The great outdoors double as a classroom for Don Ross Secondary students, but learning from the cockpit of a sea kayak can be a lot more costly than a day at a desk. To ensure no student is priced out of the school's Outdoor Education program, staff and students are hosting an annual fundraiser at the Eagle Eye Theatre that will include a movie screening and silent auction.
On Feb. 15, the community is invited to see The Early Days of the Diamond Head Chalet and Journeys on the Wild Side, a multimedia presentation by artic explorer and photographer John Dunn.The fifth annual Winter Gala and Silent Auction will also act as an adventure fair where local businesses with outdoorsy offerings can set up displays for no charge at the school.
The money raised will help bring the cost of the program from $1,000 to $500 per student. Program instructor Henry Verbeek said roughing it in the wilderness brings out the best in his Grade 10 students. "It's an incredible opportunity because the outdoor opportunities are both kind of inspiring in a way and at the same time it can put some stress on them," he said. "They learn to work in a group. They learn leadership skills."
The intense program puts 26 students into the care of two teachers for half of a school year. Verbeek and Jennifer Wild use the time to teach a few academics and plenty of leadership and survival skills.The students study avalanche awareness and brave the cold during two winter overnight camping trips. They continue the round-the-clock learning on a five-day hike on the Juan de Fuca Trail on the south side on Vancouver Island. Another five-day trip takes the students on the water for a sea kayaking adventure.
Those excursions are coupled with six local hikes and three mountain biking days - with loads of indoor climbing to keep the their hearts racing.
It is an opportunity that relies on community support to stay alive. Each year, the school must raise $13,000 to $15,000 to keep costs down for students. Funds brought in from this event will be put toward transportation costs and additional guides needed during outings. A Burgers and Beer night in the fall is the only other fundraiser the schools holds for the program.Even with the sign-up cost chopped in half, Verbeek acknowledges that $500 is still a steep figure for some local families. A bursary from the Squamish Community Foundation is available each year to help bring the costs down further.
Verbeek encourages students to look into bursary, since the money has sometimes been left unclaimed in the past.The fifth annual Winter Gala and Silent Auction takes places on Feb. 5 at the Eagle Eye Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
