Curriculum Links...
Orienteering is an excellent educational exercise as it develops the following skills:
Reading: "reading" a map with a legend.
Conceptual and perceptual skills: relating the real surroundings to the symbolic details on the map and vice versa.
Observation: observing the surroundings, relating them to the map.
Self-confidence: students will develop more confidence in their own abilities as they progress along the course. Students are more comfortable in pairs to complete the activity.
Physical fitness: encourages walking, jogging or running in a pleasant way; if competition is introduced, students soon realize that fitness is a key skill.

Orienteering for schools program is approved by Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic School Boards.

Who...
Orienteering is a sport for life. We offer programs for students from kindergarten through to university graduates studying phys-ed and environmental education.

Where...
Orienteering does not require forests or woodlands. It can be done in the classroom,  school grounds or around the local community roads.  The Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club has made maps of  nearly all Edmonton River Valley Parks for orienteering. Rundle Park also has about 60 permanent controls set up and ready to use. We have maps of lots of Edmonton schools and will map your school with participation in the program. Schools already mapped

Time Needed...
Fifteen minutes are enough for a small exercise in a school yard or classroom;  45 to 90 minutes gives time for an orienteering activity in the park.  Travel time is needed for a forest setting ie Elk Island National Park or J J Collett Natural Area at Morningside.

Students need...
A sense of adventure, durable running shoes, appropriate clothing for the weather and a water bottle. Compass is optional; we supply maps.

Teachers Professional Development - The Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club can provide teachers with the knowledge they need to introduce students to orienteering. This course covers setting up simple orienteering games inside the school and the school yard. 
Fee: $35 per person

Student Classroom Session - class session including a short orienteering video, hands-on review of an orienteering map, trial event in the school yard, Q&A.  Schoolyard map included.   Schools already mapped
Fee: $2 per elementary student;   $5 per junior/senior high student.  $150 minimum charge per day.

Repeat/Additional Classroom sessions teachers may choose to focus on a particular skill : courses may be set up to learn a variety of beginner and intermediate orienteering skills in more depth, such as
-  map walking, map symbols
-  map orientation and map handling
-  pacing and distance
-  route choice and control finding
-  contour interpretation
Fee: $2 per elementary student;   $5 per junior/senior high student.  $150 minimum charge per day.

Field trips - orienteering at selected River Valley Parks. Morning or afternoon sessions include:

- beginner instruction
- orienteering maps with a course marked on

- control flags set out in the terrain
- introductory orienteering activity, post-game debriefing or Q&A, if time permits
Fee: $5 per student.  $150 minimum charge per day.