5 February 2025
Outdoors NSW & ACT welcomes the ACT Government’s initiative to provide free camps for public primary school students, recognising it as a significant investment in outdoor education and the development of young Australians.
The ACT Government will provide one fully funded school camp for every student during their primary years. With the camps to be held at Birrigai Outdoor School from term 1 this year.[1]
Lori Modde, CEO of Outdoors NSW & ACT, commended the ACT Government for leading the way in making outdoor education accessible to all.
“This is a pleasing and a quick follow through of a commitment made during the 2024 ACT election. The importance of this initiative, and the benefits for young people should not be underestimated.”
It is commonly accepted that mental illness in Australian youth is rising, with reports indicating that mental ill-health accounts for at least 45% of the overall burden of disease in people aged 10 – 24. [2]
Thankfully there is an established body of research that getting outside and into nature can improve mental health and sharpen cognition[3] - two factors that are incredibly important to the success of students and schools. Researchers agree that students and young people who play outside are happier, better at paying attention, and less anxious than those who spend more time indoors.[4]
Data presented at the 2024 National Outdoor Education conference has shown that a Birrigai experience can also improve the resilience of students and increase their positive engagement with learning when they return to school.[5]
Ms. Modde urged other states, with national support, to follow suit, recognising the long-term benefits that outdoor experiences provide for students.
“This program will lay a foundation of positive mental health for Canberra’s young people – and in doing so its long-term benefits will be far more valuable than you might think.”
[1] https://www.act.gov.au/our-canberra/latest-news/2025/february/free-camps-for-act-public-primary-schools
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/14/alarming-surge-in-mental-ill-health-among-young-people-in-face-of-unprecedented-challenges-experts-warn.
[4] https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/#:~:text=Spending%20time%20outdoors%20isn't,nature%20can%20build%20their%20confidence.
[5] https://www.outdoorsvictoria.org.au/news-events/noec-2024/noec-2024-program-timetable/calwell-high-on-country-learning-program/
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