The Palisades Centre has a number of exciting opportunities for students this month.

The centre recently hosted Geoff Fraser’s Grade 10 science class for a Vectors course on Nov. 3, where students used rock climbing to study loads, vectors, angles and weight.

The program was designed by Fraser and Palisades Stewardship Program Co-ordinator Jeanine D’Antonio. 

Students took turns on the climbing wall using different physics properties, while enjoying a scramble up the rock face. When not climbing, other groups learned navigation using a GPS, and with a good old-fashioned map and compass. 

The vectors course isn’t all Palisades has planned for the busy month of November. 

“This month is going to be kind of big,” D’Antonio said. 

On Nov. 18, the centre will host a Night Sky Program starting at 6:30 p.m. Students will have a chance to examine the sky using a telescope. 

From Nov. 25 to 28, the Palisades Centre will be hosting the New Canadians Program for the second year, after its success in 2009. The New Canadians program is for any people who have recently emigrated to Canada, to learn all about how to survive the winter. The program will teach winter camping skills, snow-shoeing and more. 

Aboriginal students from Edmonton took a trip to the Palisades Centre on Nov. 9 for the ever-popular Forensics course. Students learn how to investigate a scene like a Park Warden. The program is a partnership with Friends of Jasper. D’Antonio said anyone interested in the Forensics course can contact the Palisades Centre to schedule a class for April. The course is open to Grades 6 to 10.

D’Antonio is happy to work with local teachers on building classes to use the Palisades Centre. Schools from Jasper and Hinton have held programs at the Palisades Centre.