Sporting Schools “Sporting Schools” is a funded sport program provided by the Australian Sports Commission. Funding for orienteering programs is available to primary schools and secondary schools in Victoria. Funding is provided directly to schools from the ASC. Schools nominate a sport usually on a term-to-term basis. Schools can apply through Sports Australia for a grant to run a Sporting Schools orienteering program. A comprehensive delivery guide has been developed to enable coaches and teachers to run a four-week program. Orienteering Victoria (OV) can provide orienteering coaches for schools for the full program, for part of the program or support schools electing to have teacher-delivered programs. There is also an option to have a coach provide a real orienteering course as week 4 or 5 at a local park (preferred where possible) or at the school. Teachers delivering the program will need to complete the Orienteering Instructor (Teacher) accreditation, and will be provided with a map and course file set up to run all the activities, as well as a copy of the guide. The grant can be used to cover mapping of the school (required), equipment, professional development and instruction time. Requests for a booking are made through the Sporting Schools website or directly by contacting OV. Further arrangements will be made between one of the OV schools officers and the school. All programs are tailored to your school’s need in discussion with your staff. Please contact the OV Schools Officer for more information. More details about the funding process can be found on the Sporting Schools website: http://sportingschools.gov.au/ ORIENTEERING AT YOUR SCHOOL Orienteering is a challenging outdoor adventure sport which exercises mind and body. It appeals to non-sporty children as much as those who are already active. Unlike some sports, students won’t be left on the bench or waiting to be passed the ball. In orienteering, they are the ball! Students can go at their own pace – walk, jog or run. Their competitive juices often flow, it’s not just about speed. They interpret the map and choose the quickest route between control points, which may not necessarily be the shortest route. Many activities are done in pairs so the students get to coach each other, further adding to the learning experience. Additional Opportunities School Community Event Engaging the family is the key to a student’s ongoing participation in organised sports. Immediately following the 4 week program we can run a special event for your students and their parents. This event could be after school or on a Saturday morning on your school map or at a local park. This is a great way for the kids to show off their new skills and share the fun of orienteering with mum and dad. We can also run an orienteering event at your school fair or as part of a sports carnival / house competition. Park Orienteering and Excursions As an addition or a substitution for the activities in week 3 or 4 we can provide a session at a local park or forest. These activities can be run as skill development or score orienteering event. This activity could involve a larger student group (instead of one class at a time). Professional Development – Level 0 Coaching Accreditation Orienteering Victoria provides Level 0 and Level 1 ASC Coaching Accreditations. Level 0 accreditation, Orienteering Instructor (Teacher), is an online learning module combined with virtual or face to face PD focusing on running orienteering activities for students, and may include course-setting. Many teachers use their Sporting Schools funding for the Orienteering Instructor (Teacher) PD. It works well when the school has an orienteering map, and the teacher runs orienteering sessions at the school and uses resources and feedback provided by Orienteering Victoria. A teacher needs Level 1 accreditation or use OV help if they want to do a bush excursion. The Level 1 accreditation is the Learn and Play accreditation. The eLearning modules have gone live at the end of July 2024. The accreditation requires 3-4 hours theory, and additional practical components. These courses can count toward your annual professional development requirements. Equipment Kit The equipment kit allows you to run your own orienteering activities beyond the Sporting School Coaching sessions. The kit includes 20 flags with punches, 100 control cards and a storage box. An electronic SportIdent kit including 12 control stations, 20 e-tags and a thermal printer, that allows students to time their own activity is also available. Schools Championships Championships occur throughout the year in Victoria. These events involve students competing against each other in local parks and forests. Between 100 and 900 students (from 5 to 15 schools) participate in each event.