Tihoi Venture School is the second campus of St Paul’s Collegiate School, located on the edge of the Pureroa Forest near Taupō, and is an adventure camp for Year 10 boys. It is a challenging environment but through community living, a quality academic programme, and wide ranging outdoor pursuits, Tihoi gives St Paul’s students the best possible opportunities to grow.
This unique 18-week back-to-basics programme is designed specifically for 14-year-old boys. For two terms of the academic year, these boys are stripped of modern technology such as television and mobile phones, and placed in houses with seven age-mates, regular schooling and outdoor experiences.
Here they learn to live and work together, taking responsibility for their own housekeeping, preparing their own meals on wood-burning stoves and meeting a range of personal and social challenges.
Tihoi Venture School
Each week they spend three days in the outdoors and four days in the classroom where they participate in a rigorous academic programme in all mainstream subjects.
Outdoor pursuits include white water rafting, sea kayaking, sailing, rock climbing, mountain craft, caving, bush survival, tramping, mountain biking, canoeing, abseiling and the high ropes challenge course. All Tihoi staff have extensive training and the qualifications needed to supervise outdoor pursuits.
The outcome of attending Tihoi Venture School is the confidence gained in these young men which builds their resilience and develops their independence. This programme gives them a valuable head start into their senior years and life beyond school.
