Boojum | Programs | Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education

Boojum Outdoor Education Programs

Boojum's outdoor education courses are offered for groups of 4th through 12th grade students from schools and other groups. Courses are designed to integrate with school study units in science, physical education, health, or ecology. Program goals include providing environmental education, outdoor skills development and personal growth for all program participants. With these core goals in mind, Boojum's staff team works closely with school staff to determine specific goals for the program and to create a course that complements the school's mission, academic curriculum and goals for the student's development. Boojum client schools can expect regular visits by Boojum staff to the school; extensive program planning materials; pre-trip orientations for students, parents and faculty chaperones, and collaborative post-trip evaluation and assessment..

Environmental investigation and natural history interpretation are incorporated into programs and may be treated as field work for classroom science courses. Journal writing, group discussions and field study guides are used as tools for integrating environmental education into experiential learning courses. Using a "challenge by choice" framework, each student participates in the learning, safety and well being of the entire group. Programs may be designed to be residential (camps or lodges), base camp (tents) or backcountry (moving camp most days) experiences.

"Thank you for the wonderful experience that The Boojum Institute provided to the L.A.C.C. Upward Bound Program this summer. The high ropes challenge course and camping experience set the stage for many successes throughout our summer program. There were so many points of reference to the challenges that they undertook on your course. The ropes course, teambuilding and leadership activities gave them many of the skills that they needed to undertake the academic challenges that we presented them with during their college preparedness program."

Michael Lopez
Director
LACC Upward Bound

Sample Itinerary (five-day Joshua Tree basecamp program):

Day One

Participants are welcomed by Boojum staff upon arrival at the basecamp site. The group receives an orientation that includes a safety briefing, introduction to the environment, expectations of conduct, a schedule overview, staff introductions, and brief ice-breaker games. Participants set up camp and settle into their accommodations. Students are then divided into learning teams, begin to bond as a small group through games and initiatives, and establish learning goals for the course. Guided explorations of the local landscape and ecosystems, complemented by additional teamwork exercises and outdoor lessons, fill the daylight hours. The day ends with an evening program.

Days Two through Four

Groups go on structured day-hikes from the basecamp to local destinations. Destinations may include the dark crawl-spaces of talus caves, scenic desert vistas, or rock-climbing sites. Groups may have all-day outdoor excursions, or return to the central camp area at lunch-time. Rock climbing, scrambling and bouldering may be favorites. A certain amount of free time is offered. An evening program rounds out each day.

Day Five

Day five brings camp cleanup, final short hikes or team games, and a review of the program's significant learning moments. A favorite activity is the "Boojum relay," a fun review game where participants go over the course's environmental and social lessons while completing an obstacle course. The last moments of the program are spent in small groups bringing closure to the experience.