Why Camp is More Than Just a Trip: Linking Outdoor Adventure to the Australian Curriculum

May 22, 2025 | Industry Insight, Research

As teachers look ahead to Semester Two, the question may arise: “How can we justify a camp experience amid an already crowded curriculum?”

At CYC Adventures, we have good news for you—Camp isn’t a detour from the curriculum. It’s a powerful, curriculum-aligned journey that supports both academic and personal development alongside the lessons of the classroom.

Let’s explore how outdoor adventure education complements and enhances the Australian Curriculum and why it’s more than just a trip.

Real-World Learning That Sticks

The Australian Curriculum places high value on general capabilities like personal and social capability, critical thinking, ethical understanding, and intercultural awareness. These aren’t learned solely through textbooks. They are cultivated through real-world challenges, peer interaction, and opportunities for reflection.

Outdoor adventure camps offer this kind of learning in abundance.

At CYC, our THRIVE framework is intentionally designed to foster social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. Through group challenges, nature immersion, and guided reflection, students develop grit, empathy, and self-awareness—all critical outcomes supported by the curriculum.

Mapped to Curriculum Outcomes

Let’s make the links clearer. Here’s how CYC Adventures connects with specific learning areas:

  • Health and Physical Education (HPE): Students engage in physical challenges, navigate new environments, and practise teamwork. These experiences align with HPE content descriptors, including movement and physical activity, safety, and wellbeing.
  • Science & Geography: Field-based investigations help students explore natural systems, biodiversity, and sustainability. Camps provide rich content for units on ecosystems, landforms, weathering, and water cycles.
  • Civics & Citizenship / Ethical Understanding: Through community-building activities and reflective exercises, students confront real-world ethical questions—how to care for the environment, lead others, or handle conflict constructively.
  • General Capabilities (ACARA): The camp environment is fertile ground for cultivating critical and creative thinking, interpersonal skills, resilience, and intercultural understanding.

In short, a well-designed school camp isn’t a break from learning—it’s an immersive learning experience.


Supported by Research

Research from Education Queensland and the University of Queensland confirms that outdoor and environmental education strengthens knowledge retention, behaviour change, and emotional engagement. Students in overnight and multi-day camps report, on average, more than six distinct learning events—including changes in behaviour and attitudes—not just knowledge acquisition.

Teachers interviewed in the same study highlighted the power of “learning by doing” and “being in the environment” as two of the most effective teaching strategies for deep, lasting learning.

📘 Read the full research summary here:

Learning for Sustainability: The Role and Impact of Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres (2008)


Builds Resilience and Relationships

Camp is where students grow not only as learners, but as people.

In an increasingly digital and disconnected world, outdoor education restores connection—with nature, with peers, and with self. It’s a space where students discover they’re capable of more than they thought. They return to school more confident, cooperative, and grounded.

These outcomes are the fruit of intentional, research-backed programming at CYC Adventures.

A 2023–2024 study conducted by Griffith University researchers Associate Professors Sue Whatman and Katherine Main observed CYC camps in action and confirmed what many teachers already know from experience:

“Camping sets up relationships… you see kids in a new light. You watch different kids take lead roles that aren’t leaders in school, the shy kids that don’t say much, all of a sudden they find their voice…”
 —Primary School Principal, participating in the CYC study

Camp provides unique opportunities for students to:

  • Step into leadership roles outside the classroom
  • Develop resilience in a safe, supportive environment
  • Build meaningful relationships through shared challenges
  • Find their voice and confidence in unfamiliar settings

Students thrive in this space because the CYC Thrive Philosophy intentionally nurtures five core outcomes: gratitude, meaningful relationships, generosity, spiritual awareness, and anti-fragility.

“They’re out of their comfort zone, but it’s nothing they can’t all achieve… they come away liberated and empowered.”
 —Learning Support Teacher Aide

These transformational outcomes don’t just support wellbeing—they align directly with the Australian Curriculum’s focus on personal and social capability, general capabilities, and values education.

