Some student work from our 2019 course:

I believed that this course was just a unique idea to get kids to be more physically active while learning, although we were being physically active and learning there was much more to this trip than just that. The growth that we got to experience first hand was life changing. To watch someone who was scared to pick up a canoe at first to grow to carry it 1305m on their head in just 7 days is amazing and words can’t explain how it feels for me to be able to experience the feeling of watching someone’s confidence grow that much is amazing but there’s much more to it than just the physical aspect. A very wide variety of students came as a part of this trip each of them unique in many ways. Some students would be considered top of the food chain in highschool (popular) and some not so lucky but the growth again in confidence but this time in a social aspect was tremendous. At the swim test and canoe training lessons there was some people who would avoid conversation with others but as the trip progressed they realized that everybody wants the same thing and that is to be liked and accepted for who they are, shortly after the first half of the trip these students became amazing leaders and social butterflies and for me giving someone the confidence to meet new people and not be afraid of who you are is amazing so matter how it is done.

This course has helped each and everyone of use in different ways and similar ways but for me it has shown me that I can do whatever I want to do in life regardless of how long it takes

“I’m gonna carry a canoe across that 1305 portage. It doesn’t matter if i need to break every 10 seconds and need someone to help me get it back up. I will get across it” - Angie Roth 

Thank you for being such amazing role models, believing in us as leaders, and giving us this amazing opportunity to grow physically, mentally and socially. 

“go W.I.L.D or go home” - chris

Leadership and group dynamics are two of the main focus points of the WILD program. These are both incredibly important skills for our youth to develop. As secondary students move forward into post secondary education and eventually the workforce, our soft skills become even more important. They are vital for networking and navigating the workplace, something everyone will be required to do. High school students need to practice these skills as much as possible to become effective members of a group. That is why I believe the WILD course is such an important class. There is a heavy focus on development of soft skills, such as communication and leadership. Oftentimes in our classrooms, these take a backseat to traditional learning techniques. However, the opportunity to practice interpersonal skills and to work in a group in an unfamiliar, often trying, situation is something both welcome and in my opinion, necessary. On the trip, everyone had an opportunity to function as both a leader and member of a group, developing many of these skills and seeing how they can improve their team skills. This sort of early development leads to better workers, co-workers, leaders, and bosses.

Through this trip, I feel as though I grew to be a better person and leader. The Quetico trip portion of the course was not only physically taxing but mentally as well, and it gave a great opportunity for self reflection and discussion. The trip provided a framework for development in an unfamiliar setting as well as both incentivizing and making teamwork necessary. As a result, I got to work on my own leadership capabilities in a small group. Through my own work as a leader, as well as others leadership, I learned about effective methods of leading small groups (i.e. group consensus, delegation, leading by example, positive attitude). I learned also about generally ineffective methods of leading a group (i.e. lack of communication, poor work ethic, negative attitude). This helped me see how I can work towards being a more confident, effective leader. I also learned how to work better as part of a group. I learned that keeping a positive attitude and good work ethic is a way to gain the respect of both peers and a boss/leader. I also learned that helping those who are struggling and accepting help when you are struggling leads to generally better performance, something I had sometimes struggled with in the past. I also learned how to better keep control over frustrations and being short with group members in a stressful situation (i.e. a long portage) as it is something that can adversely affect a group and again something I can find myself struggling with.  - Eoghan