DAY 1 (TUESDAY)
8:00 – Leave school in the morning
Transportation is provided by the school – it’s the only thing not covered in the price because insurance companies will no longer cover “traveling camps”.
10:30 – Meet in Williams, AZ and ride train to the Grand Canyon
Students will begin their adventure here, and the fun never stops, from the time they load the train they will never know what’s coming next until they arrive home. The Bull Creek staff will meet with all the teachers, administrators, and parent helpers at the depot as the students are loading to go over the schedule, but we try to keep the students from ever knowing what’s coming next from the moment they board the train until they leave.We believe that the element of surprise will keep them on the edge of their seats and heighten their experience, thereby increasing the chances that they will retain the education and experiences for a lifetime.Subject area: Ecology and GeologySubject area: History of the areaOnce the train rolls out, the real program begins. We use colorful characters, such as train robbers and historical heroes (Wyatt Earp, etc) to captivate the students and begin to unfold to them the colorful history of Northern Arizona and even the geological wonders they are about to experience. Throughout the whole trip these characters will show up at unexpected times to “wow” kids and bring humor to the education.
12:00 – Eat lunch at the Grand Canyon
Lunch provided by Lost CanyonRide train back to Williams, get on bus to Lost Canyon
6:00 – Arrive at camp- check-in to cabins
The dropped jaws don’t stop at the national park, many students won’t believe their eyes when they see Young Life’s Lost Canyon for the first time. The immaculate facility is designed with a theme of an 1800’s style railroad town, perfect for our program and all that they will experience during the trip.We believe the facility alone would be worth the trip, from the luxurious cabins and unparalleled dining facility, to the old-time theater designed massive all-camp meeting room; kids will dread loading the buses to come home. We can’t say enough about the property that Young Life has put together and made available to us to make these trips possible!
6:45 – Dinner
We try to make excellence the standard in every detail and in every single minute of our program, and meals are not an exception. Gourmet style meals will continue the “wow” factor that will be becoming a constant theme by this point. We know that excellence is another tool that breaks down walls for even the farthest out, toughest students.
7:30 – All-camp meeting in club room-view videos of them at the Grand Canyon
Throughout the trip we will have a photographer/video professional follow all the students around and make 3-5 minute highlight videos of the days that we will show on the big screen in the theater room. Students will literally be pushing the doors in once they get to see themselves having these amazing experiences in front of all their friends. It is a small detail that really means a lot to kids, especially those who may not always be the center of attention. We only show footage that sets kids up to look like heroes, never anything that might embarrass them.
Watch Grand Canyon Movie
With the sound quality and video experience that this great room provides this is a great opportunity to show a quick 5-10 minute video recapping the geology and wonder of the Grand Canyon. These high quality videos are always so much more impacting after having just stood on the edge of the huge cliffs.
Game show…What we learned at the Grand Canyon
Games that involve learning and group and individual participationWith the surprise re-appearance of one of the characters from the train or from the park, we like to use humor and fun to teach. We always pull students up front on the stage (again trying to make them the heroes) and do crazy trivia games where teachers or parents might get a pie in the face or maybe all camp math challenges where everyone partners up and battles down to our final champions. The idea is simple, we want every student up out of their seats participating and being excited so that it has a completely different feel than the traditional classroom.
Educational/ Motivational Talk
This is a great opportunity for a Bull Creek Director or one of your own administrators or teachers to give a 15-20 minute message in a setting where kids have been drawn in and are ready to absorb information. Groups might choose to use this as a topic-focused time and explore things such as peer relations or drug awareness, or they might take a more curriculum driven approach and use this time to focus on geology or history. Either way, our desire is to set up your students to have the best possible experience and education in this slot of time.
8:30 – Night games- glow sticks etc.
No education here, we just want kids to have a blast, and get out all their energy! We use a variety of night games that incorporate the whole group. We challenge ourselves that every group would walk away saying “I can’t believe I just did that!”
9:30 – Snack Bar and Hot tub open
Optional per group, but another great way to wind down the evening
10:30 – Travel Log/ Lights out
Before they go to bed each night we encourage every student to journal in his personal travel log to try to put into words the experiences of the day. This helps with writings skills in their ability to communicate life experiences, and it helps solidify all they have learned in their minds.
