Expeditions
The YIS Outdoor Education program guides students to live in wilderness, learn through expeditions and lead self and others through adventure.
YIS expeditions are an integral part of the curriculum and enable students to develop leadership, self management and collaboration skills, as well as developing a risk taking attitude through challenging journeys and outdoor pursuits. Age appropriate wilderness settings allow the students to discover, explore and engage with the natural world so they strengthen their connections to the land and gain a sense of place within it.
Being mindful of the environment, students practice using the natural world for wellness as they develop an appreciation for outdoor living and a fit for life mindset. Students are able to make meaningful connections with each other, classroom central ideas and everyday life.
Expedition Journeys
From First Adventures to Lasting Leadership
GRADE 3
EXPLORING INDEPENDENCE & THE OUTDOORS
The Grade 3 expedition provides opportunities for students to explore wilderness and adventure in the natural surroundings of the Okutama area, Tokyo. Students make the 2 hour journey from school on the chartered bus to America Camp Mura, Okutama, where they settle into bungalow style accommodation.
Further developing student inquiry into the central idea; Exploring different ways of learning enables individuals to understand themselves, make choices and grow, the overnight experience, also facilitates independence and organization skills in a unique environment. Water play and problem solving in the creek system and making use of the obstacle course, students will be hands-on when exploring the natural world as well as collaboration through play when solving group problems.
GRADE 4
CAMP CRAFT & CONNECTION
The Grade 4 expedition provides opportunities for students to explore wilderness and adventure in the natural surroundings of Hakone National Park. Students travel from school on a chartered bus to Ashinoko Camping Village where they set up their tents on the shores of lake Ashi, a pristine lake set in the geological area of Hakone, Kanagawa.
Further developing student learning in the unit of inquiry; People’s experiences and the choices they make, affect growth and sense of self, the 3 day overnight experience, also facilitates camp craft skill building and group dynamic understanding. Activities such as hiking in small groups and solving play based initiative tasks in an outdoor setting, allows the students to engage with nature and build an understanding of wilderness and its uses.
GRADE 5
SHARING THE PLANET
The Grade 5 expedition continues to develop expedition and leadership skills. The programme facilitates student inquiry into the statement: Conflict is inherent in communities and relationships; and people’s responses can shape the outcomes. Connected to the PYP unit of inquiry, Sharing the Planet, where students explore ways to resolve conflict and debate the opportunities that conflict can bring, students spend four days in the natural forest surroundings of Okutama, western Tokyo.
Students learn to live with each other in bungalow style accommodation near Canyons’ base, preparing for their overnight campout in tents. Over the course of the week, students plan meals and solve group challenges in adventurous activities such as rafting, climbing, orienteering and shelter building, whilst all the while, immersing themselves in the wilderness environment and reflecting on the benefits of adventure as recreation.
GRADE 6
PRINCIPLED ADVENTURE
The Grade 6 expedition facilitates inquiring into the statement: Being principled creates caring relationships. Guided by expert instructors at Canyons, Students spend two nights in lodge style accommodation in the Doai area, Gunma, preparing for their hike and tent experience. Students explore the relationship that people have with each other and wilderness, and apply their knowledge in activities such as rappelling, canyoning, orienteering, and campcraft skills.
The latter part of the week is spent developing and applying their campcraft ability in small groups. Students set up camp and tents and prepare for their day hike navigating their way along challenging forest trails. The students spend time reflecting on the principles required to operate as a community in wilderness settings as well as different styles of collaboration required on adventurous journeys.
GRADE 7
COMMUNITIES & CHALLENGE
The Grade 7 expedition extends students’ skills and knowledge of expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Living and learning in communities presents opportunities and challenges. The Grade 7 students travel by chartered bus to Canyons’ base, Minakami, Gunma, where they will be living in dorm accommodation or Bell Tents. Whilst at Minakami, the students experience a variety of adventure and wilderness opportunities, learning with and from each other in challenging activities. Such experiences include, rafting, water safety and group initiative tasks.
Students take part in play based navigation and treasure hunt tasks aimed at applying map reading skills in small groups in readiness for their 2 day overnight hike. Students sleep in tents on this hiking expedition, learning campcraft skills such as cooking on stoves and organising themselves and others in the unfamiliar, wilderness environment. The mountains surrounding Minakami provide some rugged challenges and beautiful scenery as the students are encouraged to take the time to practice stillness and use wilderness for wellness.
GRADE 8
MOUNTAIN EXPLORATION
The Grade 8 hiking expedition extends students’ skills and knowledge of expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Living and learning in communities requires a deep understanding of relationships as well as self reliance. Grade 8 students learn campcraft and group management skills on a multi-day overnight hike in the rugged mountains overlooking Motosuko, one of Mt Fuji’s lakes.
This stunning environment provides the backdrop for students to hone their navigation and campcraft skills whilst based at Motosuko camp ground before embarking on their hiking expedition in small groups. Carrying packs, sleeping in tents and cooking on stoves, students apply their knowledge of relying on self and others as they navigate their way, under staff guidance, through misty forests reaching panoramic view points.
GRADE 9
WHITEWATER JOURNEYS
The Grade 9 rafting expedition extends the students’ skills and knowledge of outdoor expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Smart risk taking requires effective collaboration when living and learning in communities. The Shinano River in Niigata is used to challenge the students as they raft in small groups on a multi-day overnight camping and rafting expedition. Students undergo preparatory skills training and planning exercises before the raft journey. On the journey itself, students camp out each night, cook for themselves, and develop their route planning and smart risk analysis.
