The Palomar Race/Human Relation Outdoor Education Program offers sixth grade students in the San Diego Unified School District an opportunity to spend four days and three nights at the Palomar Outdoor School located on Palomar Mountain at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The program is the culminating year of a three-year curriculum focused on diversity and integration through the Off Campus Integrated Learning Experience (OCILE) program. It provides students with the unique experience of living in a fully integrated safe environment away from home. The program teaches five key concepts (Identity, Culture, Diversity, Conflict Resolution and Awareness of Prejudice and Discrimination) and provides opportunities to apply these concepts to “real life” situations.
Palomar Mountain provides a natural environment for student exploration and investigation. This unique outdoor setting is perfect for incorporating Race/Human Relations with science. The Palomar curriculum is aligned to sixth grade Science Content Standards and extends learning beyond the classroom. Science comes to life through inquiry based lessons and activities such as hiking, pond biology and fire making. The outdoor learning experiences help students to appreciate nature and better understand how their personal choices and behaviors affect the planet Earth.
Students have adult supervision during their visit to Palomar Outdoor School. The staff consists of an administrator, one office manager, two registered credentialed school nurses, six credentialed teachers, educational assistants and teachers from your child’s school. Nutritious, well-prepared meals are served three times a day. Students with special diet needs (severe allergies, diabetic snacks, religious, etc.) should bring food. The heated cabins are equipped with beds, mattresses and bathroom/shower facilities. Students are expected to make beds, care for their clothing, set and clean dining tables and complete daily living chores.
Palomar Outdoor School has been in existence since 1947. The curriculum focuses on character development and science. Attending “sixth grade camp” has become a tradition in the San Diego Community. Students live with, learn from, and befriend others with whom they would not ordinarily interact. This invaluable life experience fosters independence and helps prepare students to live and thrive in a multi-cultural society.
