6th Grade Camp is back!

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6th Grade Camp is a week long overnight, outdoor education experience full of hands-on science, personal growth and fun! Credentialed teachers will guide students in self-discovery, exploration and cooperative learning outside in the beautiful native oak forest and chaparral of Cuyamaca Outdoor School.

All 6th graders at Dana for the 2024-2025 school year are encouraged to attend! Fundraising is an important part of making this opportunity available to all of our students but no student will be denied if they cannot contribute.

TBD

Cuyamaca Outdoor School in Descanso, CA

Registration and fundraising will start in the Fall

Outdoor education, or “6th Grade Camp,” is a tradition dating back to just after World War II when educators here in San Diego opened Cuyamaca Outdoor School, now the oldest outdoor school in California. Even then there was a sense that kids were disconnected from the natural world. Since then, generations of students from San Diego have spent a week with their teachers and peers growing and learning from each other and the natural world around them.

“I can tell you from experience, this is a wonderful program which provides an unforgettable learning experience for our students in so many ways.” 

– Current Chula Vista School District Employee & Dana Parent 

“These are life skills the kids need to learn. Being away from home and being independent.” 

– 5th Grade Parent at Dana

Today it’s even more important. Research into outdoor education has documented improvements in science and standardized test scores as well as improved conflict resolution skills and cooperation, and it’s a whole lot of fun. (1, 2)

1. American Institutes for Research. (2005). Effects of Outdoor Education Programs for Children in California. American Institutes for Research. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Outdoorschoolreport_0.pdf

2. Lieberman, Gerald A.; Hoody, Linda L. (1998, July 30). Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning. Results of a Nationwide Study. State Education and Environment Roundtable. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED428943 

We hope that many families will choose to contribute a suggested donation of $350 which will cover the cost of camp and transportation for one student plus a portion of the cost for another student. We estimate that 75% of the families in our community will be able to contribute at least that much, but we know that’s not an option for everyone. 

To cover the cost for every student, the Friends of Dana and Correia will collect donations beyond family contributions including small business sponsorships, community organization grants, and new fundraising efforts.

Know a business who would like to be a sponsor? Contact 6thgradecamp@fodacms.org for sponsorship opportunities!

Donations will be gratefully accepted but no student will be denied if their family cannot contribute. Travel is contingent upon Board of Education approval and fundraising. If, for some reason, we are unable to send our students to camp we will contact donors with refund options.

Cuyamaca Outdoor School Website

6th Grade Camp FAQs

Sample Camp Schedule