Criticizes the New Zealand approach to outdoor leadership, which relies on teaching risk assessment and management from manuals and checklists and which asserts that risk-management skills are transferable between risky sports. Suggests that sound outdoor practice involves more than "legal duty of care," and recommends reliance on…

Analyzes a situation in which a group of adolescents on an outdoor adventure trip experienced emotional distress after a participant became ill, was evacuated by the group, and was taken to the hospital. Recommends strategies for the instructor that would have prevented emotional distress, including maintaining a proper perspective of the…

A high-profile liability case concerning a fatal ice-climbing accident provides the background for this discussion of liability issues in adventure activities. A brief history of outdoor adventure litigation, emerging trends, and how outdoor guides can protect themselves and their clients is presented. Guides should candidly describe the risks…

Contrasts the instructional process for canoeing (explanation of the skill, demonstration, imitation by trainees, correction of errors by the instructor, and trials for further practice) with the coaching process (observation by the coach, analysis of technique by coach, goal setting, trials of modified behavior by trainee, observation and…

Soon there will be national occupational standards of competence for managers of outdoor education and recreation centers in the United Kingdom. Charlotte Mason Management Services has mounted a competence-based residential course for outdoor and environmental center managers. Fewer than half the participating managers have had any previous…

The Wilderness Education Association's (WEA) 18-Point Curriculum emphasizes experiential teaching and learning and is based on a central belief that wilderness education and outdoor leadership are essential in order to elevate preservation in the minds of students and future leaders, help develop a land ethic congruent with the ideals of the…

As the number of outdoor and adventure organizations using wild lands increases, certification of outdoor leaders is perhaps one technique to increase awareness of potential wilderness hazards and to minimize damage to wilderness areas. The Wilderness Education Association's certification is described. (MT)

Effective communication is sending a message so that it is received the way it was meant. Barriers to effective communication, or "noise," may include mental blocks, technical jargon, social norms, or values. Feedback, paraphrasing, impression checking, and behavior description are ways to improve communication and facilitate learning…

Multicultural international programs, such as Educo International, involve complex and infinitely variable factors that challenge leaders. Provides some ground rules for leadership in such programs. Presents examples of experiences in Botswana with Russian, U.S., and Batswana participants. (KS)

The founder of an all-women canoe-tripping company describes the components that have made it successful: shared leadership, outdoor guides as facilitators, support of individual choices, a nonprescriptive agenda, conflict avoidance and resolution, balance between getting somewhere and experiencing the moment, focus on women's strengths, and a…

To increase its counselor retention rate, a New York camp developed a course for counselors that focuses on leadership training and earns participants college credit. The class teaches situational leadership and focuses on the camper, not the activity. Course curriculum and objectives, course elements, and lessons learned about program improvement…

Critical decision making on a whitewater trip goes beyond simply having knowledge of safety practices. Rather, prudent decisions are arrived at through a complex interplay of diverse factors. The question is: how can outdoor educators prepare themselves and their staff to make the "right" decision when faced with a potentially dangerous…

Effective group leadership is not entirely about "good" or "bad" approaches, but rather the ability to choose an appropriate style for a particular situation. This paper examines three paradigms, or world views, that can influence the approach of a leader (facilitator, therapist, teacher) of adventure groups and gives examples…

This paper describes a training program for college outdoor program leaders developed by the Outdoor Action Program at Princeton University (New Jersey). The training program includes a leader training course, a safety management seminar, a wilderness first aid course, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and group skills workshop. This paper describes…

Five case studies explore issues in wilderness medicine, with emphasis on evacuation decision making. The cases describe medical problems encountered during wilderness trips involving college or high school students. In each case, the situation and facts of the case are outlined, including the patient's medical history and vital signs, and at…