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The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.-Kool Adventure Camp (RAFI-KAC) is piloting the senior high school health-optimizing PE (HOPE) Outdoor Leadership Program for Grade 12 students and PE teachers of the Arcelo Memorial National High School (AMNHS) in Liloan, Cebu.

HOPE is a series of four courses within the basic education curriculum for Physical Education and Health (PEH) for SHS. The program seeks to involve participants in experiential learning, highlighting outdoor activities for fitness and lifelong health.

HOPE 4 in particular is the last installation. It focuses on recreational activities such as aquatics and mountaineering (hiking, trekking, camping and orienteering) to prepare students to be good outdoor leaders using the Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles as framework, and to foster a positive attitude to the natural environment to promote its sustainable use.

The three-day HOPE 4 program was held last Feb. 14-16, 2018 at the KAC center in Balamban. A total of 93 students took part in the program, which included the following modules and activities: comprehensive discussion on the LNT principles; basic first aid (medical risk common in the outdoors, emergency drills and evacuation); basic orienteering (using of compass and map reading); camp management (camping on durable surface, tent pitching and outdoor cooking); and day hike, which is the culmination activity where they will apply what they have learned and process their experiences through reflection and sharing of experience.

“The program aims to align YDP modules in the SHS curriculum which will hopefully lead to the integration of the program design in the curriculum. We want the program to guide the SHS students in their journey commencing in SHS and beyond, and enable them to create health and environment related initiative,” said Youth Development Programs (YDP) Assistant Director Daphne Dia.

“I’m very grateful to our teachers for initiating this program. I became responsible of myself and of others, and learned the value of respecting the outdoors and wildlife. To my instructor and to KAC, thank you for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maraming taas!,” said Mike Jerome “Challenger” Marikit, Grade 12 Technological Vocational Livelihood – Electrical Installation and Maintenance student of AMNHS.

“I saw them realize how much they are missing out, and how the program made them appreciate the smallest of things. There may have been complaints but when they looked back on their journey, they were left in awe,” said Chareena Patindol, a YDP facilitator for the HOPE Program.

“Young people will be willing to take more real-life challenges if they are placed in the right environment and prepared with the right mindset,” said Richard Delos Reyes, another YDP Facilitator of the HOPE Program.

After the camp, the HOPE Outdoor Leadership Program will go through a thorough review and evaluation by KAC and AMNHS to further develop the design and to expand the program offering for other public schools with the same SHS program.

The Kool Adventure Camp of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI-KAC) is the first and only fully dedicated Adventure Education Center in the Philippines. KAC equips organizations and individuals with the character, competence and citizenship to be leaders of change, through powerful learning experiences.