The Outdoor Education Group: What we do: Locations: Biloela: Programs

Dedicated to developing a sense of self, community and enviroment in young people

Biloela

Why Biloela?
The ethos of Biloela is to;

Promote independence, teamwork and personal responsibility,
Enhance self awareness and the growth of positive self concept,
Encourage and educate sustainable ecological interaction and understanding,
Utilise the environment to extend curriculum based learning and understanding.

Each program is designed to facilitate experiential learning outcomes through community living in small self sustainable groups, managing resources (food, water, firewood etc) and participating in outdoor activities such as canoeing, abseiling, mountain biking, hiking, bush navigation, overnight expedition and camping, orienteering, and environmental appreciation.

Programs at Biloela can be designed to meet your school’s curriculum and philosophical needs.

What actually happens..?
After briefings and cross curricular related classroom work at school in the weeks leading up to the program, students travel to Biloela and start their educational and adventurous journey by meeting their OEG Group Leader at a remote wilderness drop-off point within the Biloela property.

After equipping and navigating through the bush to their allocated hut, each group participates in determining their food, drinking/washing water, firewood and stove fuel requirements for the program (3 -7 days).

The group focuses on developing a community without distraction. Daily rituals may include reviewing resource consumption, allocating duties such as wood cutting, stove feeding, cooking (using raw ingredients to bake bread & cakes etc.), collecting water, cleaning up, environmental care etc. There is work to be done with the planning and preparation to participate in the day’s outdoor adventures, time allocated for discussing group issues that may arise and avenues for undertaking environmental activities. There is also the option for some reflection time (ie: a ‘mini solo experience’, journal writing times in inspiring spots etc).

The Biloela program is like a bush based program, but in the comfort of a hut. The group can also go out on a canoe/hiking expedition with overnight camping. Each group’s hut provides a base from which to plan and provision their journey, and a safe and familiar place to return to at the end of a busy day!

Biloela: Program Options
Programming at Biloela can be classified into three levels, and can be implemented individually or as a sequence.

Level 1 Programs – School Delivered based out of the Huts
This program is designed so that a school can rent the property and hut facilities to implement their own program. It is based entirely out of Biloela.

This type of program is best suited to students from primary to year eight, with no prior outdoor experience. Maximum sub-group size for OEG run specialist activities is 16 students, and programs can operate from 3 - 5 days. The cost does include a program coordinator who is responsible for the daily running of the facility, and a specialist instructor is available for 3 days during some nominated specialist activities.

Level 2 Programs – Shared delivery, based out of Huts
This level is designed as an OEG and school staff shared delivery program. Group sizes are based on 1 OEG instructor and 1 school staff member to 20 students. This program removes the bulk of the responsibility from school staff to deliver the program activities and content.

The program is based entirely out of Biloela and has a select number and type of activities that can be delivered. This program is based from the huts and has a central shower/toilet facility. The following activities can be included:

either mountain bike or abseil
flat water canoe
integrated initiative and environmental activities, and
low challenge ropes course

This type of program is best suited to students from primary to year nine, with no prior outdoor experience, and programs can operate from 3 - 5 days. A Program Coordinator is also allocated to this level of program and is responsible for the daily running of the facility, as well as being involved in delivering some specialist activities.

Level 3 Programs - OEG delivered, based out of huts and tents
This level is a full service program that is OEG delivered. Group sizes are generally based on 1 OEG instructor, 1 OEG Assistant Group Leader and 1 school staff member to 14 students. With this ratio, the range of activities that can be delivered on the program is not restricted.

OEG delivers the program content based out of Biloela and the surrounding bushland reserves. The program includes a Program Coordinator and any specialist instructors that may be required for particular adventure activities (ie: rockclimbing, overnight canoe journey, high ropes course, mountain bike etc). Overnight camping in tents is available.

These programs can include such activities as;

flat water canoe, overnight canoe journey, mountain bike, bushwalking and camping out in tents, rock climbing, raft builder , high ropes course or abseil
integrated initiative and environmental activities, and
low challenge ropes course

This type of program is best suited to students from year eight to year twelve, with some prior outdoor experience. Programs can operate from 3 – 7 days.