📘 Read the full published study:

Thrive with CYC: Research-backed Outdoor Adventure Camps – Griffith University (2024)

By Associate Professors Sue Whatman & Katherine Main, School of Education and Professional Studies

Easier to Justify, Easier to Approve

We know school leaders and parents often need clarity about the educational value of camp. That’s why our programs are:

  • Aligned with the Australian Curriculum
  • Designed to build key general capabilities
  • Backed by evidence and decades of experience
  • Tailored to your learning goals and your students

Our team collaborates with teachers to integrate camp into your unit plans and assessment frameworks, making it easier than ever to get camp approved and celebrated—not questioned.

Plan Ahead for Term 3 and 4

Mid-year planning is the ideal time to secure your school camp spot. With increased demand and limited availability across our CYC Adventures locations, early booking ensures your school doesn’t miss out on a high-impact, curriculum-linked learning experience.

🔗 Explore our programs
 📞 Enquire about availability

Let’s make learning an adventure.
 At CYC Adventures, we partner with schools to create transformational outdoor experiences that align with curriculum and help young people thrive—personally and academically.

References

  1. Ballantyne, R., & Packer, J. (2008). Learning for Sustainability: The Role and Impact of Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres. University of Queensland.
    https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:195596
  2. Whatman, S., & Main, K. (2024). Thrive with CYC: Research-backed outdoor adventure camps. Griffith University, School of Education and Professional Studies. https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au/handle/10072/427555
  3. Ryan, R. M., Weinstein, N., Bernstein, J., Brown, K. W., Mistretta, L., & Gagné, M. (2010). Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(2), 159–168.
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.10.009
  4. Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169–182.
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0272494495900012
  5. Outdoor Education Australia. (2024). Rationale for Outdoor Education.
     https://outdooreducationaustralia.org.au/education/rationale-for-oe/
  6. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (n.d.). General Capabilities and Cross-Curriculum Priorities.
     https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

This blog post is brought to you by CYC Adventures, dedicated to developing the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of young people through transformative outdoor experiences for over 80 years.

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PERSPECTIVE

We choose to see the glass half full.

EMPATHY

We actively seek to understand others.

APPRECIATION

We choose to show gratitude in all circumstances.

Gratitude is one of the most important strengths for human flourishing, it is defined as the quality of being thankful. Grateful people have a sense of abundance, an appreciation of simple pleasures and value the contribution of others to their well-being (Watkins & Bell, 2017). Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact gratitude has on a person’s satisfaction with life and their happiness. One such study conducted by Witvliet, Richie, Root Luna, & Van Tongeren, (2019) found that reflecting on past hopes and happiness strengthens a person’s current state of happiness and hope. Unanue et al, (2019) study aimed to find evidence of the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction, the study states,

“Research has found that higher gratitude is associated with a better life, indexed as higher positive affect, self-esteem, positive emotions, optimism, autonomy, environmental mastery, relationships, personal growth, meaning in life, and self-acceptance. Gratitude has also been associated with lower ill-being in terms of negative affect, depression, anxiety, phobia, bulimia, addictions, negative emotions, dysfunctions, anger, and hostility.”

It is clear that gratitude is an important foundation for a thriving individual. To develop gratitude Thrive utilises reflection, appraisal and writing activities as well as debriefing experiences on the field. Many opportunities are given to experience challenges and gain perspective. In order to thrive, students will learn to view the world around them with a positive perspective, seeing that the glass is half full. Through a wholistic camp approach, campers will exercise empathy, whether it be relating to others navigating home sickness or rejoicing with those who have overcome an obstacle. Campers are encouraged to show their appreciation for each other throughout team activities and during debriefs. When challenging situations arise there is always something to be grateful for.

COMPASSION

We suffer together.

HOPE

We believe for better.

TRUST

We choose to be vulnerable.

