Googa
Outdoor Education is deeply embedded in the culture of Concordia Lutheran College. Through their outdoor education experiences, Concordia students enjoy a range of activities that are designed to develop resilience, independence and maturity.
If asked, most graduates will mention their outdoor education experience as a special highlight of their time at Concordia Lutheran College.
Concordia’s Outdoor Education program has been designed to foster personal, spiritual and social development in students. Concordia provides a series of strategically delivered outdoor education experiences that place students outside their comfort zone and stimulates personal growth.
Students emerge from their outdoor education experiences with new strengths, resilience, an enhanced sense of purpose, unshakable friendships and excellent teamwork skills.
Outdoor education gives students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and to cope with the pressures of life such as dealing with responsibilities, failure and success.
They experience a bush lifestyle and time away from the comforts of home.
Benefits of Outdoor Education
Outdoor education helps students to:
- appreciate their families
- gain a better understanding of self
- make new friends
- heighten their acceptance of others
- build confidence
- develop new skills
Each year, Concordia’s Year 9 students spend four weeks at Googa’s Outdoor Education Centre in Term 4, undertaking a program administered by teachers and outdoor education specialists.
There is an emphasis on physical tasks including hiking, orienteering, abseiling and rock climbing as well as jobs such as milking cows, gardening, cooking, cleaning and washing.
Each student’s mind and spirit is also exercised through initiative building activities, problem-solving games and periods of quiet reflection.
During the outdoor education experience, there are no radios or televisions or electronic devices. Students appreciate ‘getting away from it all’ and making their own entertainment while enjoying the quiet of the bush.
So, what do students think of this?
When speaking to Concordia graduates, Googa (and Ballon, our previous Outdoor Education Centre) is always mentioned as a special highlight.
Students speak about the feeling of accomplishment they experience and see it as a major highlight of their time at Concordia.
