ace

Adventure Camps & Expeditions is St.Joseph's Institution's adventure education programme. This consisted of the compulsory camp for all secondary 2s, plus optional adventure expeditions for upper secondary students.

SJI has been organising camps with outdoor activities for secondary 2 pupils since 1990. However, in 1992 these camps were revamped and moved from the comfort of the Punggol Ministry of Education campsite to the wilderness of Pulau Ubin. The re-named Operation:ACE or ACE Camp (as it is more affectionately known) aims to contribute to students' personal and social development through outdoor activities. It also became a leadership training opportunity for the older boys.

As time passed, Pulau Ubin became more and more developed, ACE Camp was moved to Malaysia. At first to Mersing in 2000 and then in 2002 to Kluang.

The ACE as we know it, would not have existed if not for Patrick Zehnder, whom we affectionately call 'Tiger' at ACE. Though there were many people involved in developing ACE, I believe no one will dispute the fact that the Tiger is the 'father' of ACE. A common sight at ACE is the Shaness, Zehnder's boat. The boys often refer to it as the Yellow Submarine.

On Pulau Ubin, the camps would not have been possible without the student leaders, or ACE leaders. They became the primary care-giver and teachers became the resource people. As we look back, it is astounding how much the original team of leaders contributed to the success of the camps.

Original ACE Team - photo taken at the end of the very first ACE Camp in June 1992.

papabear's den