In 2020, Orienteering Australia developed a National Sporting Schools Orienteering Curriculum. The two new and exciting programs, for Primary School (Years 3-6) and Secondary School (Years 7-8) students, will from Term 2, 2021. The program delivery guide and resources were created in a rigorous review process, culminating in pilot programs run across Australia. The feedback from these pilots was outstanding, with teachers blown away about how orienteering could get an entire group participating. It was often noted that students who never participated in other sports not only participated, but excelled!
Both offerings (Primary and Secondary) have been designed to give students the opportunity to sample a fun, safe and inclusive, modified Orienteering program on-site, in their school environment. They incorporate a series of user-friendly activities and support resources, which seamlessly align to the Australian Curriculum (Health and Physical Education and Mathematics), the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching and the Australian Physical Literacy Framework using engaging, group-based, modified Orienteering activities as the vehicle for learning. Furthermore, there are endless opportunities for variation and progression, with activities such as electronic timing, orienteering course setting and route choice analysis providing engaging and educational extension to the program.
The new materials will allow orienteering to be delivered by not only qualified orienteering coaches, but also by teachers with little or no Orienteering experience. As part of the orienteering in schools packages available, all delivery support resources, training, maps and equipment can be provided. Orienteering uniquely challenges participants both physically and mentally, being suitable for EVERY school and EVERY student!
Do you know of a school that may be interested in undertaking an Orienteering program? If so encourage them to visit the Orienteering page on the Sporting Schools website, where funding is available for both primary and targeted secondary school programs. They can also find out more at the Sporting Schools page on Orienteering SA website.
Are you interested in being involved in delivery of school orienteering programs using these new resources? Contact the OSA Schools coordinator using the email button at the bottom of the OSA Sporting Schools web page. OSA can provide coaches to deliver thsi program and produce an orienteering map like the example below through the Sporting Schools program.