Regular checks for weather and river levels are conducted by the expert raft guides at Canyons and the program is adapted if necessary. The Shinano River has flat sections at this time of year, along with grade 1 and 2 rapids making for an exciting and challenging group exercise. After the expedition, reflection activities allow students to solidify their learning of key concepts and transfer these to school and family life.
GRADE 10
CHOICE & CHALLENGE
PILGRIMAGE EXPEDITION
The Grade 10 Kumano Kodo pilgrimage expedition extends student’s skills and knowledge of expeditions, cultural understanding and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Living and learning in communities requires a shared understanding of leadership. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage is a unique and rigorous hiking and camping journey that includes rich Japanese history and cultural experiences as well as a chance to discover a deep connection with wilderness.
The Kumano Kodo is a UNESCO World Heritage Sacred Site that includes the Kumano Hongu Taisha, a head shrine of more than 3000 shrines in Japan. Students spend 4 nights in tents, camping and cooking on stoves and navigating their way through the trails with indirect support from staff. The possibility of snow adds to the atmosphere and challenge in the month of April as the students delve deep into the collaborative task of relying on others and themselves in a unique wilderness setting. Students will travel to and from the Katsura area by Shinkansen and local train.
DIVING EXPEDITION
The Grade 10 diving expedition, developed in partnership with our Japan based provider, Uncharted Diving, extends the student’s skills and knowledge of expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the theme: Living and working in communities requires a shared understanding of leadership. Before the expedition, students undergo an intensive investigation into dive theory, before applying their knowledge of diving in confined water pool sessions as they have the opportunity to work towards diving certification.
Students fly to Naha, Okinawa from Haneda airport where they spend time diving from shore and leading themselves through the mental and physical challenges that ocean diving brings. There are opportunities for leadership through dive navigation tasks and night time dives that enable students to gain an understanding of interconnectedness and ecosystems whilst sharing leadership.
GRADE 11
TAKING THE LEAD
WHITEWATER EXPEDITION
The Grade 11 whitewater expedition in Shikoku further extends students’ skills and knowledge of expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Living and learning in communities requires initiative, action and application of leadership. Students travel to the Tokushima area, Shikoku where, in groups, they paddle individual packrafts for 5 days along the Yoshino River, one the three great rivers of Japan. With an exciting play based approach, the necessary packraft skills, like river swims, whitewater paddling technique and hydro topography analysis are taught by Canyons’ expert instructors, operating under international industry standards of safety.
Wearing wetsuits, students navigate their way across the class 1 to class 3 rapids and each night, sleep in tents and cook on stoves. The picturesque mountains provide a backdrop and the month of March provides cool, stable weather that is constantly monitored along with river levels. The teaching approach Challenge by Choice, encourages student agency and guided decision making as the group studies the rapids and actively chooses their adventure. Wilderness understanding is explicitly reflected upon and students are guided in bringing their learning of community and leadership back to school life.
SNOWSHOE EXPEDITION
The Grade 11 Snowshoe expedition extends students’ skills and knowledge of expeditions and leadership, facilitating inquiry into the statement: Living and learning in communities require initiative, action and application of leadership. The mountains of Minakami, Gunma provide a picturesque and challenging setting for students to explore expeditions in a snowy environment with winter camping. In small groups, students use the time at Canyons Minakami Base to prepare for their adventurous journey.
The 3 day and 2 night traverse entails travelling with packs and sleeping in tents as well as the snow caves that the students build. With expert leadership from the mountain guides at Canyons, students are instructed on the use of snowshoes, appropriate clothing, cooking and camping in cold conditions. The area of Minakami has been chosen due to its lower risk of avalanches. Weather and snow conditions are constantly monitored in order to assess these risks. Reflection activities allow the students to solidify the learning of key concepts and transfer these to school and family life.
Live Learn Lead Project
The Live Learn Lead Project is an experiential learning program that facilitates growth through student choice, independence, collaboration and strong community connection. In groups of 5, students design a 5 day overnight experience independent from teachers, parents, guardians, and family. Students are taken through planning stages and workshops in order to develop and practice such skills as budgeting, event planning as well as managing risk.
Students inquire into passions, problems, needs and challenges with the aim of developing a globally minded approach. The Live Learn Lead Project is a guided extension and application of the skills, knowledge, understandings and attitudes acquired through YIS’s learning programs and values of our school. The Live Learn Lead Project develops connections to and from these programs and requires transfer into unfamiliar settings.
GRADE 12
LIVE, LEARN, LEAD BEYOND YIS
The senior retreat is designed to facilitate student reflection on their time at YIS and to become mindful of the joys and difficulties of transitioning to life beyond school. Leaving YIS, their home environment and starting a new chapter brings about a variety of challenges. Students are active participants in the design and implementation of workshops aimed at processing their YIS experience and preparing them for the next step in their life. During the retreat, students explore a range of concepts including: “The Good Goodbye”, “Living with Others”, “Abroad and Internationally Minded” and “Financial Fair Play”.
The senior retreat is conducted in a conference style that includes breakout sessions where students apply and consolidate their understanding of concepts in a hands-on and, at times, adventurous manner. These may include: “First Aid at College”, “Responsible Cooking”, exploring “Smart Risks” through canyoning, “Pressure & Decisions” with white water rafting, “Wilderness Therapy”, “Art and Minds” and “Life Hacks”. These activities are presented to students with “challenge by choice” in mind and led by YIS staff and expert instructors at Canyons, using their base at Minakami, Gunma.
The cost of most expeditions is included in tuition.
All expeditions are developed in conjunction with YIS’s vetted outdoor education company providers.
The health and well-being of our students is managed with care through thorough and systematic Risk Assessment and Management practices.
For more details on individual expeditions or to see our risk management framework, please contact the Outdoor Education department.