FORGIVENESS

We free ourselves from resentment and others from vengeance.

INTEGRITY

We are consistently principled in word and deed.

We require and desire meaningful relationships within our community. Studies show that students with positive peer relationships are more likely to excel in schools, are more adaptive and have an overall positive emotional well-being (Wentzel, 2017). Thrive aims to help students develop relationships that are not surface level but meaningful. Joseph Allen a psychology professor at the University of Virginia states,

“As technology makes it increasingly easy to build a social network of superficial friends, focusing time and attention on cultivating close connections with a few individuals should be a priority.”

To develop students’ skills in relationships the Thrive approach looks at areas and issues people often struggle to incorporate into relationships: integrity, compassion, trust and forgiveness. Camp activities requiring teamwork encourage students to be vulnerable and honest with their friends, to break down walls and allow a deeper connection to be built. The camp environment provides ample opportunities for students to invest in meaningful relationships that will enrich their lives in the present and prepare them for the future.

INITIATIVE

We take responsibility for our future.

INDEPENDENCE

We choose to face challenges autonomously.

INTERDEPENDENCE

We accept the help of others.

CREATIVITY

We invent new strategies to thrive under pressure (develop/create).

HUMOUR

We don’t take ourselves too seriously.

Antifragile people develop a mental and emotional capacity that allows them to adapt with ease during adversity, growing in strength under pressure like the immune system or muscular development. In some ways anti-fragility is closely related to the concept of resilience. However, resilience in individuals is the ability to bounce back from adversity, whereas anti-fragility is the ability to bounce back from adversity stronger than before. It helps to think of it like this – a fine wine glass is fragile, if you drop it on the ground it will break. However, a plastic cup, if dropped on the ground may bend or flex on impact but will immediately bounce back into its original form or shape. In this case the resilient cup has not been damaged by adversity nor has it developed a greater capacity to deal with adversity. Antifragile people grow in strength under pressure in the same way our muscles develop.

As you may have experienced, challenges can ‘make or break’ us and they are valuable for shaping and strengthening character. The camp environment creates opportunities for students to challenge themselves within a safe and supportive environment so that they can grow. Throughout our lives we are all subject to suffering to some degree and it is our choice what we do with that suffering. The Thrive approach endeavours to equip students to be able to grow from difficult situations in order to thrive.

“Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” – Nassim Taleb

MEANING

We actively seek meaning.

MINDFULNESS

We are present.

SOLIDARITY

We value the company of others.

Spiritually aware people often have greater sense of meaning and higher levels of personal growth. Dr Harold G Koenig of Duke University concluded, based on an exhaustive analysis of more than 1500 reputable medical studies, that “people who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health” he went on to say that spiritual people, those who pursue divine assistance,” cope with stress better, they experience greater well-being…”. With this research in mind, students will be encouraged to take moments to slow down and be present at camp. The Thrive approach encourages students to find their place, to know that they belong in a community and have a meaningful role to play. Spending time with their peers outside of the four walls of their classroom allows students to unify on deeper levels and truly come to value each other’s company.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”- Mother Theresa

TIME

We prioritise time toward people and not things.

PEOPLE

We give of ourselves for the sake of others.

TALENTS

We bless people and community with our skills and abilities.

RESOURCES

We consider recourses a blessing to bless others with.

Happiness happens when you give, not when you get (Max Lucardo, 2019). Those who give away, rather than those who hoard and accumulate, have a more developed awareness of happiness. Living generously has positive outcomes for both the giver and the recipient, regardless of age or culture. This principle does not only apply to material ‘things’ such as money, but when you give of your time, talents and resources. A thriving individual is one who understands that it is better to give than receive. Campers working in community with one another will have something positive to contribute. Throughout the Thrive Program students are given the opportunity to understand what talents they possess and how to harness these in order to become a contributing member of society.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know. The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found – how to serve” – Albert Schweitzer