Project Adventure (PA) offers certification for adventure program managers and two levels of challenge course practitioners. PA feels certification is timely because other fields have certification programs that work well, PA has been using competency-based certification for their own staff successfully for 8 years, the field has recently…

Describes an activity in which students participate in an unsupervised three-hour adventure-based learning expedition in the urban core of Hamilton (Ontario). Explains objectives and parameters, and presents nine tasks to be performed. Discusses students' reactions to the urban community exploration in debriefing, including the activity's positive…

Outdoor experiential program providers must be aware of certain issues in order to reduce or eliminate liability claims against their organization and employees. These include liability insurance, liability education, risk control, and record keeping. Recommends that all outdoor program providers provide risk management training to employees and…

Training used by corporations and other organizations for management development has undergone changes over the years. The first generation of development training emphasized personal growth through physical challenge. The second generation added an intellectual dimension for processing the experience. The third generation includes physical,…

Discusses the development of a national accreditation scheme for volunteer assessors in the expeditions section of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program for young people. Stages of accreditation include wild country experience, introductory learning and preparation, accreditation weekend, and induction assessments. Performance criteria are…

In effective therapeutic adventure experiences that incorporate metaphoric transfer, the metaphor contains isomorphs that link the experience to client needs and therapeutic issues. Use of metaphoric transfer in a therapeutic experience for substance abusers is described. Seven steps for creating appropriate metaphoric experiences are outlined.…

Examines benefits of three models for evaluating outdoor adventure programs: program monitoring with debriefings and check-offs; experimental evaluation; and qualitative, naturalistic observation. Illustrates and compares approaches using California 4-H adventure ropes course. Examines data's specificity, assumptions, ambiguities, and followup.…

Describes an adventure activity in which a group achieved a seemingly impossible goal by changing the way it imagined the task. Discusses the sequence of steps in metaphor development that led to the triggering of a generative metaphor: a new image of the task that allowed reframing of the problem and its eventual solution. (SV)

Describes an outdoor adventure and environmental program for young people in Cumbria (England) that aims to raise social and environmental awareness through ecological, artistic, and adventurous activities. Non-hierarchical, learner-centered residential and nonresidential projects empower young people to become interested in their local…

An adventure education program combines environmental education, character education, and service learning with ropes courses, orienteering, and rock climbing to offer Romanian youth opportunities for trust building and reconciliation in the wake of the economic, environmental, and moral devastation left by the Communist dictator. An ecotourism…

The Camping Out experiential education program in Ontario (Canada) helps prepare youths (age 14-21) to deal with issues of sexual orientation and to practice building healthy, open connections that acknowledge the diversity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities. The camp offers a year-round followup support program. (SAS)

Adventure programs at Gordon College (Massachusetts), a small Christian liberal arts college, attempt to promote student growth through adventure, community, and solitude; help Christian students develop an experience-based understanding of Biblical teachings they grew up with; and provide opportunities for self-discovery and spiritual experience.…

Describes a group activity that uses a tree as a metaphor to reflect both group and personal growth during adventure activities. The tree's roots represent the group's formation, the branches and leaves represent the group's diversity and capabilities, and the seeds represent the personal learning and growth that took place within the group.…

Describes the work of Help for Abused Women and Children (HAWC) in Massachusetts. Programs and activities for abused adults and teens include a crisis hotline, shelter, advocacy, support groups, legal advocacy, community trainings, workshops, counseling, and a prevention curriculum. An adventure workshop is used to address self-esteem, trust, risk…

An experience with a client with cerebral palsy at an adventure education challenge course generated a review among program leaders of communication, consent, and choice issues concerning children with special needs. Lessons learned include: learn the participant's communication cues, explain the activity with the participant, and have the…