Alpine CAS Adventure

Course Description

CAS CERTIFICATE: each student will receive a certificate with exact dates, hours and description of the accomplished programme and duties and will be able to have this camp fully recognised by his/her CAS programme coordinator back at school and also use it in the process of university application.

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WE INVITE YOU to an absolutely unique and exciting summer CAS programme in a unique & traditional alpine setting in the heart of Austria!

Our 5-day CAS Adventure Trip in the picturesque mountain village of Mariazell and its surrounding Ötscher region will be a forever memorable experience in the stunning Austrian Fore Alps. This region is less than a 1.5-hour drive from Vienna, Austria’s capital. Vienna also is the city where IBWISE operates and runs its MID IB & PRE IB Summer Revision Camp!

Vienna International Airport or the Hauptbahnhof (central train-station) will be the airport and train-station of choice for students arriving internationally.

Mariazell is a picturesque gem in the Ybbstal Alps with an impressive history dating back to the 12th century. It is known for its magnificent gothic basilica and has therefore been a place of intercultural meetings since many centuries. But this region is also known for its astonishing landscape, canyons, turquoise waterfalls and its spectacular national park with impressive wildlife.

You will be immersed in the old Austrian culture & traditions of a mountain village, will be invited to bake your first brown bread, help feed and milk farm animals and make your own butter and cheese. You will experience breathtaking mountain hikes and spend a night in a typical ‘Schutzhaus’ whilst discovering the secrets of this spectacular national park with our nature guide.

You will help the local rangers clean up this magnificent nature park and learn about the ecosystem and the nature of the Alps, and, you will be experiencing some unique evenings in one of Austria’s very authentic spots, close to the peak of the Ötscher (1893m).

Participating in our CAS summer camp will foster and deepen your understanding about alpine nature, Austrian mountain village culture, and the IB CORE. The focus will be on local and global issues, and the course offers both PRE-IB and MID-IB incentives. All students will complete the camp with a memory that highlights their own experiential learning for their individual CAS programme.

You will engage in a variety of exciting activities, for example:

• Creativity
  • Learn about old Austrian craftsmanship, e.g. forging
  • Traditional baking and the making of butter and cheese
  • Learn to play a traditional Austrian instrument

• Activity
  • Hiking in nature and wilderness
  • Mountaincarts
  • Rope climbing

• Service
  • Volunteer in a unique Austrian nature park
  • Clean up nature
  • Help a day in a kindergarten
  • Help in a typical restaurant and farm

This summer experience will allow you to meaningfully further your CAS exposure, be immersed in the typical traditional Austrian alpine lifestyle in the fore Alps, its crafts and old traditions, discover the purity of nature and support it, and stay in a typical ‘cosy’ village hotel!

About our CAS Trip Coordinators & Mentors:

Alexander Grubich was born and raised in Upper Austria and studied languages in Vienna, Paris, Málaga and Santo Domingo. After finishing his university career, he taught German language, Spanish language and Austrian culture at the University of Rijeka, Croatia and at the same time he finished his PhD in the field of “German social studies” in the topic ” The image of Austria in Croatia”. Since 2008 he is a teacher at Vienna International School incorporating different roles such as: teaching IB German, French, Spanish, Service and Action coordinator, homeroom teacher and since 5 years CAS coordinator. Additionally, he became an examiner for the IB in the field of language Ab initio and is an IBO professional development workshop leader for CAS and Language Ab initio. Alexander is also an IB school visiting team member.

Alexander is passionate about many different kinds of sports such as running, skiing, tennis, hiking, beach volleyball and cycling. Further he is socially engaged in different charity events throughout the year. He really likes to inspire students in order to convince them they can help create a better world with more respect for each other.

He lives with his family in Vienna and spends most of the weekends in Mariazell, Styria.

Alex will be joined by Lena Bröderbauer, one of our highly motivated and wonderful activity coaches! Like Alex, Lena is sportive, knows the Mariazell-Ötscher region inside out and will be an absolute pleasure to spend time with! She is about to finish her teaching degree (BEd) and will have a lot to give and add to make your experience an absolutely unforgettable one.

We look forward to hear from you!