Experiential Education – Education via Experience

 

Simple, yet essential life skills like appreciation, courage, trust, etcetera, cannot be studied out the pages of a book. These lessons require direct participation and are best learned from purposeful reflection. 

 

A holiday camp which encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning seemed to be a great start for laying the foundation for experiential education.

Experiential Education is a process through which a learner constructs knowledge, skill, and value from direct experience. 

 

At Sugar Bay holiday camp, four metres elevated from the ground, was not only where a new crate building record was achieved, but also courage. Motivated by a bunch of campers, a little boy conquered his fear of heights. This was where he discovered that he was indeed a courageous young man.

 

A few metres away, a group of girls were sitting under a tree, braiding friendship bracelets. After the class, they exchanged bracelets with a stranger, who had now become a friend. Friendships were built. 

 

 

At the theatre, youngsters who were inspired by screenplay gained the self-confidence to produce an extraordinary stage production to an audience of two hundred campers. Campers were engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially and soulfully.

 

During a beach treasure hunt, the grainy texture of the sand was felt, the crashing of the waves was heard and the salty sea breeze was relished, acquiring a great appreciation for nature. 

 

 

At the lagoon, camp counselors were teaching the kids level one surfing with the aim of getting campers standing on their surfboards by the end of the lesson. Trust needed to be developed to achieve this. The trust eliminated fear and created many brave surfers by the end of the week.

At the final campfire, sincerity fuelled the flames as kids began reflecting on their experiences to discover how much they have learned and how much they have developed. 

 

Not everything we do needs a textbook and a certificate to prove that we’ve been properly schooled. Ever heard of the popular aphorism, ‘experience is the best teacher’?

This is proof that anyone can learn through experience, it challenges us and forces us to reflect on our achievements and failures, which in turn helps us to learn and grow. And what better way is there to experientially educate oneself rather than at camp?

Head over to our website and book online to secure your place for another fun holiday camp during the December holidays. Wondering what our holiday camps are all about? Check out this playlist featuring all the highlights. To view the finer details for each of our themed holiday camps and prices, check out our rates and dates. 
 
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