School & Group Programs

Bear Creek Outdoor Centre specializes in creating custom programs for our groups and visiting schools. Weekend and week-long bookings are also available. Please contact us to arrange your custom program and help to create a memorable experience for your group.

School & Group Program Rates

Bear Creek Outdoor Centre specializes in creating custom programs for our groups and visiting schools. Weekend and week‐long bookings are also available.

Trip Planning Checklist for Teachers

Make your booking and trip planning with Bear Creek Outdoor Centre an easy and straightforward process!

Program Options

Types of Programs

We offer 3 types of programs: Day, Overnight, and 3-Day/2 Night, all of which can be catered to your specific needs/interests:

  • Day Programs
  • Overnight Programs
  • 3-Day/2-Night Programs

How does this fit into your curriculum? 

  • Environmental Science
  • Geography
  • History
  • Physical Education
  • Team Building
  • Leadership development

With over 500 acres of forest, a creek, and 2 lakes on property, Bear Creek has a variety of ecosystems that can engage students with hands-on-learning experiences. Whether the focus is discovering the natural environment, the interaction between various ecosystems and humans, natural history, leave no trace skills, orienteering, etc., we pride ourselves in offering programs that encourage students to engage in place-based learning. More so, the facilities offer access to climbing walls, low ropes courses, canoeing, and mountain biking, which allow students to experience both leadership and developmental experiences.


Sample Day Program

Grades 5-8 Year-End Field Trip 
Duration: 1 Day
Stations: 3
Plan:

  • Class divided into four sections (or teams)
  • Two groups participate in canoeing station (at once) and all groups will rotate through three stations
School group canoe lesson.
Station 1: Outdoor Travel (Safe Canoeing Program)

Location: Beach
Activities:

** This section of the program will be instructed by qualified Paddle Canada Instructors.

Bear Creek Outdoor Centre low ropes course.
Station 2: Teamwork and Communication

Location: Low Ropes Course
Activities:

  • In small groups, students will participate in 4 low initiative elements designed to build confidence and to foster teamwork and communication.

Campers going on a hike.
Station 3: Human Impact on the Natural Environment

Location: Campfire
Activities:

  • Discussions concerning notions of “the wilderness”, “wilderness experience”, and the “environment”, leading into Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and activities.
  • The aim is to create a sense of awareness and responsibility for our actions and practices in the natural world, and to introduce LNT.

After completing all stations, students put their knowledge and skills to the test in a friendly game that incorporates many of the new skills that have been introduced throughout the day

Other examples of stations include:

Ottawa Valley, “A Sense of Place”

Location: Classroom
Activities:

  • How do you describe the Ottawa Valley? To friends, to someone from another country? How to recognize it?
  • Activities and discussions on geological history, natural history, cultural history, and artifacts

Navigation Skills

Location: Upper field
Activities:

  • Introducing principles of navigation, using compass, and the benefits of understanding navigation, direction, compass use and orienteering.

We have often incorporated the navigation component into programs by practising these skills during station transitions (i.e. using a bearing to get from Station 1 to 2).