The MCS Tamarack Program: Education Without Walls
TAMARACK is a total immersion integrated semester program that involves a class of grade 11 and 12 students who are together as a group with one teacher from February to June. Started by the late Bill Patterson in 1991 at Mackenzie, TAMARACK was originally inspired by the Foxfire program, and is now one of the most successful, longest running integrated semester programs in Ontario.
Curriculum Integrated with Adventure
The core credits earned in the program are BOH4M (a leadership credit), CGR4M (Environment and Resource Management), and NDW4M (Indigenous Issues and perspectives). Students learn in an interdisciplinary, project and trip based, experiential environment. The class will be going on winter camping, Algonquin hiking, and canoe trips, working on conservation and environmental projects with community groups, leading events within the school, doing individual research, and working to commemorate the indigenous history of the local area through collaboration with Steffanie Adams and her research into the Silent Community.
Core Skill Development
Tamarack was developed on the basis of character education and good citizenship, and heavily incorporates Fullan’s 6 Cs:
- Character
- Citizenship
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
In addition participants will work on wilderness skills including
- Water Mastery: Water safety training, canoeing and canoe camping techniques.
- Wilderness Survival: Fire-building, emergency winter shelter construction, and navigation.
- Backcountry Living: Sustainable "Leave No Trace" camping, outdoor cooking, and gear maintenance.
- Risk Management: Learning to assess risks, weather patterns, terrain, and first-aid needs in remote areas.
Why Choose Tamarack?
Tamarack is a transformative journey that builds grit, self-reliance, and a profound connection to the natural world. It is a rare opportunity for students to step away from screens and step into a role of responsibility and leadership, returning with a renewed sense of confidence, a group of life long friends, and several credits toward their diploma.