Historically, land-grant university research stations focused on demonstrating successful farming methods. The land-grant mission and the principles at its foundation have broad applicability, and we believe the land-grant principles can be successfully applied in urban settings to a university's work with youth and families. In this article we…

Out Doors Inc. is a community-managed mental health organization in Victoria (Australia) that provides psychosocial rehabilitation to adults with mental health needs through outdoor adventure and other recreation experiences. This paper focuses on Out Door Inc.'s Going Places Program. The program, which ranges from 1 day to 4 months, is based on…

Discusses the Red Cross Basic Canoeing course to exemplify the relationship of safety to skills taught. Emphasizes that instructors in all outdoor activities should concern themselves with safety, as well as teaching outdoor skills. (MH)

The School of Physical Education at Chichester Institute (England) has developed an outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA) program that trains teachers to optimize the full potential of the outdoors as classroom. The philosophy underpinning the OAA program challenges the traditional view that exposure to adventure necessarily results in…

Presents a model of four levels of experience in training adventure education leaders: direct instruction, student interaction in class, technical skill development, and internships. Internships allow students to think for themselves and solve real-world problems while experiencing teaching on their own. Utilizing all levels increases student…

Group leaders who offer affirmations to participants in outdoor education encourage healthy relationships and group cohesion and increase individuals' self-esteem. Personal affirming includes actions and statements that make participants feel comfortable in their environment, support capable work, and encourage behavior change in a supportive and…

Discusses how experiential education can address the developmental needs of gay and lesbian youth; describes a successful Outward Bound program developed for gay and lesbian youth; and explores reasons why educators and program administrators must be proactive in developing programs for this specialized population. (LP)

Describes Outward Bound's adventure education and leadership training programs. Describes Outward Bound's history, goals, and participants' reactions, emphasizing benefits for urban Hispanic youth. Describes efforts to recruit more urban minority students, instructors, and at-risk youth. Mentions other Outward Bound programs meeting special needs.…

A five-day adventure-based residential camping program for Boston middle school students and their teachers develops cooperative learning skills and leadership abilities. Matching staff and students' background and race cultivates and celebrates diversity. Teachers' assistance in program development helps meet new standards and ensures follow-up.…

The Fresh Start Program was an experiment in providing a comprehensive educational and therapeutic program for sexually abused and exploited adolescents. The program was based on the theory and practice of experiential, outdoor-challenge adventure education. The experiment involved 16 youth in a living and learning environment in the north woods…

The increasing emphasis on teacher-directed processing of adventure experiences may be devaluing both the learning experience and the promotion of self-reliance among students. The problem with "overprocessing" is that the teacher, not the student, decides what was learned and its relative value. In addition, this approach emphasizes…

This paper discusses the use of quantitative methodologies to evaluate extended-stay outdoor education school programs (ESOESPs) in Australia. A recurring theme in the literature of outdoor education is the paucity of empirical data to support its continuation and development. Proponents argue that the outdoor education experience leads somehow to…

This paper briefly describes development of an Australian wilderness program for at-risk and problem students and outlines the "wilderness enhanced" model on which it is based. In the late 1980s, the New South Wales Department of School Education developed a wilderness intervention for adolescents with a history of school behavior…

A number of programmes for delinquent youth have been established throughout North America based on the Outward Bound concept: to involve volunteer participants in an outdoor programme which offers challenging and adventuresome tasks in a high-impact environment. Project D.A.R.E. (Development through Adventure, Responsibility and Education) in…

Describes how the events of a week of outdoor education for 40 migrant teenagers of various cultural backgrounds moved from racial and geographic discord to cooperation, proving that the melting pot is still working. (SB)