Livingstone Range School Division is very proud to be able to offer a variety of high-quality programming at PEAKS Campus. The Acronym PEAKS stands for Place-based Experiences, Adventures, and Knowledge for Students. Programming at PEAKS includes several experiential science programs for all grades and dual credit environmental science courses in collaboration with Lethbridge College starting in junior high. We also offer a variety of outdoor pursuits programs including canoeing, cross-country skiing, wilderness skills, overnight camps, Avalanche Safety Training, Alberta Hunter Education Certification Training, and many more.
The experiential programming at PEAKS Campus puts students first and promotes a healthy, active lifestyle. PEAKS Campus programs provide students with opportunities to learn outside of the classroom on the lands that surround their communities, creating relevant hands-on experiences. We connect with community experts to build our programs, whenever possible. Our programs increase student engagement by allowing students to learn about their environment and communities in the field. PEAKS student leadership retreats, pre-employment certification programming, Indigenous programming, staff professional development sessions, and school class learning including outdoor education, environmental education, and arts experiences. Each aspect of our programming is designed to increase student engagement, strengthen relationships, develop a sense of connection to and stewardship for the natural world, and increase health and mental well-being. Perhaps most importantly, our programming creates lasting good memories & strengthens relationships.
PEAKS Campus is an exceptional home base for place-based student programming. Located in the Crowsnest Pass on 5.28 acres of land approximately 6 kilometers west of Coleman on the south side of Highway 3. The facility provides immediate access to the Rocky Mountains and multiple biomes associated with the study of environmental sciences. It is the ideal location for the PEAKS Collegiate Campus. The site sits in a relatively flat valley bottom with several prominent peaks such as Crowsnest, Sentry, and Chinook Mountains rising in all directions. Two lakes, Emerald and Crowsnest, are within walking distance of the building as are the headwaters of the Crowsnest River. The proximity to Castle Wildland Provincial Park, Crowsnest Lake, Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor, and the Crowsnest River provide easy access to experiential, placed-based learning opportunities. The property is surrounded by Crown land including a 62 acre parcel of lease land directly behind the center. The location and proximity to natural amenities enable us to offer specialized environmental education programming that could not be provided in a traditional school.
PEAKS Campus is also home to many unique and impactful programs such as our ACTUA Land Camps and the FACES Summer Program where each summer over 600 students from school divisions across the province, work to develop their knowledge of self while fostering an understanding of the importance of integrity. Students are provided opportunities to learn about the importance of resources offered by the land, and how we use, conserve, and protect those resources. PEAKS Campus is a place where students are exposed to potential new interests & new places while they learn about themselves and build character.
FACES creates a community that is safe and supportive. This environment fosters a connection that deeply impacts students. We have come to understand, that through connection, we more fully understand and feel our personal value. Within this community, a sense of safety is emerging that enables students to take the risk of being vulnerable. This vulnerability, accompanied by wise and essential boundaries, is the fertile ground that nourishes appropriate and healthy risk-taking. Eye-opening awareness of thoughts, feelings, and actions inevitably follow.
Livingstone Range School Division (LRSD) is very proud to offer a variety of indigenous/traditional knowledge programs including the LRSD/Actua Land Camps sponsored through our partnership with ACTUA. This camp is for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across our school division and provides various outdoor activities, traditional ceremonies, and learning all designed and guided by elders. To gain a fuller understanding of what our land camps entail please see this video: LRSD/Actua Land Camp 202. LRSD anticipates the opportunity to offer collegiate dual credit courses to students participating in the land camps. We are currently exploring this opportunity with our partners and with facility additions could offer indigenous land camps year-round.
The site, industry partnerships, and innovation leveraged for this program have made PEAKS Campus an amazing place for students to be educated and provide endless opportunities for learning and memorable experiences. We are confident that this research project will demonstrate that the place-conscious programming that takes place at PEAKS will illustrate a link between place-conscious learning and student wellness.
