An important part of the planning process is to select activities and facilities that are safe and accessible for all students to participate in meaningful outdoor physical activities. This includes more than just physical access — it’s about creating an environment where all students feel physically and emotionally safe, included, and capable of engaging.
Using OPASSE as a part of your planning process:
- Review General Procedures: These foundational standards are essential to student safety and apply to all outdoor education activities
- Consider All Safety Categories: each OPASSE activity includes detailed requirements under these categories: Equipment, Facilities, Environmental Considerations, Special Rules/Instructions, Supervision, Qualifications, and First Aid.
It is important to ensure you refer to the most appropriate activity pages to locate the standards for the activities you are planning, some considerations include:
- Land-Based Activities: these activities can be listed with an Outdoor Education heading (e.g., Outdoor Education – Backpacking/Hiking Local, Outdoor Education – Campling Local) as well as alphabetically according to the activity name (e.g., Orienteering, Climbing – Challenge Courses).
- Watercraft Activities: these activities can also be found with an Outdoor Education heading (e.g., Outdoor Education - Canoeing, Outdoor Education – Flat Water Kayaking) as well as alphabetically according to the activity name (e.g., Sailing, Wind Surfing).
- Swimming Activities: select the activity page that matches the type of activity (Instructional vs. Leisure), the type of swim area (Designated vs. Non-Designated) and the type of trip (e.g., single-day, multi-day, or integrated with watercraft).