This qualitative study considered how adventure education leaders can utilize the natural outdoor environment combined with appropriate leadership techniques to catalyze spiritual experiences among participants. Considerations included the impact of outdoor adventure best practices as well as the effects of situational leadership behaviors,…

Through adventure-based learning (ABL), individuals analyze unique experiences in order to generalize and apply critical skills and dispositions to their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities (Dillon, Tannehill, & O'Sullivan, 2010). However, there is a lack of research documenting the transferability of ABL to other contexts (Kraft,…

Adventure Education is the field of study that uses human-powered activities in the wilderness to facilitate both individual and group growth and development. Over the past few decades, this field has focused on a return to the natural environment to provide experiential learning for students to develop both technical skills and higher-level…

Orientation programs on college campuses across the United States exist to serve the needs of new students to transition and thrive in their new setting. Some students may arrive on campus for even more specialized programs beyond traditional orientation programs, such as athletic practice, that focus on academic courses or involve a wilderness…

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the retention rate and 9 first-year student programs at Liberal Arts Colleges in the Mountain South, a region in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Nine first-year programs were studied: Summer Bridge Programs, Preterm Orientation, Outdoor Adventure Orientation,…