In brief:

• ACT public primary school students have begun attending free school camps at Birrigai Outdoor School.
• The ACT Government launched the free camps program in February 2025.
• This article looks at what students experience on a Birrigai camp.

Since the ACT Government launched its free camps program in February this year, over 640 students have experienced one at Birrigai Outdoor School, near Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Another 370 students are booked to attend their free camp by the end of Term 2, which means Birrigai will have hosted more than 1000 students from 13 schools for free camps by mid-year.

Camp is a fun and important part of schooling. But have you ever wondered what students actually get up to?

This article looks at what ACT public primary school students can expect on their free overnight camp.

The free camps program

The free camps program gives one year group from each ACT public primary school a free overnight camp at Birrigai each year.

This ensures all ACT public primary school students attend a free camp during their primary school years.

Free camps mean all students can attend, with no one missing out due to cost.

All ACT public primary schools will have their first free camp in 2025 or 2026.

The campers’ itinerary

Birrigai offers different programs aligned with the curriculum. Themes include:

• First Nations culture
• Outdoor adventure and science
• Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities.

Outdoor activities are central to the experience. On camp, students may take part in:

• adventure bush walks
• team-building exercises like team treks and rope courses
• campfires, damper cooking and seed grinding (and enjoying Birrigai biscuits)
• challenges such as the crate climb, Vertical Playpen and Giant’s Ladder
• a connection to Country experience with Birrigai Aboriginal rangers
• learning about plants and living creatures, including kangaroos, emus, yabbies, Bogong moths and Muliyan (eagles)
• arts and craft – from sketching their environment to building a shelter
• play-based learning, storytelling and singing
• self-directed exploration
• collecting data as part of Birrigai’s ongoing EcoSurvey.

Programs vary due to the age and size of the group, the season and weather conditions.

The Birrigai experience

Local parents and carers may recall their own school camps at Birrigai, which was established in 1980.

The outdoor school is surrounded by mountains, woodland and streams. It is of historical and ongoing significance to the Ngunnawal people.

Students can see archaeological sites over 25,000 years old. There’s also plenty of wildlife to spot.

Birrigai camps help students view the world differently and connect or re-connect to Country.

Food and accommodation

Students experience the novelty of sleeping in bunk-style cabins.

These are heated and air-conditioned and have shared internal bathrooms.

There are also facilities to cater for people with additional needs.

At mealtimes, everyone eats together in Birrigai’s large dining hall.

Meals are freshly prepared by an in-house catering team. Food aligns with the National Healthy School Canteen Guidelines.

The team can accommodate specific dietary needs. Birrigai is a nut-free site.

Ensuring equity in education

The free camps program complements other initiatives aimed at helping Canberra families with school costs. These include:

• free three-year-old preschool
• the Future of Education Equity Fund
• a Chromebook for every public secondary school student.

Find out more at education.act.gov.au

Read more like this:

• Free camps for ACT public primary schools
• Free education in the ACT
• Equity Fund applications open for 2025

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