Last week, we hosted a group of IAYP (International Award for Young People) participants from Chennai Public School Global for their Adventurous Journey in Kodaikanal. They included students from all levels—Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Each level of the programme had its own set of requirements and challenges. To meet these needs, we carefully designed activities that offered a meaningful camping, trekking and learning experience unique to each level. 

As soon as the students arrived, their journey began with a trek to our campsite. There is no better introduction to the challenges of the programme than a steep climb that immediately pulls them away from the comfort and familiarity of life in the cities. This experience set the tone for the days to come.

The tough climb on rugged and steep terrain truly sets the tone for the adventure ahead at our Kodaikanal campsite.

Their first day at the campsite began with an orientation—an overview of what to expect, a tour of the basecamp, and a breakdown of the plan for the upcoming days. The excitement was palpable, even among those who were anxious about being in the wilderness, completely out of their comfort zone for the first time.

Over the next few days, the participants engaged in various activities designed to test their resilience, teamwork, and resourcefulness. They learned several essential outdoor skills, including:

For most students, this was their first time camping in nature. Some of them were skeptical about sleeping in tents, but on the final day a few students said “We loved how cozy the tents were and we loved the opportunity to chat with our friends at night”.

Students learn how to pitch a tent by working with each other.

Navigation: Students practiced navigating using both modern technology and traditional methods of reading physical maps. Understanding how to find their way outdoors proved to be a valuable and fun learning experience.

First Responder Techniques: Basic emergency response skills were taught through hands-on activities. The students learned essential principles for handling wounds and fractures:

Wound Management: Stopping bleeding, cleaning the wound, dressing it, and monitoring for infection.

Fracture Treatment: Padding, rigidity, adjustability, keeping fingers and toes exposed, immobilization, and checking Circulation, Sensation, and Motion (CSM).

The real test came during a simulated emergency situation, an exercise planned by us that felt all too real for the students. As they made their way back from the trek, a sudden shout broke the steady rhythm of their hike. 

One of our facilitators pretended to fall and injure his leg and shared that he couldn’t walk. Panic flickered across their faces for a split second before their training and instinct kicked in.

They didn’t hesitate. Two students dashed down to the campsite to fetch a stretcher, while the others assessed the situation. They wrapped the bandages with care. Moments later, the group worked together to carry him down the trail by taking turns, voices steady, movements coordinated. 

Their ability to act swiftly and support each other was nothing short of inspiring.

The students posing with Trek Leader and Facilitator Bijju Shekhar, after evacuating him safely to the base camp.

Igniting Fire & Cooking for Survival: Students attempted to light and maintain a fire and then cook food for everyone. The task tested their patience and perseverance, giving them a newfound appreciation for the people who prepare food for them daily.

Students chopped vegetables, made rotis and dal.

Understanding the Environment & Culture: Students were encouraged to study the natural surroundings and interact with local people, to gain insights into the ecosystem and cultural heritage of the region.

The programme was designed to promote leadership development, and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their strengths and collaborate effectively within teams. As Award Leader Swrnalatha Ma’am said “The program was carefully designed to help students connect with International Baccalaureate Learner Profiles such as:

Inquirer: Seeking knowledge and solutions with curiosity.

Critical Thinker: Making informed, thoughtful decisions even in challenging conditions.

Principled: Taking responsibility and demonstrating integrity.

Risk-Taker: Stepping outside their comfort zones with courage and determination.

Caring: Showing empathy and respect towards the environment and their peers.

Open-Minded: Embracing diverse perspectives and learning from them.

Balanced: Understanding the importance of physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

They also strengthened International General Certificate Attributes such as:

Reflectiveness: Assessing their actions and learning from experience.

Communication: Conveying ideas effectively within their teams.

Adaptability: Adjusting to evolving situations with grace and flexibility.”

This immersive experience equipped students with practical life skills and fostered a deeper understanding of their capabilities and leadership potential. It highlighted the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and adaptability in overcoming challenges.

What 6–8 Hours of Purposeful Activity Looks Like

Participants worked together for different activities at the Indiahikes Kodaikanal Spice Valley campus.

Participants took complete ownership of the their daily activities including serving food to their fellow IAYP participants.

IAYP participants reflect on their experiences.

IAYP participants journeying in Kodaikanal.

IAYP Participants navigate the trail during their trek.

What 6–8 Hours of Purposeful Activity Includes:

Journaling and reflecting on their trekking experiences

For these students, the Adventurous Journey was more than a checklist of activities to fulfill their IAYP requirements. It was an experience that will likely leave a lasting impact on their approach to challenges, collaboration, and personal growth. 

