Ottalie's trek to Mt. Albert Edward
Donation protected
My name is Ryan Braun and I am a teacher at Stelly’s Secondary School. One of my teaching areas is a course called Outdoor Pursuits (OP) where I have guided grade 11 & 12 students into remote areas of Vancouver Island for the past 9 years. As a school, we have been guiding students to the West Coast Trail, Juan De Fuca Trail, Sayward Lakes, and Mt. Albert Edward for the past 30 years. Students often talk about how these types of trips are a highlight of their time in high school.
In the year 2000 teachers by the name of Paul Ledet and Peter Mason succeeded in putting together a special Mt. Albert Edward trip that allowed a student by the name of Ryan to the summit of the mountain. Ryan, now in his 30’s, has cerebral palsy. At that time he made his way around in a motorized wheelchair and participated in a mostly academic program, using the help of a scribe to get his work down on paper. Ryan surprised the teachers by asking if a trip like Albert Edward would ever be possible for him. After careful planning and dedication by all involved, they were able to summit Mt. Albert Edward in May of 2000 and it was a marvelous experience for everyone. The documentary video that was made about that trip has been shown around the world and is used in a number of Universities (including UVic) as an example of inclusive teaching practices.
This year Paul Ledet and myself have another opportunity to put together a similar trek to Mt Albert Edward trip for a grade 12 student with Cerebral Palsy. She has also come forward asking if it would be possible for her to complete this kind of trip. This year, the trip will be an additional experiencer offered for the grade 11 students. As the focus would be on giving Ottalie the best experience possible, we will require a strong support team for this trek. That team will include a doctor, a physiotherapist, a caregiver, a number of outdoor pursuits teachers and a few (very) experienced grads. The team would also include about 20 grade 12 students that are currently enrolled in, or scheduled to take, OP12 and have already completed the OP 11 course.
In order for a trip of this magnitude to occur we are seeking assistance from the community at large. We have significant costs some of which include:
Transportation to and from Mt. Washington
Specialized equipment for the trip
Replacement teacher coverage while out on the trip
Food for the guides
Extra first aid supplies
We would welcome any donations from the community. We are very excited about the prospect of this trip taking place in support of this remarkable student. If you have any questions or need further clarification about the trip, please do not hesitate to contact Ryan Braun or Paul Ledet at the emails listed below.
Here is a link to a news piece on the trip - http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=816122&binId=1.1180928&playlistPageNum=1
Thanks for your interest!
In the year 2000 teachers by the name of Paul Ledet and Peter Mason succeeded in putting together a special Mt. Albert Edward trip that allowed a student by the name of Ryan to the summit of the mountain. Ryan, now in his 30’s, has cerebral palsy. At that time he made his way around in a motorized wheelchair and participated in a mostly academic program, using the help of a scribe to get his work down on paper. Ryan surprised the teachers by asking if a trip like Albert Edward would ever be possible for him. After careful planning and dedication by all involved, they were able to summit Mt. Albert Edward in May of 2000 and it was a marvelous experience for everyone. The documentary video that was made about that trip has been shown around the world and is used in a number of Universities (including UVic) as an example of inclusive teaching practices.
This year Paul Ledet and myself have another opportunity to put together a similar trek to Mt Albert Edward trip for a grade 12 student with Cerebral Palsy. She has also come forward asking if it would be possible for her to complete this kind of trip. This year, the trip will be an additional experiencer offered for the grade 11 students. As the focus would be on giving Ottalie the best experience possible, we will require a strong support team for this trek. That team will include a doctor, a physiotherapist, a caregiver, a number of outdoor pursuits teachers and a few (very) experienced grads. The team would also include about 20 grade 12 students that are currently enrolled in, or scheduled to take, OP12 and have already completed the OP 11 course.
In order for a trip of this magnitude to occur we are seeking assistance from the community at large. We have significant costs some of which include:
Transportation to and from Mt. Washington
Specialized equipment for the trip
Replacement teacher coverage while out on the trip
Food for the guides
Extra first aid supplies
We would welcome any donations from the community. We are very excited about the prospect of this trip taking place in support of this remarkable student. If you have any questions or need further clarification about the trip, please do not hesitate to contact Ryan Braun or Paul Ledet at the emails listed below.
Here is a link to a news piece on the trip - http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=816122&binId=1.1180928&playlistPageNum=1
Thanks for your interest!
Organizer
Ryan Braun
Organizer
Victoria, BC