Educational Enhancements

Education comes to life at Camp Campbell Outdoor Science School where 5th grade students experience the thrills of nature through hands-on lessons and activities. Camp Campbell fosters a love for nature and the outdoors, and the development of attitudes and practices that build character and awareness for the environment—all amidst the fun of campfires, songs, and meaningful relationships.

At Camp Campbell Outdoor Science School, students will:

• Experience a hands-on “living” curriculum in an outdoor setting
• Develop an understanding of their role in the environment
• Gain independence as they spend 4 days and 3 nights away from home in an atmosphere committed to building healthy youth through asset development
• Learn responsibility as they take care of themselves and their belongings
• Gain respect for others as they share a living space with fellow students

Students also participate in traditional camp activities like sing-a-longs, bouldering/climbing wall, skit nights, arts & crafts, group games, BBQs, and science-based night hikes.

Environmental education at Camp Campbell Outdoor Science School is an extension of classroom curriculum. Just as students go to the lab to study chemistry or to the gym to study physical education, students need to go the outdoors to learn best how the environment operates. Students see, feel, hear, and smell the realities of nature.

Program goals:

• Enhance concepts learned in the classroom
• Develop an understanding and appreciation of the functioning ecosystems
• Develop an understanding of the interdependence between humans and the environment
• Provide a quality experiential learning adventure in an outdoor setting
• Develop respect for self, others, and the environment
• Increase students’ sense of self-worth through successful learning

Variety of teaching techniques:

• Each field group participates in a daylong hike, approximately 3-5 miles round trip, traveling through several eco-communities.
• Students experience a night hike and astronomy study that emphasizes nocturnal animal life and nighttime sensory awareness.
• Students participate in a campfire where each cabin group presents a skit about concepts learned during the week.

Field Teachers

Our qualified staff of California credentialed field teachers and naturalists lead students through our curriculum. Our field teachers and naturalists are experienced in the special structure and teaching skills required by an outdoor classroom setting. All naturalists have completed an 8 week intensive internship program.

Cabin Leaders

• Students are supervised in the cabins by mature and responsible high school student volunteers who are at camp as part of a teen leadership program.
• Cabin leaders are in good academic standing and must obtain a signature from all of their teachers as a reference that they are a good role model for younger children.
• Cabin leaders participate in extensive training where they learn behavior management, child abuse prevention, appropriate games to play and stories to tell, and much more.
• Each cabin leader is guided and supervised throughout the week by a field teacher.

Health Service

Our Health Supervisor is available at camp 24 hours a day.

• Every field teacher is first aid and CPR certified, carries a first aid kit, and a radio for quick access to the health supervisor even when out on trail.
• Program staff help maintain health and safety standards.