Discoveries through outdoor adventure for students

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Media release
For immediate release
13 December 2016

Discoveries through outdoor adventure for chosen local students

A group of twenty year 10 students from Taupo-nui-a-Tia College in Taupo recently attended a 5 day programme at Hillary Outdoors Education Centre Tongariro. Throughout the week, the students participated in a range of outdoor activities designed to challenge them, develop their teamwork skills and have some fun and adventure while they were at it. The students were chosen via a ballot and received funding from Torpedo7 through a community partnership between Hillary Outdoors and Torpedo7. The partnership involves fundraising in Torpedo7 stores and via the Torpedo7 website to help students in challenging financial circumstances have the experience of a lifetime. Teacher in charge, Ben Carey, comments “without this funding, we simply would not have offered the camp to the students in the first place.”

Before venturing off on this programme, the students were asked about their expectations of the trip. Melanie anticipated that she would learn about “Leadership skills, team work and overcoming fears.” Several students agreed with her, with John adding that he also thought they would learn “how to do stuff like cave and abseil.” Ben, the teacher, expected the programme to be “physically and mentally challenging, with the most important benefits being personal growth and achieving something they thought was out of reach.” He also hoped that students would “learn about communication, leadership and respecting each other” which they could implement in their everyday lives.

With the new academic year approaching, it is not long before these students will be starting Level One NCEA. The students all had different skills they hoped to gain from participation in the Hillary Outdoors programme that would help with these exams. Cordell and Zach both highlighted that they would like to be able to improve on their teamwork skills. Bennett mentioned that he wanted to gain skills to help with “determination, leadership and responsibility.” While their teacher, Ben, hoped that the “students would be able to gain a sense of personal responsibility and overcoming obstacles to reach their goals.” Reflecting on the experience, Ben found that programme met their expectations and more, he commented “planning and sticking to a task were some of the key elements that students took from the experience, so this will really help them next year.”

Looking back on their week at Tongariro, the students thought about what they learnt and how they will implement those learnings into their everyday lives. Paige felt that the skills she had gained throughout the programme will help her to be more confident. While Olivia decided her new found skills will assist with “helping and encouraging other people.” She also found the whole experience a great reminder of how lucky she is to live in an environment where she is close to nature, exclaiming “I still can’t believe I live near such a cool place.”

Ben believes they “learnt valuable team skills and an appreciation for nature” and commented on how he noticed throughout the week that the students were caring more about each other and the discussions with them became richer. He concludes, “without the support from Torpedo7 we simply would not have been able to go. What a fantastic gesture; the students got so much out of it and its effects will be felt for years to come.”

ENDS

About Torpedo7

Torpedo7 is a nationwide outdoor adventure retailer and comprises of 10 stores in New Zealand, and Ecommerce Websites in New Zealand and Australia. It is part of The Warehouse Group which comprises of a number of companies with a combined turnover of $2.9 billion in FY16 employing over 12,000 people.

About Hillary Outdoors

Established in 1972 by Graeme Dingle with Sir Edmund Hillary as patron, Hillary Outdoors was originally named the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre of New Zealand, (or commonly known as OPC). In 2014 the charitable trust was re-named to emphasise the education focus of its outdoor programmes as well as pay tribute to the organisation’s former patron. Over 40 years on, Hillary Outdoors continues with the same aims of delivering New Zealanders the opportunity to go beyond the confines of the classroom, meeting room and boardroom to experience the outdoors in order to develop care and respect of self, others and place.

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