HeLa Ventures
School Group Programs
Alberta Outdoor Summer Camps with High School Credits
Outdoor Education Programs for
Alberta Education Students
HeLa Ventures designs and delivers customized outdoor education programs for Alberta school groups — built around your curriculum objectives, your group size, and your schedule. Programs are available as day trips or multi-day overnight experiences at our Field School near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Outdoor adventure activities: lake and whitewater canoeing, river-tripping, rafting, rock-climbing/rappelling, hiking, trail biking and outdoor living skills. We also provide initiative tasks and team building programs.
Every program is led by certified, experienced outdoor educators and designed to integrate directly with Alberta Education curriculum outcomes — including Physical Education, CTS (Career and Technology Studies), Science, and CALM.
Whether you're a teacher planning a field trip or an administrator building an outdoor education unit, we'll work with you from first contact to final day to make it seamless.
Contact us to start planning: bookings@helaventures.com | (403) 845-4325
Alberta Curriculum-Connected Outdoor Programs
HeLa Ventures programs are built on an experiential education framework — students learn by doing, reflecting, and connecting classroom concepts to real outdoor environments. All programs are designed to meet or exceed Alberta school board safety and insurance requirements.
Activities available for school groups include:
- Lake and whitewater canoeing (Paddle Canada certified instructors)
- River tripping and rafting on the North Saskatchewan River
- Rock climbing and rappelling
- Hiking in the Rocky Mountain foothills
- Trail biking at Crimson Lake Provincial Park
- Wilderness living and outdoor survival skills
- Initiative tasks and team building programs
- Stand up paddleboarding (SUP)
Programs can be designed as single-activity days or multi-day combinations — mix and match activities to fit your group's objectives, age range, and available time. For example, a mountain biking option might become a part of the climbing and/or hiking day, or a stand up paddle (SUP) board opportunity a part ofthe canoeing day. For larger groups, students may elect to do canoeing, while others choose biking.
Check out the Program Itinerary Samples below for examples.
Certified Staff & Safety Standards
All HeLa Ventures school group programs are led by well-trained, qualified, and certified outdoor educators. Instructor-to-student ratios vary by activity type and are set to meet or exceed all Alberta school board safety and insurance policies.
Safety is the first priority on every program. Certified staff hold credentials including Wilderness First Aid, swift water rescue, Paddle Canada certifications, and climbing instruction qualifications.
Full details on instructor qualifications for your specific program are provided upon registration.
Download our Safety Policies Document for complete information.
For safety reasons, we reserve the right to alter the schedule on any program should weather or water conditions present a risk to participants.
-
HeLa offers some standard programs (see Program Option Samples*), or can be designed in a mix-and-match fashion. For example, a mountain biking option might become a part of the climbing and/or hiking day, or a stand up paddle (SUP) board opportunity a part of
the canoeing day. -
For larger groups, students may elect to do canoeing, while others choose biking.
-
All programs require a minimum of 6 registrants to proceed.
*Please contact us if you are interested in exploring these options.
Equipment List
Equipment List Here.
*Some programs may require additional equipment or supplies; please check with coordinators.
Day Programs & Overnight Field School Programs
HeLa Ventures offers both day programs and overnight stays at our Field School — Site 147, RR4, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. The Field School is the same location used by Mountain Adventure School (MAS) for its credit-bearing overnight adventure camp series.
Overnight programs give students the full outdoor immersion experience — campfire meals, evening activities, and multiple days of skill-building in the Alberta foothills and river corridor.
Day programs are ideal for schools looking for a single focused experience — a rafting day, a canoeing skills session, or a climbing and hiking combination.
*All programs require a minimum of 10 registrants to proceed.
CALM Summer School & Credit Integration
HeLa Ventures programs can be designed to support CALM summer school credit delivery for Alberta students. In partnership with Mountain Adventure School and Progressive Academy, students can combine outdoor field programs with online CALM 20 coursework for a complete experiential learning package.
Teachers and administrators interested in integrating CALM, CTS, or Physical Education outcomes into a field program are encouraged to contact us — we'll work with you to align activities to the specific modules and outcomes you need to cover.
Download our Curriculum Connections Document to see how HeLa programs map to Alberta Education outcomes.
Program Options - Sample Itineraries for School Groups
Below are sample program structures for school groups. All programs can be customized — contact us to design something specific to your group.
Option A: Three Day Canoeing Program Sample
In this three-day program, students learn the basics of lake and river canoeing with our Paddle
Canada (PC) certified instructors. Our focus is on developing canoeing skills to allow students to
manoeuvre their canoe safely and efficiently.
While paddling on scenic Twin Lakes, students practice their new skills with a variety of exercises and games. The canoeing experience culminates on the third day with a paddle on the North Saskatchewan River.
For day 2, a variety of dry land programming options are available.
Evening activities include healthy, delicious food and games!
Note: River runs include options for using tandem canoes and/or rafts. The section we choose depends on your objectives and/or environmental considerations. Rapids on the North Saskatchewan River section that we paddle are maximum Class II.
A1: Three Day Standard Canoeing Program
Day 1 - Lake canoeing (skills training)
Day 2 - A challenging ridge hike
Day 3 - Option of either a river tripping or white water (Class II) skills development experience
A2: Three Day Standard Canoeing Program with Top-roped Climbing
Day 1 - Lake canoeing (skills training)
Day 2 - Top-roped rock climbing and interpretive hiking
Day 3 - Option of either a river tripping or white water (Class II) skills development experience
A3: Three Day Standard Canoeing Program with CTS credit options
Day 1 - Lake canoeing (skills training)
Day 2 - Dependent upon the CTS module chosen, the focus will be either wilderness living and
survival skills, or forestry-based experiences and activities. CTS concepts are integrated
throughout the program. Please contact us to determine which CTS module(s) will fit your program
Day 3 - Option of either a river tripping or white water (Class II) experience
Option B: Two Day Program Sampler
This two-day program is designed to give students a safe introduction to two or three outdoor
adventure activities.
B1:
Day 1 - Full day hike in the mountains west of Nordegg
Day 2 - Rafting on the North Saskatchewan river
B2:
Day 1: Lake Canoeing at Twin Lakes and Trail Biking* at Crimson Lake Provincial Park
Day 2: Wilderness Living Skills and Rafting on the North Saskatchewan river or Rafting only
*For junior high students below Grade 9, trail biking is substituted with lake canoeing.