Left: Field trip to the intertidal zone. Right: The TREK classroom is the program’s hub and the Trekkies’ hangout.
common being lack of funding and program continuity, low student enrolment and high teacher turnover. The TREK Outdoor Education Program serves as an amazing example of a self-sustaining, rewarding program that has met these challenges and proven its value over its two-decade history.
The application process
The TREK experience starts midway through the Grade 9 year, when students submit an application along with two letters of reference and their Grade 8 and 9 report cards. Due to the strenuous academic workload of the program, students must have a C+ average. However, acceptance into the program is based on more than academic record. All applicants must also participate in an interview process in which TREK teachers assess their performance in a small- group initiative and a 2.4-kilometre run. Of the roughly 200 applicants from schools across Vancouver, 108 are selected for the following year’s program. For their Grade 10 year in TREK they become students of Prince of Wales Secondary School, and they return to their home schools for Grade 11. The TREK school year is divided into an “on-TREK”
semester and an “off-TREK” semester, with half of the group on and half off in each term. During their five-month TREK term, students are involved in a combination of outdoor activities, field studies and academic classroom activities which fulfill half of their English, Social Studies, Physical Education and Planning requirements. They are led by four full-time TREK staff (Scott Morgan, Teresa Row- ley, Colin Cheng and Robyn Rankin), all certified teachers who possess not only years of classroom experience but an extensive background in outdoor education and outdoor skills. During their off-TREK term, students are engaged in an intensive academic curriculum taught by other teachers in the school. At the end of the year, all TREK students have met the requirements for the completion of Grade 10 (credit in English, Social Studies, Math, Science, Physical Educa- tion, Planning, Outdoor Education and a second language).
The TREK experience
From the moment Trekkies begin their TREK term, they realize this will be a different high school year. Over the course of the term, students will spend roughly 45 percent of their time in the field and 55 percent of their days in the classroom. The TREK classroom in the school becomes the geographical center of their experience and the base from which students venture off on backcountry adventures and field days. It is here that they have classes, store their equip- ment and gear, watch videos, eat lunch, learn to juggle, and in general hang out. Off-TREK students, TREK alumni and prospective TREK students are often spotted in the TREK classroom during lunch hours, reinforcing the strong com- munity bond that exists within the program. By all accounts, the backcountry trips are the most
memorable of the TREK activities. Generally, students participate in four trips ranging in duration from three to
The TREK Tally
By the end of their Grade 10 school year, TREK students are able to add the following to their life list:
Outdoor skills: rock climbing, sea kayaking, backpacking, bike touring, telemark skiing, Nordic skiing, backcountry cooking, canoeing, orienteering, navigation, map reading
Personal development: fundraising, volunteering, leader- ship skills, assertiveness training, self-assessment, public speaking, first aid, sex education, nutritional planning
Enriched education and sustainability: product life- cycle analysis, ecological footprint analysis, bioregional mapping, watershed tours, landfill and farm visits, plant identification, bog walking, argumentative essay writing, sustainability newsletters, green design tour
GREEN TEACHER 83 Page 21
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