9 Intro to Outdoor Education

What is this subject about?

Year 9 students are being offered the chance to do an Introduction to Outdoor Education in order to get an idea about whether they would want to pursue VCE Outdoor Education. Although VCE is traditionally completed in Years 11 and 12, Outdoor Education is best done in Years 10 and 11 as an accelerated subject. So, if you complete this elective and discover that you love Outdoor Education, you can elect to do VCE Outdoor Education in Year 10.

Outdoor Education is basically about learning about the environment. The key difference between Outdoor Education and other subjects is that rather than just study theory, we try to learn through experience in the outdoors. This includes recreational activities such as surfing, mountain bike riding, bushwalking, snorkelling, camping etc. It may also include conservation activities such as tree planting and weeding. Basically, if it happens in the outdoors then it can be regarded as a possibility (however, philosophically we would avoid activities that were damaging to the environment or too dangerous for students e.g. dirt bike riding).


What are we going to be studying?

The aim of this subject will be to give students and introduction to VCE Outdoor Education by developing some basic camping skills: planning, first aid, pitching tents, cooking and equipment selection. A core range of outdoor activities will be introduced (with the aim of extending these skills in VCE) such as:
* Mountain Biking
* Bushwalking
* Surfing
* Snorkelling
* Orienteering
* Camping Skills

Related to each of these activities is a theory component with assessment tasks.

Where does this subject go?

In terms of related subjects students who successfully complete Outdoor Ed. in Year 9 should consider:
* Year 9 Fit4Action
* Year 10 Fit4Action
* VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies (in Year 10&11)
* VCE Physical Education

Directly related career interests may include:
* Outdoor Education Teacher
* Outdoor Instructor
* Professional Guide e.g. World Expeditions Leader
* Marine Biologist
* Conservationist
* Professional (i.e. sponsored) Athlete e.g. Rock-Climber, Surfer, Mountaineer etc.
* Park Ranger

Any Questions:

Frequently Asked Questions…

The Levy
This subject is not covered by your school fees and an additional levy is charged upon your enrolment. The levy for each student is approximately $250.00 in 2022/23 (Note: This levy is also applied to VCE OES at approximately $450 for Unit1-2 and $350 for Unit 3-4)

How many camps are there in Year 9 Outdoor Ed?
One camp for the Semester (2 – 3 days), and several half-full day activities.