Describes development of an outdoor club at a special elementary school for deaf children. Addresses starting the hiking club, obtaining financial support, and recruiting adult volunteers. Student participants develop an appreciation of the environment while experiencing teamwork, competence, responsibility, companionship, and freedom. (DB)

This article describes a wilderness education program that uses a rope challenge course to foster group cooperation and individual self-confidence in deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students. (DB)

The purpose of this illustrated manual is to increase the knowledge and facilitate the training of challenge course instructors at an outdoor education center in Texas. It is intended for use as a tool during staff training for new instructors and as a reference tool throughout the school year by all instructors. The manual presents information…

Focusing on the therapeutic aspects of camping experiences for delinquent and psychologically disturbed youth, this 382-item bibliography lists books, journal articles, theses, dissertations, and unpublished reports written from 1928 to 1983 on adventure education, wilderness experience, Outward Bound, therapeutic camping, experiential learning,…

Paradox and therapeutic double bind techniques are used to overcome resistance in students with a history of success avoidance. Predictions of failure, restraining comments, and the use of paradox in the midst of an activity are defended theoretically by presenting historical roots and a rationale of effectiveness. A skill-building approach…

Presents practical information about psychiatric medications and psychological emergencies to assist staff working in outdoor settings with mental health patients. Discusses the potential hazards and side effects of psychotropic drugs. Provides step-by-step guidelines for distinguishing between medical and psychological problems, assessing…

An adventure education center in South Wales has developed a safety contract that enables the client (often a school) and the center to fully discuss responsibilities, safety, and emergency arrangements prior to a course. Clients are educated and reassured by the process, and the contract is a positive marketing tool. Includes a copy of the safety…

This document consists of an annotated bibliography that lists published educational materials for children and young people about the sailing canoe "Hokule'a" and such related topics as Polynesian canoes, migration, and wayfinding. It lists curriculum materials as well as selected tradebooks, periodical articles, films, and videotapes.…

In an effort to increase the application of "transfer of learning" (a phenomenon of connecting experiences encountered during an adventure activity to future situations) in the field of adventure education, workshops were presented at the 1984 Association for Experiential Education Conference at Lake Junalaska, North Carolina and the 1984 National…

Asserts outdoor education leaders need to develop specific skills to aid participants in processing structured experiences to gain awareness and assist them in transferring learning to other life situations. Defines, organizes, and sequences specific components of the science of processing. Provides a sample processing scenario. (NEC)

Outlines components of fear in outdoor adventure activities. Reports ratings by 311 Outward Bound students of 23 common fears in the outdoors. Discusses techniques of fear reduction therapy: systematic desensitization, flooding, modeling of coping methods by instructors, and rehearsal of adaptive behaviors. Contains 16 references. (SV)

In recent years, an increasing number of educators have opted for non-traditional programs that afford students opportunities that traditional classroom experiences do not. Many educators are utilizing the wilderness environment as a means of providing students and staffs with an experientially-based developmental program. Activities such as rock…

Suggests educational opportunities provided by well-planned campfire activities such as singing, skits, stories, cheers, and readings. Recommends planning a beginning, main body of the program, and an ending to create a meaningful, unified experience. (NEC)

Investigates the leadership characteristics of effective Colorado Outward Bound school instructors and examines criteria to be used in staff selection procedures. Biographical and personality data collected from 130 instructors at the Colorado school indicated a statistically significant correlation of a number of biographical characteristics with…

Examines theories of specific, nonspecific, and metaphoric transfer of learning and outlines 10 factors and techniques to assist adventure educators in linking challenging experiences to students' future learning. (LFL)