Rockies High School Journeys
Starting in 2026, The Howl Experience is excited to offer 5-day and 7-day land-based learning experiences in the Canadian Rockies for high school groups.
Our core focus is empowering youth through an immersive blend of land-based and experiential learning. Students will engage with the unique lens of the land and the amplification of community voices as tools to:
Understand Personal Wellness: Develop concrete strategies for managing emotional health and building resilience.
Deepen Community Connection: Build meaningful relationships and engage in community service.
Learn from Indigenous Knowledge: Engage with Îyârhe Nakoda Elders and Knowledge Holders who share traditional wellness practices and methods for building a personal relationship with the land.
Develop Environmental & Climate Perspectives: Learn from professionals working directly in the field about how to manage protected areas while exploring possible career and education pathways that contribute to sustainable communities.
Through numerous opportunities to learn on the land, youth will leave feeling a sense of connection, and be better equipped to make positive choices for their futures.
Need a Custom Experience?
We are happy to work with educators to develop custom programming. Contact us to explore how we can tailor a unique land-based learning experience to meet your students' specific needs and curriculum goals.
Interested in providing this program for your students? Click the button below to submit a booking request or contact us for more information.
What to Expect
Experience Howl High: Learning Beyond the Classroom
Howl High Journeys immerse high school students in real-life applications of their curriculum, believing that the outdoors is the best classroom. We replace everyday learning environments with multi-day, overnight experiences in the breathtaking landscapes of the Rocky Mountains, where stories and studies carry equal weight and value.
Participants can expect to learn through action, moving, doing, and exploring through personal experience. This approach fosters a holistic understanding by:
Building Meaningful Relationships: Finding a voice as a changemaker and proactively taking ownership of personal wellbeing and resiliency.
Learning from Diverse Perspectives: Connecting with local Elders and Indigenous Knowledge Holders, scientists in climate and ecological systems, industry experts, and community leaders.
Bringing Concepts to Life: Engaging with important concepts like climate and reconciliation—which are studied, but not always truly learned at school—through living connection to curricular ideas.
Our programs are guided by principles that enrich the learning journey:
All My Relations: Students are introduced to the ecosystems and peoples who ancestrally and currently call the Rocky Mountains home, helping them to see the interconnectedness of all elements and build their personal relationship with the land and those who steward it.
Two-eyed Seeing: We braid narratives, connecting stories and views students understand with ones they may not have heard before. Students learn about scientific concepts through both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, developing their ability to appreciate diverse perspectives.
Wise Practices: Our programs use locally appropriate actions and principles to ensure that the experience meets participants' needs in culturally appropriate ways.
Join us to move, explore, and learn in an environment designed for community building, personal wellness, and unforgettable growth.
The starting base costs are outlined below and are based on a group of 20 students & 2 adult supervisors.
5-Day Programs: $1,395 + tax per person (Including each teacher and/or adult supervisor)
7-Day Programs: $1,695 + tax per person (Including each teacher and/or adult supervisor)
Fees include the following:
Costs
Ground Transportation from Calgary and for the duration of your program.
All meals on program
Accommodations
Program Activities
Elder & Knowledge Keeper Honourariums
Program Materials
Sample Program Topics
Science Topics
-
Weaving western science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in topics around glaciology, hydrology, geology, and applied climate change science on the Icefields Parkway.
-
How to balance the needs of everyone who visits the busiest of Canada’s National Parks? With more than 4 million human visitors a year, learn about how Banff balances the needs of people and the environment in this busy place.
-
What role do amphibians play in an ecosystem? Learn about the significance and vulnerability of this group of creatures while conducting citizen science research for RAINA (Reptiles and Amphibians in Alberta).
-
A Kananaskis Country case study: How to keep the peace and avoid conflict in an ecosystem loved by both humans and bears. Learn strategies that wildlife biologists use to monitor bear movement and behaviour.
-
What can a pond tell us about the health of an ecosystem? Conduct a series of scientific tests to determine the health of a pond and its related organisms.
-
Explore the beauty of Kananaskis on snowshoes, while learning about the significance of snow to mountain ecosystems. Participate in investigative snowpack science activities and learn about how plants and animals adapt to survive challenging winter conditions.
-
Learn the cultural significance of tipis and the variations in building style used by different Indigenous communities throughout Treaty 7. Practice building your own miniature version and discover why this is a challenging practice.
-
Get to know our plant relatives by learning about botany and traditional plant medicines from an Indigenous Knowledge Holder in this land-based learning experience.
-
What does it mean to be a natural space? Explore your understanding of nature through a visit to this unnaturally beautiful place.
Wellness & Leadership Topics
-
Learn through movement - test out some of the games traditionally played in various Indigenous communities across Canada.
