East Coast High School Journeys: Multi-Day Field Trips

Journey into coastal culture and ecology in Traditional Mi’kmaq Territory / Nova Scotia.

Bring your grade 10-12 students to Canada’s Ocean Playground on a journey of hands-on learning and discovery along Nova Scotia’s South and Eastern shores. You’ll slow down to understand the world through the lens of diverse coastal communities whose cultures, livelihoods and landscapes are shaped by the sea. Perched at the gateway to the 100 Wild Islands, your home base will be The Deanery Project, a world-class Environmental and Arts Learning Centre, referred to as “a living laboratory” with onsite access to ocean, trails, and a community sound studio.  With an approach rooted in the Mi’kmaw concept of Etuaptmumk, or Two-Eyed Seeing, you’ll gain knowledge of the Wabanaki forest and Atlantic coastal ecosystems while building skills in community leadership, Treaty rights, grass-roots climate resilience and sustainable living.

Howl High Journeys encourage deep learning and create space for youth to connect this back to their understanding of their home communities.

Overview

2027 Dates:

Ages:

Duration:

Cost:

Start/End Point:

May/Jun 2027
Sep/Oct 2027

Grades 10-12

7 days

TBD

Halifax/
Ship Harbour

Request a program

Book a program

We are currently booking trips for Spring/Summer 2027. Please email info@experiencehowl.com if you are interested in getting more information and bringing a group out to experience the Yukon, or by clicking the ‘Request a program’ button above.

Core teachings

  • Taking an approach that is rooted in relationship, authenticity and storytelling, your students will develop an understanding of colonialism in Mi’kma’ki (Atlantic Canada). They will learn from Elders and Knowledge Holders and engage with community-based reconciliation that is being practiced in real time. Truth, courage, hope, hardship and resiliency are woven into the collective story of this land. Understanding these stories helps us understand ourselves and our country.

  • Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, your students gain an understanding of sea level rise and climate change trends, seeing first-hand how systems and communities are working together to adapt, discovering optimism in facing the impacts of a rapidly changing world.

  • Your students will be invited into the heart of coastal communities where they will embody what it means to be in community. Whether it’s harvesting eel grass from the beach to use as fertilizer for gardens, or helping a wildlife rehabilitation centre prepare their space for new animals, Howl’s community partnerships are alive with reciprocity, reflecting the needs and values of coastal communities who can’t wait to meet you.

  • Through creative group projects as well as guided personal reflection, your students will come together to learn from mentors, Elders and each other as they explore and hone a new craft, form new friendships, and weave their creative and technical skills with cultural teachings and experiences on the land. Every young person has a creative spark and a story to tell. This program will offer your students a dedicated space to strengthen the light they carry.

How it works

Seasons & Timing: East Coast High School Journeys run in two seasons

  • Spring (May – June) and

  • Fall (September – October)

Duration: 5, 6 or 7-day programs available.

Logistics: All-inclusive — ground transportation, lodging, meals, gear, facilitators, activities. Note: Groups are responsible for booking their own return flights to/from Halifax International Airport (YHZ).

Group Size: 20-22 students + 2 teachers/school-based chaperones.

Customization: Trip itineraries in the East Coast are highly customizable in both content (themes/activities) as well as length (timing/duration). Schools can request emphasis on biology, ocean literacy, ReconciliACTION, Indigenous culture and history, social studies, outdoor education, music, the arts, and more.

What will we do?

Program itineraries are designed to focus on Howl’s core teachings mentioned above. There is flexibility for groups to cater the program design to their specific needs and interests. The full selection of options (at this time) for activities is listed below. Activities can be seasonal and availability will vary. This list is continually under review as more activities become available or are rotated out. 

Once you’ve confirmed your group’s attendance Howl staff will request your activity preferences and build them into a once in a lifetime trip plan! See below for a sample menu. Your itinerary will be co‑designed and is highly customizable.

  • Day 1: Arrival in Halifax – Opening circle; greeting the Ocean, orientation of The Deanery Project; evening storytelling & introductions

    Day 2: Community Action – Get your hands dirty helping a community partner as students learn first-hand what it means to take action on a local issue

    Day 3: The Great Harbour – AKA Kjipuktuk (Halifax); discover Atlantic Canada’s largest city with ferry rides as you explore a city shaped by hope and conflict  

    Day 4: Coastal Ecology – Partner‑led habitat restoration and a visit to Peggy’s Cove, exploring intertidal zones and hiking coastal trails

    Day 5: Created to Create – From podcasting to poetry, digest your learning through a variety of creative workshops utilizing The Deanery’s studio space

    Day 6: Two-eyed-seeing – Receive tales and teachings from local knowledge holders as you prepare to share your own story at Open Mic Night

    Day 7: Farewell to Nova Scotia – Closing circle and ceremony. Departure from Halifax International Airport. 

