List of Schools
Haliburton highlands (Camp Frost)
The Frost Centre Institute is recognized and accredited by the Ministry of Education of Ontario and is in a very privileged place on a pristine lake surrounded by 58,000 acres of forests. The camp itself, which dates back to the 1950´s and was a school for Forest Rangers, is situated on 40 acres of land and has one and a half kilometres of waterfront on the lake for its own private use.
The Frost Centre Institute, a non profit organisation which was re-opened to save this part of Muskoka from speculation and being built upon, is run today in collaboration with English In Action.
Today it is a Centre of Education for young, Canadian students and adults throughout the year and has a special Summer programme during the months of July and August of great interest to parents who wish their children to benefit from its rich content. The important key point for Overseas students is that they will be sharing life on an every day basis with children whose mother tongue is English. This makes for a guaranteed, continuous, intense practice of the language.
At “The Frost”, professors of the University of Guelph carry out their ongoing, environmental research project inviting those students who qualify and /or decide that they are really interested, to take part in the field and laboratory work that they have in course.
This summer, the students/campers will take part in a leading edge research project, helping the professors to carry out their tasks: searching for samples, collecting them, analysing, labeling etc. It is this programme, with a touch of adventure, that is most attractive to young students. They will carry out their tasks in the abundant vernal pools of the forests and come across a remarkable diversity of aquatic and amphibian life and learn about the ecological functions of these bodies of water during their dry seasons when decomposition takes place and there is a recycling of nutrients. Pollution, climate change and forestry practices all contribute to the disruption and degradation of these ecosystems. This is what indicates “The Human Impact.” This year the project is about the influence of humans on the Planet Earth.
Select children will do laboratory/lecture sessions in English along with the field, research work.
This is only one aspect of this unique venue. There will also be an excellent Visual Arts programme, led by leading artists/teachers from the area of Haliburton, known for its richness in creativity. Large studios for oil and water colour painting, pottery, digital photography, soap stone carving, jewellery, sculpture are fully equipped and ready receive new students. Much of the students’ work will be a product of their researching in the environmental programme. Everything at Camp Frost can be recycled.
Drama too, carried out by artists from the same area who will use their talent to draw the students out to act and prepare sketches in the English language. There will be stage performances both by the teacher-artists and the children to give colour and warmth to the camp evenings.
English In Action has not forgotten that the students from abroad may also need more specific care for their learning of the English language. Depending on their levels and necessities, there will be a optional extra minimum of three hours English language tuition (ESL) per day, (except weekends) but we should not forget that the practice of English continues in the arts, environmental, drama classes and, of course, in the constant, every day mixing with their new Canadian friends present in majority at Camp Frost. This is a full immersion summer camp and we normally do not recommend extra english classes at this venue.
And sports are not forgotten either. Non-motorized sports, so as not to contaminate the environment and avoid risks: kayaking, canoeing, swimming, sailing, life-saving classes and, at an extra small cost, scuba diving and snorkeling.
Evening activities are many and varied and go from camp fire singing, karaoke, cinema (on a 9 metre screen at the conference centre), indoor and outdoor games, to observing the nocturnal wildlife.
A programme, rich in content, educational and fun, which provides the students with the opportunity to appreciate nature and the beauty of the region, mix and interact with Canadian children and, therefore, improve enormously their spoken English . A safe environment, under the watchful eye of a caring team of professionals. A life enriching experience.