Learn More About IAYP Adventurous Journey With InSOUL

A Photo Story Glimpse into CPS Global's Bronze, Silver, and Gold IAYP Adventurous Journey

Since June 25th, DPS Bangalore West students have been on a journey of learning and adventure, embarking on day hikes to various scenic hills around Bangalore. Thirteen groups have explored trails like Yathi Raja Betta, Skandagiri and Kunagalu Betta.

Each trek offers its own set of challenges and learning experiences. This has been quite enlightening for us to be able to watch the different age groups come together and explore the different treks.

We were thrilled to introduce the more than 500 young adventurers from Nursery all the way up to Grade 9 of DPS West to the outdoors.  Through this, we shared the joys of trekking and activities for experiential learning to better support their learning journey.

Parents and grandparents who joined the treks expressed their delight in seeing their children explore new territories and learn from everything the outdoors have to offer.

Through these treks, we had the privilege of observing students as they explored new trails and opened up their hearts and minds with curiosity. 

From reflecting upon their feelings and writing them on a postcard..

Students had plenty of opportunities and time to engage with their surroundings. The rock pools, the vast skies and uninterrupted views. 

Join us in exploring the essence of their journey, the smiles, determination, and wonder of young adventurers as they learn from their experiences outdoors.

From Campus to Peaks: The Birth of DPS West's Trekking Tradition

The idea of daily treks stemmed from a special “Camp in Campus” programme held two months ago. The idea through this experience was to slowly introduce the students to the outdoors, while still spending time within the safe and familiar surroundings of their school campus.

Students experiencing their school campus from a new perspective, camping on the grounds.

The overwhelming positive feedback from this programme inspired the school and parents and gave them the confidence to embrace more full-fledged trekking activities. 

Kuljeet Ma'am, Senior School Coordinator at DPS Bangalore West played a major role in making the entire 'Camp in Campus' a big success.

Thus, the series of daily hikes began. This is a step towards fostering a love for the outdoors among students while also learning from their experiences.

Outdoor Experiential Learning and the Environment

As renowned British Naturalist Sir David Attenborough puts it:

“If children grow up not knowing about nature and appreciating it, they will not understand it, and if they don’t understand it, they won’t protect it, and if they don’t protect it, who will?”

Experiencing the natural environment and learning about it is one of the many aspects young students can imbibe in our outdoor experiential learning treks. 

On our outdoor experiential learning treks at Indiahikes, we blend nature and adventure with our specially designed learning activities where young students can make the most of their time spent outdoors.

All of our student trekkers are equipped with ecobags, which are little bags that they tie around their waists in which they put the trash which they find on the trail.

In this way, they ensure that no waste is left behind on the trails.  

Through this activity, children find joy in making a difference by leaving the hills better than they find them.

The idea of picking up trash and cleaning up after a mess which they did not create is new. On all of our treks we found that students quickly took to this activity. 

Sometimes, they went out of their way to pick up hidden water bottles under rocks. 

One student was on a mission to pick up as many plastic bottles as possible. 

On each of the treks, students were involved in discussions about their responsibility as trekkers in the outdoors and what it means to be responsible for the environment.

Their sense of responsibility towards nature was triggered through interactive skits performed by the Indiahikes team. 

Students watch intently as the Indiahikes team performs a skit which animatedly depicts the more sustainable choices we can make while trekking.

Learning Beyond Classrooms: Preschoolers Trek with their Families!

On treks with the youngest students, parents joined their little ones. By the end of each of these treks, we could see what a beautiful bonding experience this created. 

Several parents mentioned that they often do not get the opportunity to be a part of the learning process of their children. 

More than one of the parents said "I am happy to join my child in exploring a new hill, something we have never done together". 

Another parent said "It was an amazing experience for us. A kind of change in our routine life. Especially spending a good amount of time with our kids because of this trekking felt refreshing.

Children really enjoyed a lot and of course they were able to learn some skills to tackle the situation in some points of trekking".

Renu Ma'am, principal of DPS Bangalore West has been an incredible support in getting the parents onboard. She says that once parents trek, they become more confident in allowing their children to trek. Once they experience what the outdoors offer, they no longer see it as a dangerous place and begin to see the benefits of spending time outdoors.

The school grounds of DPS Bangalore West buzzed with the excitement of young hikers. The sight of preschoolers, backpacks on and smiles wide, was heartwarming.

With their parents by their side, they explored the flora and fauna of Kunagalu Betta, discovering new things at every turn.

When parents joined the youngest trekkers, everyone wore the ecobags to trek responsibly. 

Parents and children navigated tricky sections of the trek together. 

How do we introduce the youngest students to the outdoors? 

