Outdoor Education Topics
- Sustainability education
- Teamwork
- Group dynamics
- Effective communication skills
- Risk management
- Wilderness skills
- Exploration
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The Outdoor Education Pillar at CCS strives to provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn risk management concepts, effective communication skills, group dynamics, and survival skills in an outdoor classroom setting. Courses in these areas are designed to enhance how students collaborate socially and in other areas of academics throughout their daily lives.
Charleston Collegiate School’s Outdoor Education Program serves students of all grade levels and aims to increase awareness of how we impact one another’s lives and the effect we have on our environment. The immediate goals of this program are reconnecting people with their natural surroundings and with one another, while cultivating "soft skills" such as confidence, leadership, communication and collaboration. These goals are accomplished through an experiential and hands-on approach to learning, utilizing elements in our low/high ropes course and nature trails, along with activities involving our observation bee hive. Students acquire knowledge through participation, discussion, questioning, and immersion in the topics being covered.
Charleston Collegiate's Outdoor Education program offers:
- credited outdoor education classes field trips for all grade levels
- Project Learning Tree curriculum classes
- week-long winterim trips
- archery
- guided kayaking tours
- internships for high school students
- a majors program for juniors and seniors
- programs for corporate and non-profit groups
- certification through American Red Cross and American Canoe Association
- summer camps
- opportunities to get First Aid/CPR certified
CCS also has its own mountain campus in upstate South Carolina called Five Springs. At Five Springs, students have built six tent platforms, two fully functioning bathrooms, and the campsite is equipped with plumbing and electricity! Middle and Upper School students take trips to this campus during the year where they experience all elements of the Outdoor Education Program.
DIVISIONAL OUTDOOR EDUCATION
LOWER SCHOOL
Cooperative learning and leadership skills are promoted through our outdoor education classes, as well as general outdoor safety and skills. Lower School students participate in Outdoor Education at all grade levels several times per week.
Cooperative learning and leadership skills are promoted through our outdoor education classes, as well as general outdoor safety and skills. Lower School students participate in Outdoor Education at all grade levels several times per week.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Every student in Middle School will participate in OEC for an entire quarter. This is a unique curriculum designed for each grade. Through the use of our challenge course, kayaking program, and group games and initiatives, students will learn the importance of team building and problem solving while increasing their knowledge of our local environment. At the start of this program, each middle school student will be taught how to be safe in our environment.
Every student in Middle School will participate in OEC for an entire quarter. This is a unique curriculum designed for each grade. Through the use of our challenge course, kayaking program, and group games and initiatives, students will learn the importance of team building and problem solving while increasing their knowledge of our local environment. At the start of this program, each middle school student will be taught how to be safe in our environment.
UPPER SCHOOL
In ninth grade, students enter into Leadership and have the opportunity to increase their understanding and effectiveness in areas that are critical to effective leaders. With communication, students study the impacts of speaking and listening in group settings. They study different leadership styles and study effective motivational and involvement techniques. Goal setting is explored as is positive reinforcement and honest communication. Throughout the course, students are building the foundations for becoming leaders for life.
In tenth grade, students enter into the outdoor portion of the course with a focus on Ecology. This course aims to increase awareness of how we impact one another’s lives and the impact we have on our environment. The immediate goal is to reconnect students with their natural surroundings and with their fellow man. Subject material will run the gamut of biodiversity, sustainability, teamwork, group dynamics, effective communication skills, and risk management. Students in this course have the opportunity to be leaders in the school and facilitate outdoor education opportunities for younger students.
In eleventh grade, students take a Wilderness Survival course. This course focuses heavily on self-reliance with skill-building in orienteering, fire building, effective ways to purify water, shelter building, and trapping.
Eleventh and twelfth grades are given the opportunity to select Outdoor Education as their major. Students in this major will be exposed to many aspects of the Outdoor Education profession. Students in the Outdoor Education major will assist in teaching classes, creating curriculum, planning trips, and learn to set and maintain budgets for projects.
This year's Outdoor Education majors students are researching, planning, budgeting, and creating a curriculum for a new and innovative low ropes element for our school's challenge course.
In ninth grade, students enter into Leadership and have the opportunity to increase their understanding and effectiveness in areas that are critical to effective leaders. With communication, students study the impacts of speaking and listening in group settings. They study different leadership styles and study effective motivational and involvement techniques. Goal setting is explored as is positive reinforcement and honest communication. Throughout the course, students are building the foundations for becoming leaders for life.
In tenth grade, students enter into the outdoor portion of the course with a focus on Ecology. This course aims to increase awareness of how we impact one another’s lives and the impact we have on our environment. The immediate goal is to reconnect students with their natural surroundings and with their fellow man. Subject material will run the gamut of biodiversity, sustainability, teamwork, group dynamics, effective communication skills, and risk management. Students in this course have the opportunity to be leaders in the school and facilitate outdoor education opportunities for younger students.
In eleventh grade, students take a Wilderness Survival course. This course focuses heavily on self-reliance with skill-building in orienteering, fire building, effective ways to purify water, shelter building, and trapping.
Eleventh and twelfth grades are given the opportunity to select Outdoor Education as their major. Students in this major will be exposed to many aspects of the Outdoor Education profession. Students in the Outdoor Education major will assist in teaching classes, creating curriculum, planning trips, and learn to set and maintain budgets for projects.
This year's Outdoor Education majors students are researching, planning, budgeting, and creating a curriculum for a new and innovative low ropes element for our school's challenge course.
