Encounters with wild animals such as bears are always possible when recreating in wilderness areas. Explore takes a preventative approach. We brief the students on strategies that prevent or mitigate any encounter such as making noise and travelling as a group so as to not surprise an animal (groups of adolescents are exceptional at making noise). Also, whenever camping, we are very serious about not having any attractants such as food, deodorants, toothpaste or other items with a scent anywhere near the tents. We store these items either in a dedicated bear cache or if available, an alternative animal proof area. We also carry both bear bangers and bear spray as a further protective measure when traveling in bear country.

For a number of reasons. Explore is an opportunity for students to step away from routine life including screens and technology and allow for a chance to appreciate the natural world around them. Explore trips help in building community and we want to emphasize and practice positive face to face interactions. Additionally, there is little to no reception at some of our trip locations so usually cellphones are unreliable and bringing them is more of a liability since it is easy for them to get wet or damaged while camping.

For Grade 7, Grade 8 and Grade 9 Explore there are no additional costs as it is included in tuition. The one exception to this is the Grade 9 Spring Explore trip in which students have a choice of going on a hiking expedition with no additional charge or going sea kayaking which does come with an additional charge to cover the cost of equipment rentals and extra guides. Both Leadership 11 expeditions have additional charges to cover the specific activities, food, transportation etc.

No. It may help but it is not necessary. What is helpful is having a positive attitude and a willingness to try new things. 

All Explore instructors review student’s IEPs and SLPs and teach in ways that help accommodate each student. Often students will be given ample time to complete journal reflection and information will be given in a chunked format.

If your child is away while the Explore program trip weeks are happening they will be exempt from participation; hopefully the exchange school has some outdoor program that they can be a part of when attending their exchange. If you have an exchange student with your family when the Explore program is taking place,  they will be able to partake in Explore as long as their parents have completed the Informed Consent form. 

Yes, you will receive a %, letter grade and Work Habits mark upon completion. Explore follows a unique curriculum that draws from a range of subject areas particularly Physical and Health education, Career education, and English Language Arts. Teachers and students review each trip specific rubric together at the beginning of each Explore trip so that students are aware of how they are being assessed. 

Collingwood School sees the inherent values an outdoor program can give to the students. Explore has been established at Collingwood School almost since the school’s inception, and thus shows how Explore is a valued program by the school. The Explore program promotes self-discovery, interactive social skills, as well as a more holistic understanding of the natural world through experiential, adventure, and environmental education. While the outdoor activities are designed to challenge our students mentally and physically — for many students — the Explore trips are an experience of a lifetime. 

Believe it or not, no outdoor experience is necessary. We find the most important skills for students to have before their Explore trip are in the kitchen. Basic cooking skills like boiling water, the ability to independently cook simple meals, clean dishes by hand are really important. We also have several instructional videos that are valuable to watch as they provide insights into specific skills that we emphasize as well as insights into what sort of expectations we have on trip.

Participation in Explore is an expectation of all Collingwood students in Grades 7, 8 and 9 unless medically excused or by special permission from the Senior Leadership or Head of School. In fact, at the Grade 9 level, students must successfully complete Grade 9 Explore in order to graduate with the Collingwood School Graduation Certificate rather than the BC Dogwood Diploma. If students cannot attend often due to injury or illness, we require a note from their doctor or appropriate health practitioner. In these instances, students are required to complete a mandatory make-up assignment to cover the curriculum missed while on trip. 

Usually there are 3 or 4 students in a tent and occasionally there can be 2 students in a tent. The tents are sized accordingly. 

For land based trips, either a maximum of 13 students with two instructors or a maximum of 18 students with three instructors. The nature and location of the trip will determine the number of students on a trip. 

There are different ratios for day trips, overnight trips and different activities. For more challenging activities we have smaller ratios or bring additional staff members. Collingwood School abides by their United Front Best Practices document to ensure we meet industry standards. 

A lot of factors are considered when making the groups. We consult Heads of House when making groups to get feedback on who would work well together as well as to ensure support is in place for students that need this. Often previous Explore skills and experience, along with character are factors. Finally, while there are certainly many occasions when students end up together with a close friend, our experience tells us that most students perform better when separated from their closest social circles. We consider the skill of working with new people to be one of the most important skills that we can facilitate.

We recognize that most students lead busy lives. Understanding this, we actively seek feedback from parents on their child’s school and outside school commitments and on what week each student is able to attend, so that we can plan accordingly. We also seek input from Collingwood coaches and teachers in order to minimize potential conflicts. For our logistics and safety parameters including instructor-to-student ratios, please do not request to switch weeks unless it is absolutely critical as it has a ripple effect on other program weeks. 

Collingwood School is committed to establishing a safe, inclusive, equitable and welcoming learning and working environment for all members of the School community, including all students and staff who identify as (or are perceived as) lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, Two-Spirit intersex, queer, and those who are questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (LGBTTQ+).The Explore Program acknowledges that aspects of our logistical make up inherently emphasize gender binaries (such as gendered tent groups or cabin groups), but we pledge to accommodate people on a case-by-case basis. In order to maximize inclusiveness, cases will be reviewed and resolved in a manner that involves the student and their parent/ guardian in the decision-making process.

