Outdoor Education and Field Trips

Grades 6-7: Camp Squeah

The Grade 6 and 7 students spend two nights at Camp Summit, located in Brackendale, BC, just north of Squamish. This incredible outdoor education centre offers a large variety of activities to augment learning and support team building. Some activities include ropes courses, archery, carving, mountain biking, initiatives, outdoor living skills and much more.

Grade 8: Strathcona Park Lodge

Our Grade 8 students spend three nights immersed in nature while they expand their outdoor education skills in canoeing, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing and nature studies.

Grade 9: Strathcona Park Lodge

The Grade 9 students spend three nights at Strathcona Park Lodge. In addition to hiking, ropes courses and nature explorations, students go on a supervised one night camp-out, where they are given the opportunity to try a variety of outdoor living skills while being fully immersed in nature. To hear more about the student’s perspective on this trip, read this article by Sloane ’29.

Grade 10: Bamfield

Our Grade 10 students travel to Bamfield for three nights, where they enjoy hiking, fishing, cooking, team building exercises and put all of their OE skills to the test for their final MYP Outdoor Education camp trip.  Read more about why Bamfield is a favourite of our students.

Grade 11: Manning Park

The Grade 11 students venture into Manning Park for a three night winter outdoor education trip to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. They also utilize their teamwork skills to plan and cook the meals for both them and the chaperoning teachers. To hear the student’s perspective on this trip, read this article by Purab ’27.

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Excursions and Experiences

Beyond Outdoor Education, students engage in national and international learning opportunities through excursions and experiences.

Excursions are closely connected to the curriculum—for example, the exploration of language and history in France and Belgium in 2024, or the business-focused trip to Italy in 2025.

Experiences, by contrast, are broader and values-driven. These trips support the school’s mission and the IB Learner Profile, with an emphasis on service, sustainability, leadership and cultural engagement. For example, the Costa Rica trip in 2025. 

These trips are often among the most transformative moments in a student’s journey at SJS, creating lifelong memories and friendships that students will carry with them as they continue through and beyond SJS. 

Read more about these incredible opportunities from the students’ perspective in the articles below.

• A Walk Down Drury Lane: Ciara ’26, recounts the incredible artistic experiences the group of Grade 10–12 students had in London over the midterm break.

• A Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip: Maggie ’27, takes us back to the how-it’s-made tour of Italy she joined over the midterm break and how the hands-on experiences helped create a trip she will never forget.

Field Trips

Practical and real-world experiences are an important part of the IB programme at SJS. Trips to businesses and workshops are chosen and designed to support the curriculum.

Examples include: 

• Up Close with Art—Visual arts students visited art galleries around the Lower Mainland to inspire and support explorations in their current units. 

• Behind the Scenes—The Grade 12 Business Management students participated in a production tour at Ocean Spray Cranberry farm to support their understanding of production methods, costs and revenues, and the cooperative business model. 

• Learning from Experts—Grade 11 students visited Science World to learn more about science communication in preparation for their Collaborative Science Project, which combines biology, physics and chemistry in a cohesive group project around a specific topic.

• Developing Life Skills—Grade 11 and 12s took part in cooking classes at Little Kitchen Academy as part of their Careers Education course to support them in their transition to independent living as they head toward graduation.

• Immersive Language Experiences—Grade 7 Mandarin students enjoyed a lunch hour at a local Chinese restaurant to support their understanding of Chinese cuisine, culture and dining customs. Students practiced ordering in Mandarin, and explored how food reflects cultural identity and traditions.