Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA's
Berkshire Outdoor Center
413.623.8991
Outdoor Education
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Design-Your-Own School Program

Every school group is unique. With this option schools can mix and match activities to fit the particular needs of their group. You can do as much or as little of our programming as you wish.

We do have a couple of recommendations to consider before designing your own stay:

  • Remember to include some recreational activities to break up the intensity of the day. To focus on teambuilding and low ropes for an entire day for example, can be overly intense. Most people need a period of recreation to help them internally debrief the activities they just participated in.
  • The ideal length of stay is 3 days. Sometimes this is not an option due to other constraints - usually financial in nature. The shorter the stay, the less impact it has on the individuals who participated. The overnight stay is often a powerful bonding experience and is as much a part of the highlight as the activities themselves.
  • Our Program Directors have recommendations, based on the staff that we have working with your group. Staff have particular strengths, and the Program Directors know them well. Use the Program Directors knowledge and advice help you shape the program that you want for your participants.

Some more popular activity choices include:

  • Teambuilding, Low & High Ropes
  • Teambuilding
  • Alpine Tower & Climbing Towers
  • Canoeing/Kayaking
  • Cross-Country Skiing, snowshoeing
  • Archery
  • Environmental Education classes

Complete list of activities


What To Do Next

When you think you have your program planned out, give us a call and run it by one of our Program Directors. The Program Directors are experts in putting together programs and will gladly walk through your design and make sure it works best for you.

Why not modify one of our other existing packages for schools?