BJHS Outdoor Education

The most fascinating learning experience at Bloomington Junior High School is the Outdoor Education program that has been in existence for over 37 years.

This program allows seventh graders to spend a week (Monday – Friday) in the woods living with a family group in two person tents along with eating all meals outside.

Family groups consist of teachers with 12 -14 students who live in a campsite. Learning to live successfully within family groups is one of the major objectives of Outdoor Education.

Outdoor Education has a greater than thirty year history as a valuable experience for our students. We hope that as many students as possible will attend, however participation in Outdoor Education requires a higher level of independence and responsibility than the traditional school structure. Some students may not be invited to participate. Some students may be asked to sign a behavior contract. All students must meet the following behavior guidelines:

• Demonstrate respect for teachers, staff members, peers, and property.
• Bring materials to class and arrive on time.
• Maintain appropriate behavior in both classroom and other school settings, such as the cafeteria and hallways, as demonstrated by not receiving multiple warnings, time-outs, detentions, and/or office referrals.

At any point, students who fail to meet these guidelines may be excluded from the Outdoor Education program by their academic teams or the program’s directors.