We know that the youngest children might not remember their first trek. Instead, what they will remember is the time they found a crab on top of a hill or the time they touched a millipede for the first time. 

For many students, the outdoors and the different species they see are creatures that never get to observe up close. The outdoors are often seen as an unsafe place as they do not get enough opportunities to spend time outdoors. 

Within our group of trek leaders who joined the young students, we had naturalists and ecology enthusiasts. These trek leaders and the Indiahikes team show students interesting plants and allow students to carefully explore the elements which excite them.

There is truly nothing as exciting as listening to an inspired teacher, in this case a trek leader.

A three year old girl was happy to watch a millipede crawl on her hand with the help of an Indiahikes trek leader who showed her that it is a gentle harmless creature.

When some students were busy playing or exploring the different rock formations, one student was happy to lie on the grass and told us “I’m trying to identify the different shapes in the clouds”.

Parents and even grandparents have expressed immense joy in joining these treks. Watching their children and grandchildren explore new terrains, learn about the environment, and develop a love for nature has been a rewarding experience.

Why is it important for children to spend time outdoors?

On our experiential learning treks students are provided with an environment where they work together, support each other and overcome challenges.

Students lending each other a hand for support.

Students on a trek learn the importance of team work and begin to lookout for each other.

We often hear from teachers that the students who they had labelled as ‘notorious’ for their high levels of energy and tendency to get distracted easily are more engaged when they are outdoors.

On a recent trek of mine with students in the third standard, we had split the 60 students into groups of 10. At the end of the trek, one of the teachers asked me how I handled one of the boys, who always gives her a hard time in the classroom. 

I found that on the trek, while he did have a tendency to break some of the ground rules we set for them, he was immensely happy to be outdoors and was very curious about everything that was observed.

There have been studies which show that playing and even just being outdoors is so important as it gives them experiences which are important for their overall development. 

They have the space to be with themselves without the confines, rules and structures of their classroom or home setting.

One of the main benefits which we have observed in young children when they are outdoors and on treks is that all the sensory exposure they get allows them to connect with the natural world more meaningfully. 

For example, understanding how our actions are causing pollution and how this affects nature is something that impacts them deeply once they see live examples and discuss it on their treks.

They have the opportunity to observe the life around them, sparking their curiosity and wonder.

A student swinging from the roots of a Banyan tree.

Students searching for crabs in a small rock pool. Something they heard from previous students who went for the trek.

We heard from parents who came that some of their children need their phones to be able to eat their lunch. This is quite a worrying trend.

When children spend time outdoors and engage in activities designed to help them connect with their surroundings, these experiences can help develop their physical, emotional, social skills and even their creativity.

There are several physical skills children pick up in a non-competitive setting when they trek. These are skills such as balance and coordination. They become more agile and confident in their movements. 

In our experiential learning treks, we provide plenty of opportunities for students to ask questions. We encourage reflection and introspection. The older students often tell us that going on a short day trek gives them more clarity.

For us at Indiahikes, even after years of treks with young students, each time we are always entertained by their creativity and imagination.

This time with with the first standard students from DPS West on the trek to Kunagalu Betta (a.k.a Puppy Betta), upon reaching the summit of the climb, one of the students asked us 

“Have we reached the belly of the puppy”? 

Our team loves leading treks with young students because their hilarious creativity allows us to become children again and enjoy the trek with them. 

For Ankith, our graphic designer, it was his first time trekking with young students. He was slightly uncertain before the trek about the responsibility. However, knowing that the trek leaders were fully trained to handle any medical or situational emergencies eased his mind. Read this article to learn more about how Indiahikes ensures safety for children on day hikes. 

Upon going on the trek, all his uncertainties disappeared as he saw the enthusiasm of the young trekkers. They opened up to him and insisted that he should trek alongside them.

Ankith returned from the trek gushing about how much fun he had becoming a child himself and enjoying the trek together with the children.

Friday, 12th of July marked the final day of this series of adventures. For us at Indiahikes it has been a journey filled with laughter, learning, and unforgettable experiences.

We had an absolutely wonderful time hosting students from DPS Bangalore West and we hope that this is the beginning of a lifetime of learning and love for the outdoors. 

We would especially like to thank Renu Ma'am principal of DPS Bangalore West, Kuljeet Ma'am, senior school coordinator, Gunjan Ma'am, middle school coordinator and Vidya Ma'am, primary school coordinator for all their support and enthusiasm. 

Their trust in the process of experiential learning and the benefits of trekking and spending time outdoors made it possible for so many students to trek with their classmates, teachers and families!

Click here to learn more about the different programmes we offer schools.

photos and adventures of the 2024 DPS Bangalore West day-hikes with Indiahikes around Bangalore.

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