Student Travel opportunities
Student travel provides rich experiential opportunities that complement classroom learning. By offering experiential and cultural trips, students build important skills and character and develop perspectives on different cultures and people. Having a broad awareness of how others live allows students to think differently about their own lives.
Through travel, we encourage students to step out of their comfort zones and into a growth zone where they hone their self-management skills, grow in confidence, and examine new perspectives.
Major Trips Availability
In planning these trips, we aim to provide opportunities for different age groups, with different focuses, and opportunities to travel to different regions of the world. All major trips are optional and available to students in Grades 8-12.
| Grade | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8, 9 | February 2025 | Yukon |
| 10, 11, 12 | March 2025 | Spain & Portugal |
| 8, 9 | February 2026 | Quebec |
| 10, 11, 12 | March 2026 | Americas |
| 8, 9 | February 2027 | Yukon |
| 10, 11, 12 | March 2027 | Asia — Cambodia or Thailand (TBD) |
| 8, 9 | February 2028 | Quebec |
| 10, 11, 12 | March 2028 | Europe or Africa — Croatia (TBD) |
| 8, 9 | February 2029 | Location TBD |
| 10, 11, 12 | March 2029 | Costa Rica |
Performing Arts & Post-Secondary Tours
In addition to major trips, Urban Academy also offers regular opportunities for students to take part in additional travel. Post-secondary tours take place each year for Grade 10-12 students to explore post-secondary institutions and programs within BC and in Eastern Canadian Universities as well.
Performing Arts trips such as band competitions, the Okanagan Shakespeare Festival and other opportunities to learn and share their creative skills are also integrated into the school year, however, do not overlap with other planned travel.
| Grade | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7–12 | April 2026 | Con Brio Festival, Whistler BC |
Camp Experiences
In addition to travel and major trips, students begin their camp experiences in Grade 3 with a day camp experience. In Grade 4 they begin their first overnight camp, working up to a full week of camp in Grades 7 and 8. Included in camp are outdoor education sports and activities, learning how to camp/structure build/forage and make fire, teamwork opportunities and nature exploration.
Additional week-long camp experiences take place for Senior Students through opportunities to work at the Cedar Coast Field Station to practise their research skills or work alongside marine biologists at Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre. Opportunities to connect the learning that is taking place inside the classroom with hands-on real-life experiences bring learning to life for Urban Academy students.
