Outdoor and Environmental Education Camp

When you take the relatively short drive to Pine Valley from any of the surrounding metropolitan areas, you encounter several significant landscape changes.  The near 4,000 ft elevation gain takes you above the marine layer into clear skies that give great views of the Laguna Mountains and unparalleled views of the cool night sky.  Pine Valley is nestled in 460,000 acres of Cleveland national forest and has less than 0.1% of the population found in San Diego.

It is in this context that Pine Valley is hosting its Outdoor and Environmental Education Camp.  As we daily see the beauty of creation, enjoy the miles of hiking trails accessible from camp, and observe the rich diversity in this unique ecosystem, we have developed a three and four day Outdoor Education camp program that fully engages students in this environment.  At camp our students will be learning while getting dirty and having fun.  From testing the pH of various soil types,  using worms to compost, learning about animal classifications with live animal encounters, understanding geology through a rock testing lab, understanding sustainability and environmental impact using traditional Native American methods for living off the land, and learning the scientific method, we will be engaging students in ways that will make learning memorable and fun.  Our goal is to teach students to think critically and engage in learning about the amazing things that are happening in the natural world around them. In each experience we’ll be using the phrases- “I notice… I wonder… it reminds me of…”  to reinforce the scientific process and to reinforce the myriad of connections in the world around them.

During your Outdoor Education camp our trained leaders will facilitate each activity of the day and will partner with your teachers/ group leaders to provide the best learning experience possible.  Each school will be responsible for providing dorm and group leaders who will supervise the dorm at night, travel with groups from location to location, and assist the instructors during class time. Group leaders will receive a detailed schedule and information packet giving them a heads up for teacher break times, class activities and games, and dorm time follow up ideas. Please refer to our sample schedule.

Class Options:

• pHantastic Outdoor Chemistry
• Becoming a Budding Botanist
• Electronics
• Practical Engineering
• Out of Control Entomology
• No Complaining Just Sustaining
• Super Science Assemblies
• Rock Solid Geology
• Meteorology and Temperature

Leadership, Recreation, and Teambuilding Classes:

• Teambuilding Basic
• Teambuilding 1
• Archery
• High Ropes
• Night Hike
• Hay Rides

Certifications, Standards, and Content:

Our goal is to teach students to think critically and engage in learning about the amazing things that are happening in the natural world around them.  Pine Valley is a member of the Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education and when serving the public school system will teach to the standards and expectations of the NGSS.  Our expanded curriculum will be taught to Christian Schools and includes a full integration of Biblical truth with scientific discovery.  Our instructors have been through multiple education, facilitation, and First Aid trainings and will be the perfect partners to teachers before, during, and after the camp experience.  Our Outdoor Education will take place in our newly renovated “Mining Camp” which will be a creative and fun outdoor lab able to host three separate classes at a time.