Oropi School Year 7-8 students are strengthening their leadership skills via a novel type of camping.

‘Cardboard Camp’ – a new idea created by the teachers of Oropi School – has seen 48 students build their own individual ‘tents’ using cardboard and sleep overnight in them on the school field on Thursday, March 7.

Leadership, problem-solving and team building are the key pillars of this camp, according to principal Andrew King.

“At the beginning of the year, we do a leadership camp for all of our Year 7-8s, just to have time problem solving together and on mutually beneficial experiences to gel as a group, but also to develop their leadership capacity,” says Andrew.

 “They’re all been making their own cardboard tents and helping one another to do so,” says Andrew, who talked to the Sun before Thursday’s camp night.

The cardboard was donated from a variety of places including community members and the recycling centre.

“The students had to look after themselves in terms of putting their own tent up. They’re learning to use their own initiative to do everything themselves. They’ll be doing a variety of leadership and team-building games,” says Andrew.

“They spent the whole of Thursday preparing and doing activities and then putting their tents up in the afternoon,” says Andrew.

The idea for cardboard tents is linked to their play-based learning and project-based learning programme, says Andrew.

“The kids are learning through experience and problem-solving and creating.”

Oropi students Ceara Parkes, Emma Watson, Isabella Applegate, Daniel Walters, Lily Cumming, Isabelle Williams pile into a cardboard tent.

The students have tested and trialled models to see what works, and have been putting their mathematics skills into practice in terms of measurement and figuring our dimensions.

“They are learning about sustainability and building structures that can then be recycled at the end of it. It’s a really novel idea – we’ve never done it before,” says Andrew.

“It’s a hands-on experience for the kids, they’re very excited about it.”