What Somerset Group Leaders are about

A Somerset Group Leader is all about cultivating the development of students. When we provide instructional leadership, we enable students to learn through active engagement in direct, guided experience. And when we facilitate the delivery of effective outdoor education programs, we orient the learner to be shaped and formed by their learning encounters.

A Somerset Group Leader connects education to the natural environment providing students with context in which to place their learning. Outdoor learning works because it demands better use of the senses, and by connecting learning and the real world, students feel an increased desire to engage further fuelling their learning.

All 400 acres are here waiting for you.

The beauty of the bush, the fresh clear water of the Colo River, inviting open spaces along the river foreshores, clean clear skies, wildlife and nature. Camp Somerset is as unique as it is beautiful.

The flats are home to many campsites and activity bases, and, with our network of Expedition campsites, hiking and canoeing routes into the adjoining Wollemi National Park and onto the Colo and Hawkesbury Rivers, the craggy hills and ridges provide breathtaking views of the Valleys.

Dear Friends of Somerset

We wanted to keep you in the loop and up to date with all the recent happenings at Somerset.

Firstly, we think it would be un-Australian not to send a shout out to all of our schools, staff, parents and students who have, and will continue to, adapt to these tough and testing times.  

We will still be here over this period, continuing to work hard to plan and develop our unrivalled and unique outdoor experience.

Our 5 Team Leaders for Estate, Programming, Logistics, Hospitality and Schools Admin are taking advantage of the unexpected window to review and revamp their respective spheres, concentrating on areas such as our critical incident response plan, menu ideas using Aussie made food products, new activities and facilitation techniques, and, of course, the maintenance of our many riverside campsites and grounds.

The management team, Mick, Paul and Gen, is busy ensuring that Somerset’s many facets, in particular the new Adventure Activity Standards, are in place for Semester 2.

Somerset has, unfortunately, not been totally immune, and we have made some regrettable but necessary staff adjustments. This saw us farewell some 30 of our fixed term field staff who finished up their intended contract period early. We do look forward to welcoming many of these Field Staff back for Semester 2

A big thank you to the ongoing support and flexibility from the 30 schools, and the 200 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants, who missed out on their Somerset experience. We are excited that the majority have been able to reschedule in Semester 2 and we are looking forward to seeing these students at camp.

Together, we know, as Somerset, outdoor education and school communities we can pull through and emerge at the end of this stronger and more resilient.

Coming out the other side, it will never be more important and meaningful to be involved in outdoor learning.

We will keep in touch, and keep you updated, via email, Newsletters and social media. Please look out for these!

A Somerset Group Leader is all about cultivating the development of students.  When we provide instructional leadership, we enable students to learn through active engagement in direct, guided experience.  And when we facilitate the delivery of effective outdoor education programs, we orient the learner to be shaped and formed by their learning encounters.

A Somerset Group Leader connects education to the natural environment providing students with context in which to place their learning.  Outdoor learning works because it demands better use of the senses, and by connecting learning and the real world, students feel an increased desire to engage further fuelling their learning.

A Somerset Group Leader allows students to experience the real world, facilitating programs that are memorable, have real meaning, develop transferable skills and build personal character.

With careful intentionality, the programs help to develop confidence and competence.  We show students what it means to face a challenge, they learn situational leadership and how different circumstances demand different approaches and how everyday decisions make a huge difference in their lives and the lives of others.

And the confidence and tenacity students acquire comes from gaining these skills, is a confidence that is transferrable to many other areas of life, in believing in themselves and knowing they have the skillset to problem-solve when knowledge or resources are limited.

The beauty of the bush, the fresh clear water of the Colo River, inviting open spaces along the river foreshores, clean clear skies, wildlife and nature.  Camp Somerset is as unique as it is beautiful.

The flats are home to many campsites and activity bases, and, with our network of Expedition campsites, hiking and canoeing routes into the adjoining Wollemi National Park and onto the Colo and Hawkesbury Rivers, the craggy hills and ridges provide breathtaking views of the Valleys.

Our 30 campsites are nestled across the 400 acres, connected to high energy activities and initiatives.  Think abseiling, Base 7 camouflage, rock climbing, high ropes course, flying fox, low ropes course, milk-crate stack, obstacle course, archery and of course the infamous wombat hole.

And, of course, the Colo River is a focus of water fun, hosting a multitude of water activities – sit-on-top kayaking, canoeing, donutting, river walking, raft building, swimming and beach games.

So, don’t wait … no matter the season or time of year, there’s always plenty of things to experience at Camp Somerset.