School trips in Valle d'Aosta: rafting, orienteering, knot tying, and environmental education

Rafting Republic offers educational programs in Valle d'Aosta for primary and secondary schools and organized groups of young people. The aim is to combine experiences in nature, team activities, and educational content in line with civic education, environmental education, and welcome projects at the beginning of the school year.
The activities take place in Aymavilles (AO), a few minutes from the Aosta Ovest motorway exit, in a center with a fenced green area, a small lake, changing rooms, hot showers, and a dedicated dining area.

Request information from the Rafting Republic Center to organize the recreational and educational days of the Schools Project

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School Project at the Rafting Republic Center

At the Rafting Republic Center, school days are not “standard” packages, but tailor-made experiences. Each activity, from rafting to orienteering, from knot tying to environmental education, is designed as a module that can be combined to create the ideal day based on the age of the children and the educational objectives of the school.

The center is the starting point for going down the river. Here, classes can eat, relax in the large fenced-in green space, use the pond for practical activities, and enjoy moments of play and socializing in safety.

To make the experience truly complete, the rafting trip can be accompanied by all the other educational and team-building activities offered by the School Project, as well as cultural visits in the area. The trip thus becomes a real day of discovery, learning, and sharing.

How school days work

We build the trip in a modular way, combining blocks of 2.5–3 hours. This allows teachers and parents to choose a tailor-made day based on age, educational objectives, and class level.

Possible options:

  • half day: a single activity (e.g., rafting, orienteering, knot tying, or environmental education)
  • full day: morning activity + afternoon activity
  • activity + cultural visit: river or center module + visit to castles/monuments with qualified guides
  • activity + recreation at the center: educational morning and afternoon of games and socializing in the enclosed green area.

Standard times are indicative (e.g., 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.) and are adapted to the needs of the individual school and bus schedules.

When do school activities take place at the Rafting Republic Center?

Activities for schools take place approximately:

from April/May to September/October, depending on the modules.

In particular, there is a focus on:

  • end-of-year trips (May–June)
  • welcome projects (September).
  • Teachers and school representatives can:
  • request a personalized proposal
  • build a modular day combining several activities
  • receive support in logistical planning (times, travel, lunch, any cultural visits).

Request information from the Rafting Republic Center to organize the recreational-educational days of the School Project

Request information

The activity is aimed at children in 5th grade and above.

Duration: approximately 3 hours

“First paddles” is a rafting course designed as a first river experience for children. First, we work on safety. The guides explain the main rules, how to use the equipment, and the correct behavior on board. Then it’s time for practice with exercises in calm water in the center’s lake to familiarize participants with paddles and commands. Finally, there is a guided descent on a selected stretch of the Dora Baltea river, with swimming tests in the current in complete safety.

The children will learn

  • to respect rules and safety
  • team spirit (you only move if you paddle together)
  • how to manage emotions (fear, enthusiasm, trust in the group and the guides)
  • to discover the area from a new perspective, from the river.

For teachers, it is an opportunity to observe class dynamics in a context that is different from the classroom, but still controlled and structured.

The activity is aimed at young people aged 16 and over (especially those in their fourth and fifth years of high school).

Duration: approximately 3 hours

“Discovering the river” is the advanced module designed for older students. The stretch of river is longer and the navigation becomes more challenging and continuous. The students tackle approximately 9 km of the Dora Baltea, alternating between natural and more man-made stretches, with particular attention to the effects of human intervention on the riverbed.

The children will learn

  • to explore the relationship between the natural environment and human intervention (embankments, infrastructure)
  • to work on individual responsibility within a team
  • to train concentration, listening, and respect for procedures in a dynamic context.

This module is well suited to civic education, earth sciences, physics, and geography courses.

The activity is aimed at children in 5th grade and above.

Duration: approximately 2.5 hours.

Orienteering takes place on a hill 5 minutes from the center, among vineyards and mountains. The children are divided into teams, equipped with a map, compass, and punch card, and must find the “lanterns” marked on the route in the shortest time possible.

The children will learn:

  • to apply geographical concepts in practice (maps, cardinal points, reading the terrain)
  • to think about coordinates, distances, and times (math)
  • to develop problem solving, cooperation, and shared leadership
  • to work on trust within the group and error management.

The activity is suitable for:

  • welcome projects at the beginning of the year
  • civics courses
  • end-of-year outings that combine movement, play, and educational objectives.

Preparatory worksheets to be completed in class before the trip are available upon request.

The activity is aimed at children in the 5th year of primary school and above.

Duration: approximately 2h30

Can be held indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.

Knotology is the “science of knots” applied to the world of rivers and beyond. Starting from very concrete situations (moving a heavy object, securing a load, preventing a knot from coming undone at the wrong moment), children learn how to tie knots and build simple pulley systems using only ropes and ingenuity.

Module structure:

  • brief introduction to the world of rivers, safety, and the role of ropes
  • practical workshop on knots and pulleys in small groups
  • final team challenge to apply what has been learned.

The children will learn:

  • to develop fine motor skills and attention to detail
  • to understand basic concepts of physics (forces, levers, mechanical advantage) through experience
  • to train logic, collaboration, and the ability to explain themselves to their peers.

This module is well suited to welcome activities and courses focused on STEM, technology, and science.

The activity is aimed at secondary schools (in particular, ages 14 and up).

Duration: approximately 3 hours.

This module is dedicated to the river environment and risk culture. It starts with the question “What is a river?” and moves on to topics such as morphology, flow, water regimes, the water cycle, biodiversity, pollution, and climate change. An important part is dedicated to hydrogeological risk in Italy and how human choices affect the balance of the territory.

The activity alternates between:

  • interactive lessons
  • guided discussion of real cases
  • small practical activities/workshops (e.g., use of ropes for rescue simulations, observation exercises, and scenario reading).

The students will learn:

  • to build a solid foundation of environmental education
  • to connect geography, science, physics, and civics in a single course
  • to become citizens who are aware of risk, prevention, and environmental protection.

Duration: variable (half-day module or complement to other activities)

The center’s fenced green area allows time to be devoted to free play and simple team building activities.

We can organize guided group games designed to:

  • improve class cohesion
  • facilitate the integration of new students
  • offer opportunities for socializing in a safe environment that can be supervised by teachers.

Alternatively, the school can use the area as a supervised recreation space for packed lunches, relaxation, and self-managed activities.

The Rafting Republic center is located in Aymavilles (AO), about 2 minutes from the Aosta Ovest motorway exit, with parking for coaches and direct access to the state road.

Available spaces

  • fenced green area with a pond and two large lawns
  • changing rooms and hot showers
  • accessible toilets
  • covered area for packed lunches in case of uncertain weather
  • bar/cafeteria with simple menus for school groups (on request).

Safety

  • river activities are conducted by qualified instructors, trained according to federal standards
  • helmets, flotation devices, wetsuits, and rafts are certified and provided by the center
  • the routes are calibrated according to the age and level of the group
  • before each activity, a clear safety briefing is given, appropriate for the age of the children.