We are all in the same boat – experiential canoe and mountain bike trips in the 6th year
We have been conducting experiential canoe trips at our school for many years. We started with a small group of 16 6th grade children and rented boats. We are now conducting a three-day educational canoe and mountain bike tour on the Lahn with every 6th grade class. Thanks to the support of “Aktion Mensch” and the support association, we were able to purchase six Canadians with equipment and 21 mountain bikes and can therefore offer the tour for entire classes.
We take the train to Leun an der Lahn and paddle and cycle from there to Weilburg. After spending the night at the youth campsite there, we head to Runkel the next day. We grill there in the evening and sleep on the campsite. On the last day we paddle to Limburg. From there you take the train back to Bad Godesberg.
A pedagogical focus is the students’ self-organization. From packing the necessary equipment to setting up the tents and cooking meals, the students are supported in taking care of themselves. For many students who display difficult social behavior at school, the success they experience in practical life is an important experience. The students with disabilities traveling with us also have learning opportunities in areas in which they often lack skills.
Training social skills is another focus of the experiential education project. Getting around by canoe requires teamwork and you have to integrate all students. When setting up the tents and cooking, it is just as important to use everyone according to their abilities and to learn to integrate into the group.
The project is particularly important for students who primarily associate negative experiences and failures with school. These students are at risk of becoming school truants in higher grades. For them, the canoe trip is an important, positive experience and leads to a bond with the school.
The canoe and mountain bike ride gives the students a natural experience on the relatively unknown medium of water. For students who have difficulty controlling their exuberant activity, the water represents a natural limitation. Riding a bike requires endurance, so impulsivity is curbed.
For many of the students on the ride, it is important to get away from home into a new environment at all, as they cannot have this experience due to limited financial opportunities. Here, canoeing and mountain biking shows a way to have a “holiday experience” even with limited financial resources.