Prior to each program, information is sent to parents within the online consent form. Parents can provide any date specifications for their child there. A reminder closer to the publishing of week groups to the students is also emailed to the parents as a final opportunity to submit any date requests. As it is challenging to make changes after the weeks are set, we ask parents to submit these dates for conflicting activities  prior to this. It is a school expectation that all students participate in Explore which is why we do our best to be flexible with scheduling students.

This won’t be the first time we have been asked this. We are fortunate enough to be offering some amazing trips to some amazing locations. Unfortunately, we do not run any trips for parents. Often parents live vicariously through their child's experience! If you are keen on a trip please ask us for more information.

They are able to go because while on the water every student must always have a properly sized Coast Guard approved Personal Floatation Device worn at all times. These are provided by the company we use for kayaking. The perceived likelihood of them having to swim while kayaking may seem high but if they are using the proper technique the actual likelihood of them needing to swim is low. If they are worried about being on the water for the Gr. 9 Spring trip students can choose the Hiking trip instead.

No. Most students don’t know how to cross-country ski (classic or skate) which is great as all the students learn this new sport together. Instruction is given throughout the trip. 

On most trips showers aren’t an option. On the Gr. 7 trip they may have the option of showering and would need to bring their own soap and shampoo. On the Gr. 8 winter trip occasionally the students are allowed showers depending on the timing of the schedule and the soap and shampoo is provided. All other trips students maintain essential hygiene of washing hands with Explore hand washing systems. Please refer to the packing list to see the required items you need for your specific Explore trip.  

Avalanches are an important winter hazard to learn about but they only happen within specific terrain characteristics. While we like to teach students about this, we avoid actual avalanche terrain with our groups. 

We often stop for a meal on the return travel day of our trips; the meals at the locations we stop at usually don’t cost more than $15. We don’t encourage students to bring lots of money in case it is lost.

Please contact the Explore department specifically about your child's medications - explore@collingwood.org. Generally, teachers like to keep any medications in their first aid kit to ensure students' medications are kept safe and dry and we are able to monitor the administering of the medications. In addition, it is best to bring the medications in a ziplock bag with the students name, dosage instructions and expiry date. Having a spare set of meds is good in case some get wet or damaged. Some medications require the student to have them on them such as Epinephrine and Asthma meds. In this case, we have a conversation with the student ensuring they know the importance of the meds and determine if the student is capable of carrying their own meds.

This depends on the trip. Sometimes we will bring our own potable water from school. For other trips, we obtain all the water we need from rivers, lakes and streams but if we are doing this, we always treat it through either boiling, filtering, or using purifying chemicals. This is an important lesson for our students to be aware of. 

Yes, generally. We keep a close eye on the weather and have contingency plans for all our trips. We do believe in going despite the weather, and taking the opportunity to be positive despite a challenge. However if the conditions are too challenging then we often will adapt the program to ensure a suitable challenge for the students. We have a rigorous gear check before each trip ensuring students are prepared with the right clothing and equipment to keep them comfortable outside. 

This depends on the location. Often the trips and locations we go to don’t allow fires due to fire bans. Often on the Gr. 7 Strathcona Park Lodge trip we can have fires. During the Gr 8 winter trips we often have fires, as a celebration after dinner. On the Gr. 9 Spring Hiking trip we are often allowed fires. Where we are allowed to have fires we try to have fires as a great community builder on the trips.

The Explore Program is designed so all students can complete it. It is designed to be a somewhat physically demanding experience, however anyone who enjoys moderate exercise will find the activities well within their physical ability.

Before the trip an information package will be sent so students and parents alike are able to learn more about the trip. Before the trip students are given 2 -3 student information sessions about the trip. There is a preparation day before the trip to ensure the students are ready for the trip. There are many topics covered however some of the main points that are focused on are: gear check, group development and menu planning. The students Advisor teacher and Heads of House are great resources who will also know the program and can help your child. Throughout the trip the instructors are always there as a resource and are the mainstay resource that can help your child. 

In most cases, yes. Any student pursuing the Duke of Edinburgh Award should let us know at the outset of Explore and we will support them by signing off on the appropriate areas.  As per our belief in developing self-advocacy in students, it will be up to the student to move this process forward and see it through to completion. 

While we do have ones we can loan, you may want to consider buying your own. If you do purchase your own, ensure that you buy a Mummy bag with a hood that is rated to -12C as this will be suitable for all Explore trips. When buying a sleeping bag, pay attention to the different insulation materials. Down is a much lighter and compressible material but is more expensive. Additionally, down needs to be kept dry to keep its insulative properties, which is something we teach the students how to do. Synthetic bags are much cheaper and just as warm as down bags but not as compressible! MEC is a good place to shop and get good advice on a sleeping bag.

