Grade 9 Rafting Expedition

Grade 9 Rafting Expedition

Developed together with our outdoor education partner Canyons, the Grade 9 rafting expedition extends the students’ skills and knowledge of outdoor expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Smart risk taking requires effective collaboration when living and learning in communities. The Shinano River in Niigata is used to challenge the students as they raft in small groups on a multi-day overnight camping and rafting expedition. Students undergo preparatory skills training and planning exercises before the raft journey. On the journey itself, students camp out each night, cook for themselves, and develop their route planning and smart risk analysis. Regular checks for weather and river levels are conducted by the expert raft guides at Canyons and the program is adapted if necessary. The Shinano River has flat sections at this time of year, along with grade 1 and 2 rapids making for an exciting and challenging group exercise. After the expedition, reflection activities allow students to solidify their learning of key concepts and transfer these to school and family life.

Note: The cost of this expedition is covered in the school tuition.