Kelowna Secondary School media teacher Jonathan Derksen is taking students on a trip of a lifetime.

Derksen, along with nine others, are travelling to Yellowstone National Park this summer to expand their media knowledge by creating their own documentaries.

Organized by non-profit Ecology Project International, the students will test their media skills by following field biologists as they study bears, bison and wolves in the park.

They香蕉视频直播檒l be off the grid, camping, filming and at the end of the excursion, enjoying white-water river rafting.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 pretty empowering for these guys,香蕉视频直播� said Derksen. 香蕉视频直播淗ow do animals in this environment adapt to an area that香蕉视频直播檚 so geologically active?香蕉视频直播�

The idea started from a project last year, when students visited an animal rescue shelter in Bolivia and recorded footage for short micro-documentaries.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not a field trip. It香蕉视频直播檚 students that actually are crew and you need to be able to rely on them as adults,香蕉视频直播� said Derksen.

This year, a mix of graduates from KSS, current students and a few others will create their own individual projects in various forms of media, whether it香蕉视频直播檚 writing, filming, or photography. All of the project香蕉视频直播檚 will be centred around conservation.

香蕉视频直播淗ow do we use our media skills towards the conservation end? It香蕉视频直播檚 something I wanted to do for a long time,香蕉视频直播� said Derksen, who has worked for National Geographic and Discovery Channel香蕉视频直播檚 Daily Planet.

He also plans to produce a mini-documentary on the students香蕉视频直播� experience.

As part of the crew, this will be recent KSS graduates Devon Nagle and Kenzie Gorjanc香蕉视频直播檚 first time in Yellowstone National Park.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 pretty excited香蕉视频直播� we get to go past public lines,香蕉视频直播� said Nagle, who is focusing on photography and writing for the trip.

Nagle was a student and teacher香蕉视频直播檚 assistant in Derksen香蕉视频直播檚 class. She香蕉视频直播檚 attending the University of Toronto in the fall for criminology, but she considers journalism as her plan B.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always had an interest in journalism and photography and it was a cool class,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Her parents loved the park, so they encouraged Nagle to attend the expedition and she香蕉视频直播檚 looking forward to studying the wolves.

Gorjanc is also interested in documenting wolves and carries a passion for travel journalism.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e always been an outdoorsy person. I love backpacking. In the past few years I香蕉视频直播檝e seen so much change in B.C. just with people disrespecting nature and damage happening to it. I want to see Yellowstone before it香蕉视频直播檚 too late. I want to get a better understanding of the place and see it for what it is,香蕉视频直播� said Gorjanc.

She has an interest in writing, which will be the focus of her project. The trip cost $2,300 for Gorjanc which doesn香蕉视频直播檛 include travel expenses as the trip is not funded by the high school.

For Derksen, he aims to go above the student/teacher relationship.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 how I grew up, with educators that really saw the relationship as beyond teacher, but much more mentorship-oriented,香蕉视频直播� he said.

While working in boarding schools in India, he said he had more influence on the students as a mentor, something he香蕉视频直播檚 carried over to his teaching at KSS.

香蕉视频直播淲e got to see where they took those talents, part of it was the students were always at the school, but I had a much more uncle-like role, which I miss coming back to Canada,香蕉视频直播� said Derksen.

香蕉视频直播淚 thought what香蕉视频直播檚 a way we can build that mentor foundation in a B.C. school system.香蕉视频直播�

Watch the student香蕉视频直播檚 previous adventures on YouTube by searching ArtofAdventure.

The group will spend time in the park from Aug. 1 to 9.