The year will begin with several weeks of study, adventure and service opportunities in beautiful camp settings on a variety of Manitoba lakes. Students will explore the Lake of the Woods in Ontario on a canoe trip before spending almost a week learning, serving and ministering in the north end of urban Winnipeg. After that, you’ll travel west through the Rocky and Coastal mountains to experience the streets of Vancouver. Your eyes will be opened to the reality of poverty in Canada and the contrast between social issues in two different Canadian cities. Most of your stay, however, will be at camps and retreat centres in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and in Alberta’s Rocky mountains. Great bible study, life preparation, mountain oriented adventure and local service opportunities will comprise the curriculum for the semester.

Travel

A primary component of Outtatown is knowing the world and to do that we believe that one must start right where they are. The majority of the students and Site Leaders are from Canada so naturally this is where we start the adventure. From September to December, you will be exposed to the breathtaking beauty, and painful brokenness, of Canada’s rural areas and major urban centres. You will experience the vast fields and vibrant culture of the Canadian prairies, fall in love with the mountainous terrain of western Alberta, and marvel at the laidback west coast lifestyle in British Columbia. You will become familiar with car games, bad singing, and fast food as you travel across Canada in three 15-passenger vans. Occasionally short stops are made along the way to gaze at wandering moose, or black bears as they hunt for fish in the salmon filled rivers. Depending on the schedule, you may even spot a pod of whales out on the Pacific ocean as you travel by ferry to Vancouver Island.

We consider ourselves a “school on the road”, and thus the classroom is constantly changing location and form. Most often instruction will take place in a meeting room at the camp, retreat centre, or hotel where the students are staying. However, the “classroom” may be on a houseboat, on a beach, around a campfire, or even on top of a mountain.

Instruction

Our instructors are university professors, missionaries, para-church ministry leaders, youth workers, pastors, and politicians. They are all incredible teachers, extremely passionate about young adults, and each one sharing a common goal: helping you to know God. Each instructor will bring their own style and flavour and will challenge you out of their particular area of expertise. Throughout the first semester, you will learn about who God is and who he wants you to be through topics such as:

• Old and New Testament
• Christian theology and ethics
• Church history
• Biblical interpretation
• The nature of the Church and Christian worship
• How to be faithful to Jesus Christ in the context of the current world situation

You will learn to think for yourself and move toward a faith that is real and personal to you, not just simply part of your family or cultural tradition.

Service

Even if you’ve lived in a major urban centre your whole life, we will show you areas that you’ve likely never seen. You will be involved in urban ministry and education both in Winnipeg and Vancouver. Both of these cities have specific areas that seem to be forgotten by society. The inhabitants are mostly families and individuals broken by poverty, abuse and addiction. We will live and minister in these areas and learn why Jesus’ heart was consistently broken for the poor and underprivileged. In a safe and secure environment, you will encounter drug addicts, prostitutes, and the homeless. In some cases you will be the one who hands out food and donations to people at shelters and food banks. At other times, you will line up with everyone else as you wait for your meal at a soup kitchen. You will meet and sometimes even become friends with people who for the most part are treated like they don’t exist. Your impressions and stereotypes will be transformed as you listen to stories and testimonies from people of all walks of life.

In some of the more rural locations, we will introduce you to British Columbia’s Native population. You will live, serve, and learn alongside individuals from the Nuu-cha-nulth nations on Vancouver Island and various other tribes from British Columbia’s lower mainland. They will teach you about Native history and the struggles their people have faced since Europeans migrated west. They will show you the beauty of their culture, art and traditions. You will be given opportunities to help communities with projects involving construction, chopping firewood, and children’s ministries. Often there will be a time of shared worship and personal testimonies.

Throughout the semester, you will also have many opportunities to support the various camp ministries that we will partner with by helping with construction, painting, childcare, and facility maintenance.

Adventure

In first semester, some of the main adventure opportunities will be:

Body surfing – Some sites will spend a day body surfing in rapids at a dam north of Winnipeg. It’s basically white water rafting, without a raft. Don’t worry…it will be at the beginning of the semester while it’s still warm!

Canoe Tripping – Each site will do a multi-day canoe trip with Wild Wise Adventures on the beautiful Lake of the Woods. Canoe trips will include portaging.

Hiking – Every team will have the opportunity to do several serious hikes in either Alberta or BC. Some past favourites have included Mt. Yamnuska in Canmore, Alberta and The Needle along the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia. Site Leaders and students together will research local areas to find exciting and challenging hiking routes suitable for the time of year and skill level of those hiking.

Skiing/Snowboarding – At the end of the semester, all sites will spend 5 days together at the Rundle Mountain Lodge in Canmore, Alberta. Every student will be treated to a full-day lift ticket at either Sunshine or Lake Louise Ski Resorts. Students will be given opportunity to ski/snowboard for a second day at their own cost.

Cross Country Skiing – Some students prefer to cross country ski rather than downhill. Site Leaders will make every effort to provide this as an alternative.

In addition, many other adventure opportunities are available at places we will travel to in western Canada such as rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, etc. Site Leaders will make every effort (within reason) to help motivated students find opportunities to experience as much adventure as possible. However, non-program activities will be at the students’ own cost.

Come let us show you around Canada and discover the beautiful and diverse country we live in!