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The truth is out there somewhere...
Outdoor Education
Today's experiential education curriculum at Schule Schloss Salem remains inspired by the basic ideas of Kurt Hahn, one of the school's co-founders. We are committed to ensuring that every student takes part in a variety of outdoor activities in the course of his or her time at Salem.
Year 5 – At Schloss Salem (3 Days)
- Cooperative Adventure Games
- Getting to know the school and boarding school location
Year 6 – At the Lake Constance (3 Days)
- Day hike to Lake Constance, cooking and camping
- Lake Constance exploration with canoes
Year 7 – In the Alps (5 Days)
- Ascent to a hut of the Swiss Alpine Club in the Säntis massif
- Program with climbing, cave, summit tour, adventure games, orientation, group tour
Year 8 – In the Linzgau (2 Days)
- two-day trekking tour
- Camping together
- practical introduction to the expedition part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and the Outward Bound Expedition
Year 9 - Outward Bound Expedition
- Classic trekking expeditions in Norway
- Complete Year 9
- 12 Days
The Duke of Edingburgh's Award - The International Youth Programme
- Interested pupils in grades 8 - 10 (Bronze and Silver)
Year 1 Induction Day
- Cooperative adventure games at the beginning of the school year
- Complete Year 11
- 1 day
Year 1 Outdoor Weekend
- Activities depend on the offer of the teachers
- Complete Year 11
- 3 days
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award - The international youth programme
- 30 - 40 interested students per year 11 (gold grade)
To this end Outdoor Weeks are held at the Lower School at various different outdoor education centers and focus on integration.
At the Middle School, all the students in Year 9 go on the traditional Outward Bound Expedition, which is at the very heart of Salem's education program. In Norway they travel through the wilderness for 11 days.
At the Upper School, students chose their out points of focus by participating, for example, during the Outdoor Weekend. In order to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, the school sponsors outdoor expeditions.
The school's Department of Outdoor Education consists of particularly well-qualified staff members who ensure that the content and, in particular, the safety aspects of experiential pedagogy are appropriately observed.
Eugen Balzer
Coordination Outdoor Education
Testing one's Limits
Experiencing Community
Outward Bound Excursions Lead to Self-Discovery.
For many students, Outward Bound excursions are among their key experiences at Salem. Year 9 students leave civilization behind for an eleven-day expedition in the wilds of Norway. Pushing yourself to your limits, setting yourself challenges and learning that your own actions have consequences not only for you as an individual but for the group as a whole are all central elements of the Outward Bound experience.
Recognizing One's Own Nature
Doing without luxury and consumer goods leads to a much more intensive relationship with the natural world and a heightened sensitivity to the economic use of natural resources. Discovering a spring after a long route march can be a source of pure joy. As one student concluded: “We learnt to manage without the mod cons of everyday life and to appreciate those things we would normally take for granted, even more.”
Costs Energy but Also Gives Strength: Outdoor Experiences
Students sleep in tents, under the open sky. Students must cook and fend for themselves. One element of the excursion is the so-called “solo”, where each student is left to his or her own resources for 12 to 24 hours. During this experience students write down their thoughts and emotions in a reflective letter. This letter is then sent to them a year later so that they can once again face their Outward Bound experiences while in the midst of daily routines. Participants also keep an expedition journal and share their experiences with their fellow pupils upon their return.
The physical effort demanded of the participants was once tellingly expressed by student at nine o'clock one evening: “Can we go to bed now, please?
Feedback
Each student is given personal feedback after the expedition which is also recorded in a report at the end of the school year.
Motivation. Achievment. Recognition.
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
This program is specially intended for young people aged 14 to 25 and, in accord with Kurt Hahn's educational principles, encourages social commitment, self-realisation, an adventurous spirit and the development of personal interests. The program is offered throughout the world by schools, groups and homes, and is comprised of the following compenents:
- service
- expeditions
- talents
- fitness
- a personal project (for the Gold level)
It is possible to earn badges at three different levels:
- bronze
- silver
- gold
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award was first offered at Salem in the year 2000, and since then a very large number of our students have been awarded their Silver Badge while in the Middle School in Salem or their Gold Badge at College. Schule Schloss Salem is the most successful organization to offer this program in Germany.
Plus est en vous!
"It is sinful to force young people into opinions, but it is culpable neglect not to lead them into experiences through which they can discover their hidden strengths". (Kurt Hahn)
Under the motto "Plus est en vous!" (There is more in you than you think!), this international youth achievement program seeks to motivate, guide and support young people in their self-development and to acknowledge their achievements.
This program is an all-round, character-building, "do-it-yourself" building kit, based on individual challenge. It is not meant to be "easy," but operates instead according to the principle: "The more you give, the more you gain".
