Fieldschool 2024–25: The Nitty Gritty

Introducing our beautiful Base Camp: Alex House (NEW!)

**Tuesday and Wednesday only…Thursday and Friday in Vancouver
Located just a few steps from Crescent Beach, Alex House is the perfect location for our home base. We pick up our first group at King Edward station, then Skytrain to Bridgeport Station (30 mins) in Richmond where the shuttle drives everyone the rest of the way to Alex House (30 mins). 

Why Alex House as our Base Camp? 2.5 private acres to focus on expressive arts and theatre production. Kitchen facilities to lean culinary skills. A quiet, safe neighbourhood with endless beach and forest. An indoor space to get away from the winter weather and a consistent location for project-based learning. What’s not to love?

Wilderness Theatre Performing Arts Project (NEW!)

Meet our new partner in the performing arts: The Star Project! Founded and run by veteran theatre-runner Jojo Payne, the Star Project is a respected, dynamic theatre program working with children and youth who are identified as neurodiverse, struggling with anxiety, or need an outlet to express their inner artist.

The Wilderness Theatre Project represents an exciting partnership that cements VOS’s commitment to fostering self-expression, creativity, and collaboration, which will culminate in a learner-led end-of-season community production!

Crescent Beach Parkour Academy (NEW!)

Crescent Beach’s Parkour Academy is youth-directed and project-based, all while being guided by our expert parkour and Fieldschool instructors. Our academy teaches parkour moves and philosophy for all levels, as well as risk management, principles of sport photography and film, and healthy screen use through creative projects.

Parkour Academy takes place on Wednesdays and operates out of our Crescent Beach base camp Alex House. It is led by VOS Director Liam “Barnsy” Barnes, who has years of experience both as a parkour athlete and instructor. Barnsy, along with out other parkour instructors, provide support, training, and mentorship to Vancouver’s budding parkour athletes.

Wilderness Theatre Performing Arts Project (NEW!)

Meet our new partner in the performing arts: The Star Project! Founded and run by veteran theatre-runner Jojo Payne, the Star Project is a respected, dynamic theatre program working with children and youth who are identified as neurodiverse, struggling with anxiety, or need an outlet to express their inner artist.

The Wilderness Theatre program represents an exciting partnership that cements VOS’s commitment to fostering self-expression, creativity, and collaboration, which will culminate in a learner-led end-of-season community production!

Elevate Ed Specialized Tutoring (NEW!)

When our families talk, we listen and respond. A consistent theme with our Fieldschool families has been ensuring that their learners are supported in their academics as the majority are home learners. To support this need, we are collaborating with Arashdeep, a certified teacher, to provide academic tutoring on Tuesday-Friday, during Fieldschool hours. 

Tutoring involves extra one-on-one time learning and practising relevant academic skills. What those skills are, and how learning is structured, is part of an ongoing conversation with the family (both parents and learner) to ensure we keep the learner’s individual learning and growth as the ultimate focus. For more information, click here.

This is an optional, separate service for an additional fee. Contact our tutoring service partner to learn more.

Community-based Outdoor Experiential Education

We maintain long-standing collaborations with local experts, farms, businesses, artists, and even a reptile rescue sanctuary… all so that our kids learn real things from real people during real projects. This project-style of learning is rooted in community and the outdoors.

We focus on “outdoor literacy” and “street smarts”. We make sure our kids are prepared for anything, be it the weather, urban and wilderness navigation, physical literacy (parkour!), risk management, planning and goal-setting, local and Indigenous history, and so much more!

Incorporating Hope-based Climate Education

We approach climate education from a basis of hope, showing learners how to channel activating emotions to take action and contribute to a better future. Our climate education incorporates age-appropriate discussions, ideas, and lessons about climate change into our regular activities.

We collaborate with companies, organizations, and non-profits in the community that are contributing positively to finding solutions to climate change.

Enter the Fieldschool-verse: Our wider community

Fieldschool is part of a network of services that bring adventure, learning, personal growth, and community connection into the lives of young people of all ages.

Between the Trees Mentorship: This service is our 1:1 and small-group mentoring service that emphasizes building life and social skills based on the personal goals of the individual learner. Click here to learn more!

Vancouver Youth Leadership Centre: This service is for the older youth, helping connect people on the cusp of adulthood through adventure, socializing, and learning the skills they need to embark on the next stage of their life. Click here to learn more!

Fireside Adventures: From day camps to 21-day expeditions, from our BC backyard to Japan, Italy, and the Yukon, Fireside Adventures caters to all ages and experience levels to provide the perfect outdoor adventure for you. Click here to learn more!