AJ PARENTS
Introduction
who are we and what we do
Who is Ecoventure
We are a leading outdoor Educational provider for International schools across the Gulf Region.
Our aim is to help in students personal development and to teach social responsibility through experiential earning outside the classroom.
​
Why send your child away with Ecoventure
As well as raising education in schools, exposure to the natural environment through outdoor education has beed shown to produce significant improvements in independence, confidence, assertiveness, and decision-making.
What is provided by Ecoventure
Specialist activity equipment, Risk assessed sessions, Instructions by qualified staff, Food/Water, Accommodation
Program Information
what to expect
Signing up for camp
Our new booking platform allows you to register and pay online, all in one go! If for some reason your school wants to collect the payment then you just need to register online and pay at your schools accounts department.
The deadline for registering is 30 days before the trip.
What does my child need to bring
Along with the camp program, you should received a kit list. If you have not received one yet, please speak to your child’s teacher.
What food will be provided
We have tried to create a meal plan that is both healthy and appealing to students (see example meal plan below). We can also provide meals for people with specific dietary requirements. If your child does have any dietary requirements please make sure it is mentioned when filing in the camp signup form.
Refunds
Our standard refund policy is:​
-
Up to 14 days before the program up to 80%* of the program cost can be refunded.
-
Within 14 days of the program up to 80%* of the program cost will be refunded only upon receipt of a valid Doctor's note.
* The exact amount will depend on any non recoverable costs already paid associated with the program.
If for some reason the trip is cancelled do to Covid 19 the refundable amount will be between 60 and 100% depending on when the trip is cancelled and what unrecoverable costs we have already paid out for it.
If your child cannot attend the trip and you have already paid, you can apply for a refund here www.ecov.co/refunds
Peace of Mind
Health and Safety
Security
All of our camp sites are surrounded by a perimeter wall or fence, with a lockable gate. Ecoventure staff, house keeping and cooks, school staff and school children, and qualified contractors are the only people allowed on camp. All of our main sites are used exclusively by Ecoventure, and we DO NOT allow parents on site unless they have been vouched for by the school, and are there to help supervise the group.
​
Safety
All of our staff are first aid trained, along with key staff members who are also wilderness first aid trained.
All locations we use are risk assessed, and in the event that someone does hurt themselves, we have 1st aid kits with us wherever we go, and there is always a vehicle present in the event that we need to go to hospital.
Supervision
-
Staff to student ratios are based on British NGB's (National Governing Body) guidelines.
-
For our adventurous activities there is 1 instructor to 8 guests when working on the water and 1 instructor to 16 guests when working on the land.
-
Ecoventure staff provide direct supervision from 7am - 8pm.
-
The schools teachers on camp are responsible for supervision outside of the 7am - 8pm times, as well as additional supervision through out the trip.
-
Our staff always stay onsite with the group, with an assigned duty manager in case anything is needed during the evening.
​
Staff
All of our staff at Ecoventure are on a 2 year work VISA, they have been background checked to ensure they are suitable to work with children. They are also first aid qualified and can respond accordingly in an emergency. The majority of our team are from the UK, Australia, NZ, and USA and hold qualifications in their assigned roles.
FAQ
Facilities
Q : What are your dormitory accommodation arrangements?
A : This depends on where you are staying, but all rooms have bunk beds. Boys and girls are separated either by having teachers in between the dormitories or by being on separate floors. Teachers sleep in close proximity to the students in rooms attached to the dormitory. Some accommodation is ensuite and some has ablutions blocks adjacent to them.
​
Q : What are your tented accommodation arrangements?
A : Permanently pitched, heavy duty canvas tents which can sleep 8-10 students depending on age. Boys and girls tents are on opposite ends of the camping field with 1 or more teachers tents in between. Toilets and showers are within 10 meters of the tent area.
​
Q : What are the security facilities for the campsite?
A : All sites have a secure perimeter fence and gate which is locked at night. Teachers have accommodation close to the students and Ecoventure staff are onsite at all times with a duty manager on call 24 hours.
FAQ
Life on Camp
Q : How are these activities different from the activities my children have taken part in the previous year?
A : Ecoventure works with the school to arrange an itinerary with varied activities, locations and experiences. If there are any activities that are similar to the previous year, Ecoventure will arrange for a more advance level of learning outcome for the students as part of their progression program.
​
Q : What is included in the cost?
A : Supervised outdoor learning activities and programs operated by qualified instructors. All meals, insurance, accommodation, equipment and transport. Souvenir T-shirt and group photo
Q : What should my child bring to camp?
