Sustainability and Outdoor Education

You’ll be encouraged and challenged in areas such as critical thinking, problem solving, people management and creativity. As a result, you’ll enhance your adaptability and equip yourself to lead and help others in a rapidly changing world. 

Our well-regarded sustainability and outdoor education staff are highly qualified, have extensive sector experience and are passionate about their role in helping you learn. They know the demands of working in this field and share their knowledge, experience and industry connections to ensure you have substantial learning opportunities, both on and off-campus

Field trips and practical exercises make up a substantial proportion of your learning —screens are no substitute for connecting to the outdoors or the community. Through these experiences you’ll be work-ready for a variety of areas when you graduate.

In 2010, Ara introduced its Sustainability and Outdoor Education programmes. This portfolio of programmes, which is unique in Australasia, resulted from three years of research into how best to meet the needs of students, outdoor education and the broader sector in the coming decades.

Sustainable living is a key driving force behind education in the 21st century, and the programmes on offer at Ara are about equipping graduates to be at the forefront of those who are making a difference. The programmes blend together education for sustainability, practical outdoor experiences, outdoor education, social studies and human geography, and health and wellness.

As the twenty first century unfolds, the need for students to understand their world will only increase. In recent years, outdoor education and sustainability education have generated practices which can encourage a different way of seeing and engaging with the world. Many of these experiences will involve being actively engaged and responsive to outdoor environments, local places and communities.

Staff at Ara employ holistic teaching and learning approaches that develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to address change. These approaches increase understanding of the way we enhance a sense of connection to where we live, recreate and learn. This supports the theoretical underpinnings of outdoor education and the engagement of students in addressing sound social, economic and environmentally sensitive ways of living on the planet we depend on.

Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai is responsible for promoting conservation of the natural and historic heritage of New Zealand on behalf of, and for the benefit of, the present and future generations. DOC have a commitment to growing conservation knowledge, values and skills through programmes and initiatives with young people. The North Canterbury Partnerships team, based in Christchurch, supports young people to be actively involved in conservation. Read more >

Education Outdoors New Zealand

EONZ work is centred on supporting education outside the classroom (EOTC) practice in order to enrich learning. EONZ promotes best practice through support of schools' implementation of the Ministry of Education (2009) EOTC Guidelines, Bringing the Curriculum Alive and includes the development of resources, provision of professional learning development, framing network opportunities and access to expertise. Read more >

New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association

The New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) has promoted excellence in outdoor instruction and guiding through qualifications for professionals since 1987. NZOIA is a qualification body for nine outdoor activities or disciplines with three levels of qualification, which are recognised nationally as the industry standards. Many of the SOEP staff at Ara are NZOIA assessors in a variety of disciplines and regularly run external assessments for NZOIA. SOEP has been NZOIA accredited which means we are able to provide training and assessment of NZOIA Leader qualifications for our students. This is a great way for the students to gain valuable experience, industry qualifications and be work ready. Read more >

Skills Active

Skills Active Aotearoa is New Zealand's Industry Training Organisation (ITO) for the recreation, sport and fitness industries. We are a government-funded organisation and our role is to develop and facilitate world-class, nationally recognised qualifications that meet the needs of your business. That means providing employers and business owners with solutions for qualifying your staff through recognising the training and experience you provide your staff on the job. These solutions provide value to your business and a competitive edge in the marketplace. Read more >

Untouched World

With over 1000 student graduates and 300 teacher-trainees and teachers involved in our New Zealand programmes since 2001, Untouched World Charitable Trust welcomes the many global and local partnerships that enable our 16-18 year old young Kiwis to enhance their leadership capabilities, in the context of sustainability. Ara is one of those highly-valued partners and we look forward to continuing to develop our relationship. Read more >

OutdoorsMark

OutdoorsMark is a national outdoor safety audit programme designed by the New Zealand outdoors community for the New Zealand outdoors community. One of OutdoorsMark's fundamental objectives is to give participants in adventure activities, and the public, the assurance that the management of the activities has been checked by an independent expert - an OutdoorsMark auditor. If the operation is assessed by the auditor as being at, or above, the benchmark standards of the OutdoorsMark certification scheme, Skills Active grants OutdoorsMark certification. OutdoorsMark aims to: Promote safe participation Provide assurance that national outdoor safety standards for safety and professionalism are being met Raise standards in the delivery of adventure activities Reduce the risk of injuries and accidents Establish procedures for continual review and revalidation. Read more >

If you think you may require modifications in order to undertake the practical components of a particular course of study, we encourage you to discuss these with us so we can give them careful consideration.

As it may take time to consider and implement any modifications, please contact disability@ara.ac.nz as early as possible prior to the course starting. We’ll also need to check that there’s no risk of harm to you or anyone else before making a final decision.

Throughout this process we’ll communicate with you in a clear and timely manner.

Explore New Zealand's rich history of outdoor education in all its many guises with a free copy of a new book co-written by Ara staff and other outdoor educators.

Outdoor Education in Aotearoa New Zealand: A new vision for the 21st century looks back at 100 years of outdoor education in New Zealand and the significance these experiences hold in our society. Embracing a critical social-ecological perspective, the book also explores the future of outdoor education and charts a direction which aspires to educate for a sustainable and more equitable future.

Essential reading for outdoor educators, teachers, guides and students seeking to expand the possibilities and practices of education and build a deeper understanding of our relationship to the world we depend on.

This insightful book is available as a free download, or order your hard copy.