Generally, yes if parents allow it. Knives and lighters are important tools for people heading outdoors and are therefore, important to learn about. For the Grade 7 trip, we don’t want students to bring their own knives or lighters however, there will be an opportunity to learn how to use these items appropriately on the trip. From Grade 8 onwards, our approach is again that if parents approve their child bringing a knife or lighter, we are fine with that as long as students demonstrate appropriate use. Students should only be using them when supervised by an instructor. Also, for knives, we ask that students bring a small locking and folding pocket knife. 

There is a specific equipment list for each trip. These lists are posted on Google Classroom and can be found on the Collingwood website under Explore. Students are expected to bring everything on the list and nothing else to ensure everyone is prepared and bags aren’t too heavy.

Don’t feel like the equipment list is a shopping list. Explore has an ample amount of gear to lend out to students. Let us know ahead of time which items you are looking for to confirm we have it and so we can size the students and reserve the items. Often friends and family also have the gear and borrowing from them is another option. Sometimes people want to rent and some gear is available to rent from stores like Mountain Equipment Coop. Another option is to buy it. There are many stores available to buy quality outdoor equipment in Vancouver. We usually recommend MEC because we trust the advice you’ll get there, but there are other good quality outdoor stores out there with quality equipment.

No, we want the students to be comfortable and the temperature conditions we are in for the winter trips are colder than what the hiking boots are designed for. Also we are often in deep snow and hiking boots often don’t go high enough up the leg to keep the snow out. We recommend snow boots that have removable liners so they can dry easier for all our winter trips.

Cotton is a hydrophilic fabric which is a fancy way of saying that it absorbs and holds moisture, which will cause the person wearing it to get very cold quickly through conductive cooling. This can be a safety issue in the outdoors when trying to stay warm. Clothing like fleece, wool, and polyester wick moisture away from the skin and don’t absorb the moisture which allows them to keep their heat retention properties. It is best to check the tags when packing to ensure there is no cotton in the clothing. For some trips we do allow “car cotton” or “cabin cotton.” Car cotton means they are allowed to bring a little bit of cotton clothing for their travel day while in the bus and cabin cotton means they are allowed to ONLY wear their cotton when in the cabin. These types of trips would include: Gr. 7, Gr. 8 winter, and Gr. 9 spring. Both Leadership 11 trips are allowed some cotton as well with similar caveats.

During Explore trips we do cross-country skiing which is different from downhill skiing and uses different equipment. Most people now have downhill skis and they can’t be used on cross-country ski trails. Unless students have cross-country specific skis we don’t allow students to bring their skis. If they do have skis they are required to bring them to the gear check to ensure they are in safe working order. Explore rents all the ski equipment for the students.

While on Explore excursions, the number one strategy we use is prevention. Our decision making always factors in our distance to medical aid and our leaders are mindful of what activities we undertake and where. Statistically, the activities that we facilitate such as hiking, sea kayaking, canoeing, camping and cross country skiing have a very low participant accident rate. Explore faculty and staff are well trained in Wilderness First Aid and in addition, undergo seasonal training sessions to rehearse our procedures in the event of an emergency. We always carry emergency communication appropriate to the area we are in and usually a combination of the following: (cell phone, Satellite phone, VHF Radio, InReach messaging device, hand held radio). There is always an Explore office person at school and on call for all hours as a support to the programs that are out. If there is an emergency the Explore office person is notified and will notify the parents, this person is also able to respond into the field for additional support. In turn if as a family you need to get an urgent message to your child please contact the Explore office person through the school and they will get the message to the group leaders and the student.

Only in an emergency. Explore carries two forms of communication for every trip to keep in contact with the school. Should you need to contact each other all communication goes through the school.

For Grade 8 and 9 Explore, food is not provided. Students are assigned cooking groups of 2-4 students. With some instruction at the outset, it is an opportunity for the students to show independence by planning and cooking their own food, under the watchful eyes of the instructors. For the Gr. 7 and the Leadership 11 trips the students help with cooking but are not required to plan and pack their own food.

Our expectation is that students working in a food group together will find out each other’s dietary preferences and allergies at the outset of their menu planning process and work within those parameters for the duration of the trip. For example, if one group member is unable to eat gluten, the rest of the group should be able to work around this by having dinners and breakfasts that are gluten free or slightly adapted to meet everyone’s needs. Similarly, meals can be made vegetarian and meat eaters can easily prepare their meat on the side and add it in once everyone is served. Ultimately, we strongly encourage cooperation and collaboration as it is an important part of the learning experience as for this reason it is required that food groups work together to plan, prepare and cook their meals as opposed to students bringing their own individual meals. 

This depends on the number of eligible applications we receive. Roughly around 18-25 students. Students need to show a successful Explore record via any previous trips, along with the endorsement of their Head of House ensuring that they feel confident that the student will be able to attend to all aspects of the course along with their other chosen courses.

These are outside the regular classes timetable which allows students who are taking a full course load to also take Leadership 11 without conflicting with their schedule. Usually they are after school from 3:20 - 5:00pm once a month. There are also lunch time classes that occur every two weeks.

It is great to see students so interested in the expeditions! This will depend on the number of students enrolled on the course and the spots available on the trips. It may be possible but often we need to stick to our instructor ratios and sometimes with one extra person we would need another instructor which would increase the cost of the trip to be outside the budget.