Oak Grove’s Outdoor Education & Travel Program at the junior high level offers opportunities to learn from nature, build lasting friendships, feel comfortable and secure in the outdoors, and become active stewards of the environment. Students learn the skills of increasing independence, cooperation and teamwork, and the ability to spend time in nature without the stimulus of electronics. Students participate in two trips per year; one in the fall and one in the spring.

Fall Camping Trip: The fall camping trip is designed to bring the whole junior high school together early in the year to orient and integrate new and returning students and teachers. The trip provides an opportunity for community building, developing friendships, building outdoor skills and spending time in nature “unplugged”. Living simply for a week invites students to consider their relationship to the natural world. A community service project is usually part of the trip. Students spend the week camping either on the California Coastal Islands, on one of the many beautiful beach camps along the California Coast or in the Sierra Mountains.

Winter/Spring Trips: These are one week long and are usually tied to curriculum and include a community service component. Junior high trips alternate each year and range from a week in Wyoming doing ecological field studies at the Teton Science School, to a week in Southern Utah or the Southwest studying Native American cultures. Students often finish the year with a 2 to 3 day local backpacking trip.