Outdoor Education at Camp Summit

Welcome to the Camp Summit Outdoor Education Centre (SOEC). Nestled in the heart of the Upper Squamish Valley, surrounded by glacial peaks and lush forests, the Summit Outdoor Education Centre offers an inspirational setting for your school’s trip.

Since 1999, we have been providing schools with an inviting environment to host programs and events. The Summit Outdoor Education Centre is also home to Camp Summit, a summer camp for children and teens, and to the Summit Outdoor Education Centre hosting programs for private and public schools from across the province.

Our facilities offer an alternative to the classroom – fresh air, a natural setting, beautiful river valley location, privacy, and an atmosphere conducive to creative thinking. A school trip to Camp Summit is an affordable, fun, and unique getaway from the city. Summit’s goal is to complement the traditional information based classroom style of teaching, by incorporating the outdoor adventure experience. All of our programs focus on encouraging students to grow through cooperation, teamwork and positive leadership. Our customized programs, for all grade levels, inspire confidence in students to embrace challenge and risk in the outdoor environment, within a safe and supportive atmosphere.

Who Do We Work With?

Summit is proud to provide outdoor education to the students of these incredible schools and are honored by their commitment and years spent and continuing to spend at Summit.

  • Crofton House School, Vancouver – 15 Years
  • Jamieson Elementary, Vancouver – 10 years
  • West Point Grey Academy, Vancouver – 15 Years
  • Southpointe Academy, Tsawwassen – 13 Years
  • Collingwood School, West Vancouver – 8 Years
  • Meadowridge School, Maple Ridge – 16 Years
  • Kerrisdale School, Vancouver – 9 Years
  • Southridge School, Surrey – 12 Years
  • British American School, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – 16 Years
  • The York School, Toronto – 12 Years
  • York House School, Vancouver – 13 Years

And many more…..

Why Take a Trip Outside of the Classroom?

While at Summit Outdoor Education Centre, your students will learn by doing. They will be challenged in a different way than they are in the classroom. They will be asked to look deep within themselves and set aside preconceived notions of their abilities. The result of a trip to Summit Outdoor Education Centre will be truly memorable for the individual and the group as a whole. Building a cohesive class our programs unite students who, in most cases, wouldn’t otherwise mix. Our objective is to create a memory your students will hold onto for years to come.

Experiential education teaches valuable life skills such as goal setting, communication, decision-making, trust building, conflict resolution, leadership, and allows individuals to recognize their true potential. Groups become more effective and cohesive thanks to shared challenges and experiences.

“Take camp home with you” is what we always say. The key to successful experiential education is ‘transference’, if you have an incredible experience here at Summit Outdoor Education Centre but don’t take the lessons of that experience home with you to your day-to-day life, then we have not been successful. Whether it is increased personal confidence, or developing the tools in which to deal with conflicts as they arise, we will do our best to ensure that these skills are taught in a meaningful and enjoyable manner and that your experiences leave an impression that continues to ripple through your daily life long after you leave our site.

Many people come to SOEC with no previous experience in adventure activities. The concept of putting on a harness and climbing up a rock wall seems terrifying and incredibly risky to some. However, by utilizing fully trained and experienced staff along with the highest safety standards, we are able to manipulate what seems like “real risk” into a powerful learning force known as “perceived risk.” Reaching the top of a rock wall, which from the ground seemed impossibly high, will allow you to experience feelings of accomplishment and success that you may never have felt before. All the while, our competent staff is ensuring your utmost safety.

What Type of Programs Do We Offer?

  • Class & Grade Specific Trips
  • Curriculum Enhancement –
  • Environmental Education
  • Team Building Workshops for Sports Teams
  • Student Government Leadership Retreats
  • University and College Groups
  • Dormitory Community Building
  • Departmental/Faculty Team Building
  • Corporate Retreats
  • Teacher Professional Development Days or Retreats
  • Freshman Wilderness Orientations
  • Resident Assistant (RA) Training
  • Duke of Edinburgh Excursions
  • Multi-day hiking and canoeing expeditions

Learning through experience in the outdoors can be like discovering a whole new world. Within each and every one of us exists enormous potential for growth and learning. It is not without effort that this can be achieved. Even if you have never tackled a trip of this magnitude, rest easy! We will make it more than manageable.