Having been running Zebra Moon for three years now, I have seen many School camps come through and have spoken to many teachers and parents.

I have come to realise that a School camp is not just an excuse to get out of the classroom for a holiday, but that it is potentially a very powerful tool for creating changed behaviour, and for learning many valuable lessons. I have seen huge behaviour change in a class after a two night camp. We are privileged to have the Somerset College Trek spend a night in the grounds of Zebra Moon every year and the Trek represents the highest committment to outdoor experiential education in the Western Cape, with the whole Grade 9 setting off in groups of about 24 for a 27  day trek that covers 360 kms by foot, mountain bike and canoe. The tremendous positive results achieved by the Trek are being taken note of by other Schools, with several implementing similar ( mostly shorter) programmes.

While a 27 day experience is the envy of many, a carefully planned two day camp can achieve much. Why does a School camp have such potential, and what are the necessary ingredients to maximise this potential?

My personal observations:

It is useful if the camp takes place in a new and unfamiliar environment.

There should be new and unusual experiences that take children out of their comfort zone.

There should be an element of physical challenge that needs some perseverance and a little bit of pain to achieve.

While children are taken out of their comfort zone, this should be done in a well supervised and supportive environment.

Team activities have great potential for building team cohesion.

Reflection and thinking about activities and the camp as a whole are important, and need to be done while the activity is very fresh on children’s minds.

There should be lots of fun.

Self awareness exercises in a natural environment are recommended.

Even a short night hike or night activity is great fun and builds confidence.

No electronic gadgets ( cell phones, ipods etc)

Good facilitators who who want the best experience possible for the children.

 

Most children are now day scholars so a camp has two important facets that are present and need no special attention to achieve: 1) children are away from home, parents and siblings ( sometimes for the first time) and this is on it’s own a great learning opportunity.

2) Children are together with their class mates for an extended period of time and learn a lot about each other outside of the normal classsroom environment. There is a chance for old friendships to deepen and for new friendships to form as children see different parts of each others characters. The children are also all in new territory away from family and friends and the group suddenly becomes far more cohesive as they face these new challenges together.

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