time to write in their journals and participate in a group trust activity. During the same trip, the students will practice yoga on the beach, swim in chilly waters, watch black bears graze on autumn berries, play “sardines” at nightfall and wake up to fresh snow on the ground. They will be responsible for navi- gating during the day, setting up their own tents and cook- ing their meals in small groups. This is one of four multi- day wilderness trips in which the students will participate during their TREK year, and it is a formative experience for them. They return home with stories and pictures to share
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with their families and friends, and memories to last them for years to come. The TREK Outdoor Education Program was started
in Vancouver in 1987 to provide Grade 10 students with opportunities to develop outdoor skills as well as to address environmental issues and personal development. This year- long alternative program is hosted at the Prince of Wales Secondary School, but offered to students from any school in the Vancouver School Board. TREK’s mission is four- fold: enriched education, wilderness adventures, character development and education for sustainability. It was founded on the belief that outdoor adventure and experiential educa- tion, combined with academic work and a bioregional over- view, will allow students to develop their skills, confidence and leadership, connect them to the landscape they live in, and educate them about what they can do to move towards living sustainably. Students leave having not only completed their Grade 10 requirements, but having learned new skills that they can put into practice immediately, and grown and developed into more socially conscious individuals. There are numerous difficulties operating any alterna- tive program within the public education system, the most
GREEN TEACHER 83
Photographs: TREK Program
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