Government of Yukon continues Canoe Camp to enhance on-the-land learning for students

The Government of Yukon is committed to providing all Yukon students with a modern curriculum that follows best practices from across Canada and the world while incorporating the Yukon’s context and Yukon First Nations’ ways of knowing, doing and being. As part of this commitment, the Government of Yukon is continuing to offer Canoe Camp to students from Grades 5 to 12 from all Yukon schools.

Canoe Camp gives students the chance to learn by doing. It builds confidence, encourages teamwork and connects students to the land and water. This kind of hands-on learning is especially valuable for students who thrive outside the traditional classroom environment.

Canoe Camp 2025, launched on May 20, will run until June 14, offering Yukon students a hands-on learning experience at Schwatka Lake. Certified instructors from Flatwater North lead each session, giving students consistent, high-quality instruction. In 2024, more than 400 students from eight schools took part in 30 half-day canoe lessons. The feedback from these students was overwhelmingly positive.

Feedback from teachers shared that by working with the contractor Flatwater North, this program helps remove some of the common barriers that can prevent schools from offering on-the-land learning – like finding instructors, managing risks or accessing safe equipment for younger students – making it easier for them to participate. Further, it helped reduce planning for teachers and made outdoor learning more accessible. Based on this success, the department is offering Canoe Camp again this year and aims to keep supporting this model in future years.