Outdoor Education & Environmental Education

Centre for Excellence in Outdoor and Environmental Education

About the Centre

Welcome to the Centre for Excellence in Outdoor and Environmental Education at La Trobe University. Although the Centre is one of the smaller centres within the university it is also one of the most exciting, combining a long tradition of quality outdoor learning and teaching with a supportive and vibrant academic research culture.

Eighteen academic staff currently work in the Centre, engaged in research, teaching and a variety of community and/or professional projects. The Centre has a strong national and international reputation for its specialty degree courses and its contributions to the fields of outdoor and environmental education, environmental studies, and nature tourism.

The Centre offers graduate programmes in research (Masters and PhD) and postgraduate coursework leading to a Graduate Diploma and Master of Outdoor and Environmental Education.

Many of the Centre's 250 to 300 students are studying in one of the three undergraduate programs: the Bachelor of Arts (Outdoor Education), the Bachelor of Arts (Nature Tourism) or the Bachelor of Physical and Outdoor Education. A significant characteristic of each program is the emphasis on experiential learning in outdoor environments.

Studies in Outdoor Education and Environment at La Trobe, Bendigo, focus on developing knowledge about nature, building relationships with the land, and understanding place, culture, language, and experience. Undergraduate programs emphasise environmental knowledge as well as living and travelling simply in the outdoors. The Centre conducts in excess of 800 days of fieldwork during the academic year, ranging from extended remote bushwalks or canoe journeys, to shorter excursions to alpine areas, forests, cliffs, or river environments. It's a busy place, with the core of the Centre's outdoor teaching conducted through the use of activities such as bushwalking, canoe touring, ski touring, rock climbing, naturalist studies or camping.

Perhaps as a consequence of the time students and staff spend working collaboratively outdoors there is a strong sense of community within the Centre. Experienced undergraduate and graduate students frequently work with and mentor new students by leading outdoor learning activities and sharing experiences. The Centre is well known across the campus for the energy and enthusiasm of its student body. The Centre's students are the driving force behind the Bendigo campus's outdoor activities and environmental clubs.

The Centre is situated on the Bendigo campus in the award winning, purpose-built, Ironbark Centre, a building that reflects the environmental philosophy of those who work within it. The Ironbark Centre is adjacent to bushland, where staff and students can sit on boulders in the outdoor teaching areas or move into the adjoining Greater Bendigo National Park. Proximity to the bush is a valued part of the Centre's curriculum, particularly in undergraduate programs where familiarity and knowledge of the outdoors is paramount. Being able to watch kangaroos grazing or the wildflower cycles throughout the year also makes for a very pleasant learning environment.

Learning while adventuring in the Australian environment is just one of the many benefits that international students cite as a highlight of studying within the Centre. Our international students come from around the globe, including Scandinavian countries, North America and the Pacific Rim. International students merge with locals to develop what we consider to be one of the best and most welcoming educational communities in the country.

Whatever your reason for visiting we are confident that our Centre can inspire and meet your educational needs outdoors.