Some students at the DRCSS are learning wilderness survival skills this term, and having fun while doing it.
Grade 9 students in the Wilderness Skills course had their first field trip on Friday, October 9 — building shelters and practicing other survival skills just south of Ochre River.
Eighth-year DRCSS teacher Steff Sochan says the new course covers topics of the psychology of survival, trip pre-planning, leave no trace camping, axe use and fire building, animal safety and shelter building.
“Our goal is to provide students with practical skills and experiences they can use, not only in the wilderness setting, but many of them are interested in hunting and camping and doing day trips on their own.”
Approximately 60 Grade 9 students are enrolled in the course, co-taught by Sochan and fellow teachers Matt Smigelski and Bryan Hannibal.
"You can tell this is a course that’s really beneficial for them.”
Sochan can’t confirm if the course will be offered in the spring, but anticipates there will be a demand for it after being “totally overwhelmed” with the number of students showing interest.
“We’ve had students that come in with very little experience in anything in the outdoors, and see them progress to the point where they can build their own fire and prepare firewood. When we took them to the shelter building on Friday we had students that were grinning ear to ear. You can tell this is a course that’s really beneficial for them.”
