History:   Before Canoe Island, Eugene 5th grade French Immersion students planned a trip to France and then later for many years 5th grade Students traveled to Quebec.   In 2012 it was recommended that we find a 5th grade French immersion trip that was more inclusive and equitable so that all Eugene 4J French Immersion students could attend as their designated outdoors school.  Since then, we have had every class of 5th graders attend Canoe Island (except 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions, but they finally had their Canoe Island experience as 8th graders!).  This has become a special trip that cements the bond that these kids have established over their elementary journey - keeping them close and supporting each other as they move on to middle school, high school, and beyond.  From 2018-2022 we were able to use the Oregon Outdoor School grant.   Which funded an estimated $20,000 of our trip.   Starting in 2023, we have been completely parent-led, fundraising to keep this important experience accessible to our students.

What's new?

Now Charlemagne students will have an Oregon Outdoor School experience that is school/teacher led and a parent-led trip to Canoe Island.   We will be working on fundraising to close the gap from the grant we received from the Oregon Outdoor School and have made significant progress in this space.   

Save the Date: 

Current 4th Graders:  August 31 - September 4, 2026

Current 3rd Graders:   August 30 - September 3, 2027

We need you!!!  

We welcome families of all age French immersion classes to sign up to be on the committee.  For more information see the Volunteers page. 

About the 5th grade Canoe Island French Camp Experience

Canoe Island is a 47 acre private island in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. Canoe Island French Camp is a facility that offers summer camps, family camps, and group programs. 

Our program is a week long where the students and chaperones will leave on a Monday in the early hours of the morning and return late Friday night. During that week, students will spend their days outside exploring and learning and at night, they sleep in canvas tents, generally 5 students to 1 adult.

What makes this program unique is that this camp not only focuses on the outdoors such as science like soil/water, marine biology, and environmental stewardship, it is a French immersion camp much like our school. Students will speak and learn French, learn about French-speaking countries and their culture, and also participate in traditional camp activities such as kayaking, theater, and archery.

To learn more about the camp, go to the Helpful Information page for details. 

Our goal is to make this trip affordable so that every student can attend. The cost of the Canoe Island Trip is $295 per student and $500 per chaperone.   Additionally, if you can pay more it helps us sustain the program.   No-questions-asked scholarships are available to students that need them.  Scholarship requests are kept confidential.  Our goal is to have every student attend.    Final payment is due by May 31st.

All the best,

The Canoe Island Planning Committee