A : You should have been provided with a camp program, with the kit list attached. If you have not received a copy, talk to your child’s teacher and they will be able to provide you with one.
Q : Does Ecoventure have a shop to buy merchandise?
A : For programs 2 days or longer we do have a small shop for students to spend pocket money. The merchandise on sale are things link key chains, re-usable bottles, stickers, caps and don’t cost more than 30 /50AED. We invite students to buy things in free time or at the end of camp.
Q : Does my child need to bring money to camp?
A : For programs 2 days or longer every child receives a free Ecoventure t-shirt at the end of camp as a souvenir, so if you feel like you don’t want to give extra money then please don’t worry. They will come away with something regardless.
​
Q : Will Ecoventure be providing a photographer for my child’s camp?
A : We will not be providing a photographer for individuals to be photographed singularly. There will be photos taken of children in group shots so please don’t expect any photos of your children in action alone. If you want your child to take pictures we advise they bring along a disposable camera.
​
Q : What should my child not bring to camp?
A : Any expensive or favorite items such as mobile phones, expensive cameras, electronic games, iPods or mp3 players, jewelry, favorite clothing or shoes, nuts and sweets.
​
Q : How many adults will be supervising our kids on the various activities?
A : Ecoventure recommends that schools provide one Teacher for every 10 students. On the water we work on a ration of 1:8 with a minimum of 2 instructors per group. On the land we work on a ratio of 1:16.
​
Q : What’s the food like?
A : Breakfast, lunch & dinner are all created around food that children love to eat – but with health & nutrition foremost in mind. There is always a choice of hot & cold dishes, vegetarian selections and fresh salad.
Q: When is bedtime?
A: Our organized program runs through until 8:30-9pm, after this it is up to the teachers what time bed time and lights out will be.
​
Q: Are the Ecoventure staff qualified?
A: Ecoventure staff hold a range of qualifications relating to the activities that they lead, this is complemented by a month long training period at the start of the season, along with continual observation through out the work season. All of our staff have a first aid certificate and undergo a police check before they are employed.
​
​
FAQ
Welfare
Q : What care is available during the night?
A : Students are made aware of where the teachers will be sleeping (never far away) and there will be a member of Ecoventure staff on duty who the teachers can call on should the situation require it.
​
Q : My child has allergies and specific dietary requirements, can you cater for them?
A : Yes, provided we know about them in advance. Please indicate any allergies or specific meal requirements on the online consent form and inform the teacher. We do not know each individual student on camp so it is important that their teacher knows who they are in order for them to get the correct meal. If you are concerned you are welcome to send home cooked meals that we can reheat if you feel it is necessary.
​
Q : What if my child is afraid or can’t cope?
A : All Ecoventure staff are trained to take responsibility for the well-being of the children who are in their care. We strive to create a warm & supportive environment at all times. Our instructors do their best to encourage your child to try every activity. Often after seeing their friends having fun and completing the activity is motivation enough. On an evening children are tired and sleep pretty quickly. If they are missing home and on the rare occasion very upset we will then take further action.
Q : What about children with special needs?
A : We can cope with many needs as long as teachers make us aware of them at the time of booking. We will advise if we think we are not equipped to cope with a specific situation. If your child needs a carer then they are welcome to accompany your child as they might so at school, free of charge.
​
Q : Can parents telephone their children?
A : We strongly discourage any contact between students and their parents while on camp. Likewise we ask that you do not contact us unless there is an emergency. While on camp our focus is on making sure the students are safe and having fun and we want their focus to be on what they are doing and not what’s happening at home. It has been our experience that parents phoning their children just to talk often makes the children’s time away from home harder, rather than easier and exacerbates any homesickness that they might be feeling.
​
Q : What is the procedure in case of an Emergency?
A : For minor incidents there is a first aid station on site and all of our instructors hold a first aid qualification. For more serious incidents we may have to travel to the nearest hospital or medical centre. (We have a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan which provides a guide as to what to do when.) If we do have to travel to hospital the teacher will contact the parent immediately. A teacher & Ecoventure staff member will escort the child to the nearest hospital where the parent will be able to meet their child if they wish. Serious incidents are very rare and most hospital visits that we undertake are purely precautionary.
Q : Is my child covered under medical insurance?
A : Whilst in our care, all students and staff are covered for accidents and injuries by our Public Liability Insurance up to US$1,000,000. Please note that we only cover accidents and injuries, illness (ie colds, fever, etc) are not covered.