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ERIC Number: ED404078
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996
Pages: 6
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Arriba! Building Teamwork and a Ropes Course in Mexico.
Fullerton, Jim; Davis, Scot G.
A staff member of the Outdoor Adventures Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln relates his experience in supervising the construction of the first low ropes course in Yucatan, Mexico. During 1994, two staff members visited Yucatan to explore trip possibilities for the program and to inquire about a future conference location. While leading the men on a tour of the area, the director of the Yucatan Cultural Foundation discussed her experience participating in a ropes course and the need for such a facility in Yucatan. Consequently, planning of the ropes course was begun. The site selected for the course was Hacienda Tabi, a former sugar hacienda that covers nearly 40,000 acres. Coca-Cola of Yucatan provided funding for the project and members of the Mexican Conservation Corps provided labor. The Mexican Conservation Corps recruits student volunteers to work on community service projects during the summer. A total of 60 students aged 15-25, assisted with construction of the ropes course. During construction, student volunteers were taught about the elements that were being built, the philosophy of team building activities, and the history and development of group challenge activities in the United States. Using only hand tools, the volunteers cleared and prepared the site in 2 weeks. It became necessary to order some materials from the United States, and once the needed materials arrived, volunteers worked another 5 days to finish the project. The student volunteers were trained in safety, spotting, site management, and group dynamics. A University of Nebraska group was scheduled to visit the course in December 1995. (LP)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Mexico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A