DAY 2 (WEDNESDAY)
8:00 – Breakfast
At breakfast we have another surprise appearance from characters in the dining hall to try to wake up the whole group with a little fun and humor, and give everyone direction as to where to go for the morning.Activity Stations: Groups break up into smaller groups and rotate through stations such as:
1. Team building/low ropes/ leadership skills/ communication skills
An example would be the volcano escape challenge. Each group is told that the whole ground is burning lava and their whole group must navigate through a filed together only touching certain boulders or platforms. The idea is for students to have fun playing “games” but really be intentional in exploring what forms of communication work best to accomplish goals and what sorts of leadership styles are most effective. After each challenge the Bull Creek staff will lead the group in a follow-up discussion to discover and reinforce these concepts. This we call Adventure Programming.
2. Adventure/ rappelling/ rock-climbing
One of the signature experiences of the whole trip is rappelling. We believe that this is an amazing tool for every student. Unlike rock climbing, rappelling is not limited to a certain physical ability. It is all about trust and courage. Through perceived danger, each student gets to conquer fear and experience the rush of adventure. Our trained staff members are experts at coaching every student to make it over the edge and down safely, even if they are terrified of heights. Of course, we don’t force anyone or make anyone feel embarrassed if they don’t participate, but we do shoot for getting every student to have this experience.We really believe that most kids feel like they could never do something like this, and to prove their doubts wrong is monumental. Removing the “I could never” transcends beyond the rappelling experience and into the classroom and their everyday lives. Kids tell themselves things like, “I could never get an A in this English class,” or “I could never stand up to my friends to do the right thing,” but we believe differently.Rappelling is one of the most exciting and life changing experiences we offer. As far as rock climbing, we offer it as a free time activity for those who want an extra challenge and love all the benefits and analogies it provides, but we focus primarily on the activity that is less exclusive.
3. Biology-Ecology Trek/ Nature walk
This is where your science curriculum hits the ground running! We use our knowledge of the eco-system of the area and blend it with what your students are studying to give them a hands-on experience that will stick with them. Leaf formations and rock classifications and Aspen groves jump to life and help to form the whole picture of the magnificent earth that awes us. We like to think of it as scientific education through the lens of awe and wonder.
4. The Native American Experience
Northern Arizona has a rich history with the Native American people who have inhabited its land for centuries such as the Hualapai and Hopi people. During this station, kids will get to learn about the tribes from the area and interesting facts about their history, but they will also get to make Native American arts and crafts projects to take back home with them.
8:45-10:15 – Station 1
10:30-12:00 – Station 2
12:15 – Lunch
1:00- 2:30 – Station 3
2:45- 4:15 – Station 4
4:15 – Free Time (As many camp activities open as possible)
All camp is open! Weather permitting, kids can play sand volleyball, swim, ride North America’s longest zip line (1250 ft) ending by skipping across the lake, play basketball, enjoy the game room at Central Station, or just relax and talk about all they are living out. It’s a great time for teachers and parents to invest relationally with students and share some laughter with them. We believe that relationships are a key part of education and upbringing and that those relationships will be enhanced tremendously through the shared experiences of this trip. Sometimes some of the most meaningful and life changing moments aren’t programmed at all, they are a simple but needed laugh by the pool between a student and teacher.
6:45 – Dinner
7:30 – All group meeting in club room (Same format as night before)
The kids wait outside the theater this night in anticipation for the music to blare and the doors to fling open so they can run down to try to get a front row view of all the action. It is the same format from the night before but with new games and surprises.
8:45 – Bonfire/Indian Dance/S’mores
At the end of the meeting, a character will show up at the theater and leads the kids out in the dark in total silence and anticipation. At just the right moment a shotgun blast will signal an instant bonfire in the distance with Native American dancers and music. That night kids will eat S’mores and lounge around a huge campfire while taking in pictures in their minds they will never forget. It really is another “wow” moment.
10:00 – To cabins
DAY 3 (THURSDAY)
8:00 – Breakfast
8:45 – Pack and clean
The Bull Creek Staff and the Lost Canyon Property staff will assist all the students in an organized and easy clean-up process.
9:30 – Depart
Some groups choose to meet one last time this morning in the theater before departing if there are more curriculum items they haven’t been able to highlight or if it fits their return schedule better.All of these program elements are just examples and are customizable for your group and their desires. What makes this truly the Greatest Field Trip on Earth is the level of excellence we strive for as we serve your group with our very best.
Enjoy the trip!