-
Explore personal wellness through a nature based activity by learning the basics of paddleboarding on a pristine mountain lake.
-
Explore personal wellness through nature based activity by learning the basics of cross country skiing in a wintery mountain wonderland.
-
Lend a hand to help one of Howl’s many partner organizations in the Bow Valley. Sometimes the best way to calm the mind and explore one’s thoughts is through supporting others.
-
Visit the town of Banff and learn more about the history of this popular destination mountain town from both Western and Indigenous perspectives.
-
Work with Stoney Nakoda Elders to learn about traditional medicines, the significance of medicine bags and how to make them.
-
Understanding community-specific Indigenous cultural history, protocols and Wise Practices in Indigenous relationships through land-based learning, culture, arts and community connection building.
-
Use music as a healing tool, begin to learn the importance of the drum, and explore rhythm and storytelling.
-
Howl educators guide youth through the process of developing an idea and a process for a community focused project to initiate in their home, schools and/or community.
-
Build connections between students and develop an understanding of personal leadership skills through participation in team building games and activities.
Frequently asked questions.
Program costs
-
Our core high school programming is divided into two terms:
Semester 1: September to January
Semester 2: February to June
We also offer core CALM programming for students in the summer months (July/August). For inquiries related to programming outside of these core times, please contact us directly to discuss options.
Programs are subject to availability with our hosting partner, the University of Calgary’s Biogeoscience Institute.
-
5-Day Programs: Starting at $1,395 + tax per person (for a group of 20 students & 2 adult supervisors)
7-Day Programs: Starting at $1,695 + tax per person (for a group of 20 students & 2 adult supervisors)
Program fee: Covers educator and activity costs
Accommodation fee: Covers cost of facility rental, accommodation, food and cleaning
Groups can opt into supplementary activities at a higher per person cost. Options include indoor rock climbing, rafting, mountain biking, skill sharing or art with local Indigenous Knowledge Holders, culture camps and more. Options depend on season.
Base costs include ground transportation from Calgary. If a group provides their own transportation for the duration of the program, base costs are reduced. Please consider the cost of transportation when determining whether to proceed with a program booking.
-
We are able to accommodate groups of 20-30 students plus school based supervisors. If your class/group is smaller than 30, we encourage you to submit a booking request and include this information. Our team can provide a tailored budget that meets your needs.
Application and booking
-
Our core high school programming is divided into two terms:
Semester 1 (September-January): Bookings must be made by May 30 of the previous semester.
Semester 2 (February-June): Bookings must be made by October 31 of the previous semester.
If you miss these booking deadlines 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 2 months prior to the start date of the Program.
-
Submit a booking inquiry through our booking request form. A member of our team will be in touch with you to learn more about your program needs and to answer any questions.
Submit a signed copy of our booking agreement.
Submit a non-refundable deposit of $1000. If paying this deposit in full presents a barrier to your school’s participation in the program, please contact us directly ahead of the booking deadline.
-
Final participant numbers are due 2 months prior to the start of their program. At this time, we will generate an invoice for the program, less the deposit fee. One half of this amount is due 30 days before the start of the program, the other half is due within 30 days of the Program ending. Schools can choose to pay in full prior to the start of the program. Full payment is adjusted to reflect the number of participants, less the deposit amount.
In the event that schools to not pay 50% of their program costs by 30 days prior to the program, their program will be cancelled.
-
Payments can be made through Interac e-Transfer (finance@experiencehowl.com) or by credit card through our secure online payment system.
Payment by EFT can be made by contacting our finance team to discuss.
-
Teachers in charge may adjust their group size at any time up to 2 weeks pre-program as long as the group size stays within the 20-30 student parameter.
Group size cannot be reduced within 2 weeks of the Program start date. At this point, Teachers-In-Charge should work to replace students who are unable to come on short notice.
Cancellation policy
-
If a school cancels a Program more than 30 days prior to the Program start date, all program fee payments less the non-refundable deposit will be refunded.
If a school cancels the Program less than 30 days prior to the Program start date, Howl will not refund the program fees.
In the unlikely event that Howl has to cancel the Program for any reason (e.g., due to pandemic, unforeseen circumstances, etc.), we will reimburse the entirety of the program fee payments already made, including the deposit.
-
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. In the event of withdrawal or dismissal from the Program, any remaining unpaid fees will be payable within 30 days of the participant’s departure from the Program.
We understand that special circumstances may arise. In exceptional cases, fees may be refunded (e.g., serious injury, medical situation, death of a family member, etc.). Howl retains the right to waive any part of this policy at its sole discretion. We will assess these circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
In all cases, we will work closely with Schools to identify any reasonable solutions or accommodations to overcome challenges that they may be facing and to help them navigate the Program successfully within the limits of our capacity.
Program partners.