What to expect from Howl High School Journeys

Howl High programming is designed to take students out of their everyday learning environments, and immerses them in real life examples of their curriculum in action. We believe:

  1. The outdoors is the best classroom

  2. Impactful learning comes from moving, doing and exploring through personal experience

  3. Hearing diverse perspectives provides more holistic understanding

Howl provides young people with safer spaces to build meaningful relationships, find their voice as changemakers in their own communities, learn from local Elders and Indigenous Knowledge Holders, scientists in the fields of climate and ecological systems, industry experts and community leaders and empowers youth to proactively take ownership of their wellbeing. 

At Howl High, stories and studies carry equal weight and value. Learning takes place through action, immersed outdoors in the breathtaking landscapes of the Yukon. 

Howl High offers multi-day, overnight experiences focused on creating opportunities for community building, personal wellness and resiliency. Howl High brings important concepts like climate and reconciliation – which are studied, but not often truly learned at school – to life through living connection to curricular concepts. 

Howl High School Journeys are designed and delivered with consideration of these guiding principles:

  • All my Relations: Howl programs provide youth with an immersive introduction to the ecosystems and Peoples, who now, and ancestrally, call the Yukon and these sacred places home, with the intention to help them to see the interconnectedness of all elements and build their personal relationship with the land and those who steward it.

  • Two-eyed seeing: Howl programs braid narratives - connecting stories and views students understand with ones they may not have heard before. Students will learn about scientific concepts through both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, developing their ability to understand the world and appreciate diverse perspectives.

  • Wise Practices: Wise practices are locally appropriate actions, tools, principles or decisions that help to ensure programming meets the needs of participants and communicates to them in culturally appropriate ways.

Frequently asked questions

  • Key Deadlines:

    • For Fall 2026 Session: confirm by March 31, 2026

    • For Spring 2027 Session: confirm by November 30, 2026

    If you miss the booking deadline and still want to apply we encourage you to reach out. If calendar space allows, we will attempt to add a booking. Bookings can not be made fewer than 4 months prior to the start date of the Program.

    1. Submit a booking inquiry by emailing info@experiencehowl.com. A member of our team will be in touch with you to learn more about your program needs and to answer any questions.

    2. Attend an information meeting with Howl staff

    3. Co‑design draft itinerary

    4. Sign agreement & pay deposit (non-refundable)

    5. Final numbers, participant list, and full payment due 120 days before start

  •   • Cancel >120 days before: full refund minus deposit
     • Cancel <120 days: non-refundable fees
     • Howl‑initiated cancellation (weather, safety): full refund
     • Late individual withdrawals: no guarantee of refund

  • Yes, schools should carry travel or emergency medical insurance for participants.

  • Yes, schools may substitute participants prior to program start.

  • In the event that a participant withdraws from the Program with short notice, after payment for their spot has already been accounted for, Howl will retain the non-refundable deposit and all program fees paid. The School should do their best to replace the participant and maintain numbers.

    No refund will be made if a participant is asked to leave the Program for violating school conduct regulations or for any other reason determined by the School, acting reasonably.

Program team

  • ‍Howler' by day, Singer' by night, George Woodhouse (he/they) is happiest when his worlds are colliding in the form of sing-alongs in the woods. Trained as an Educator through the Artist and Community Education B Ed program at Queen's University, George's approach to learning connects prioritizes creative expression, humour, community and music. He spent most of his twenties writing songs and working with Parks Canada where he helped form the Agency’s first youth engagement team, eventually moving on to becoming the Visitor Experience Manager for Nova Scotia's most magical mythical sand bar, Sable Island National Park Reserve. George left the government to join The Howl Experience in 2023 to co-design and co-deliver Learning Journeys for youth and young adults who are seeking connection to purpose and community. George's core belief is that when we allow ourselves to create and express our truth and our story, we inspire, we heal, and we connect. He wrote this bio in the third person, and he wants you to know that he'd love to hear from you. Drop him a line in the first person at george@experiencehowl.com

  • Sarah Prosper (she/her/nekmow) is a dancer, storyteller, activist, adventurer, and ko’jua dancer.

    As an artist in the community, Sarah links many individuals and groups to deeper connections within movement and healing. Her passion for the arts is multidisciplinary, from curating stories of movement, directing large productions and working on the land through organizations, community workshops, and independent programs.

    Sarah is from Eskasoni First Nation, a Mi'kmaq community on the beautiful island called Cape Breton Island (Unama'kik). Sarah is an award winner of the 2022 Nova Scotia Indigenous Artist Recognition Award and Canada's King Charles III medal recipient of 2025. Prosper's practice encompasses a lens that deepens the threads of respect and reciprocity to dance, movement, Indigenous wellness, social sciences, social justice, mental health & the land.