Magnetic North for School Groups

Magnetic North provides practical experience of the outdoors to people of all ages. We offer school groups custom made itineraries which give young people a safe and practical environment in which to learn and have fun. Our trips are based on the following learning outcomes. 

Experiences in nature based on the Norwegian philosophy of friluftsliv

The Norwegian friluftsliv movement has preserved the importance of experiencing nature as an inspiration for learning and personal development. In doing so, we are able to create a respect for the outdoors and practical knowledge of how to protect natural environments. The activities we offer provide groups with experiences based on knowledge from traditional ways of living within nature. For example, our trips may involve foraging for wild food, learning traditional crafts and travelling by ski, kayak or snowshoe.

Our trips help cultivate a deeper respect for the relationship between self and environment

A healthy, balanced lifestyle

We think it’s essential to encourage young people to take responsibility for developing a healthy, active lifestyle. All our trips aim to support the groups in taking part in activities which promote exercise and healthy living. In Scandinavia, we work with the Folk High School programme which offers young people and adults practice based learning. We work in partnership with the teachers of the Folk High Schools to bring a fresh perspective on outdoor learning.

Our trips are designed to help young people develop their confidence, leadership and collaborative skills. 

Land skills and nature literacy

Landscapes aren’t just the backdrop to our trips, but are integral to the experience. We encourage young people to connect to the landscapes they travel within and to learn stories of how people – past and present lived and survived there. Our friluftsliv leaders promote ‘landfull’ experiences which encourage engagement with the physical properties of the land itself as well as at a cultural level.

Our tours aim to help young people return home with fresh perspectives of how landscapes  and cultural memory interrelate so as to act with more ingenuity in the environments they live in and will shape.

Our programmes

Our school programmes take place primarily in Norway, but there is also scope to travel to any of our other destinations including Iceland, Scotland and Sweden. One of the key aspects Magnetic North promotes is the seasonality of Nordic countries. We therefore offer winter and summer programmes which can be shaped to suit the size of your group, preferred activities and duration. We use our connections with the Folk High School network in Norway to provide local insight and teaching of the friluftsliv philosophy and activities. Magnetic North will also assist teachers in organising additional activities, transport and accommodation for your group. The activities we offer include the following:

Forthcoming itineraries

Skiing and frilutftsliv – Sognefjord
We are currently organising ski trips for winter 2010/11 for school groups to travel to the Sognefjord region of Norway. As well as skiing on quiet, child-friendly slopes, we’ll also provide activities including snow-shoeing, cooking in snow and story-telling. These will be led by locally based qualified guides. Accommodation will be provided in simple lodgings – either dorms or cabins.

If you are interested in giving your school group the opportunity to ski and learn in Norway, please get in touch by telephoning 0845 5195 242 or email laura@magneticnorth.travel.