Outdoor Education at the Boys' College

Outdoor Education is a pillar at St Stithians Boys’ College that is grounded in experiential learning and providing spaces where boys can be boys. We are fortunate to have a green lung of a campus so close to Africa’s economic powerhouse of Sandton, and this allows our boys to balance a sense of being out in nature with the positives of such an urbanised environment.

However, in order to teach courage and curiosity, sometimes an adventure is in order. As such, some students experienced an expedition to the unfenced wilderness of the Tuli Block in Botswana to quench their immersion into this authentic African landscape. The tour is open to any boys and is an opportunity to delve into the ecosystem in which we are a part. Seeing big game such as lions and elephants on foot add to the lustre of such a trip, and during the week boys were able to forget about the social posturing and materialism that perpetuates our city and return back to themselves.

They built relationships, became more self-aware and appreciated the interconnectedness that each species contributes in the wild. This sort of thing brings back to focus our own human relationships and the challenges that face our planet as well as the manner in which each individual can be a symbol for change and hope.

It is in celebrating the diversity of our natural spaces that we are able to recognise the diversity in each other as well and Outdoor Education provides just that.