The Wilderness Education Association (WEA) helps people enjoy and protect the nation's most precious resource: the wilderness areas. The WEA has been training and certifying outdoor leaders around the world for nearly 30 years, teaching students safely and effectively to lead groups in the outdoors without harming the environment. This document…

Since 1985, freshman entering the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, have embarked on a 3-day outdoor adventure program as part of their orientation experience prior to their first semester. Most of the 700-800 freshmen entering the university participate in the program titled "Passages." While half of the group is on…

At California State University, Fresno, all incoming students take a full-semester, three-unit course that includes topics on academic preparation but also focuses on issues and topics commonly associated with experiential and adventure education. These areas include communication, listening, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Recognizing the…

A survey of 49 colleges collected information about freshman wilderness orientation programs. Questions covered: (1) program goals; (2) activities to reach these goals; (3) follow-up goals and activities; (4) evaluation methods used; and (5) role and training of leaders. Institutional goals included program goals, personal growth goals, and social…

At the Rochester Institute of Technology, a course was created which took students out of the traditional classroom setting in order to teach small group communication in an experiential-adventure based format. The course was designed by a faculty member in Communications and the Coordinator of Outdoor Experiential Education. Based on a survey of…

In the 1970s a new form of outdoor trip programming appeared. Known as "common adventure," its best known trait is the absence of a designated leader. In 1970, Gary Grimm, the University of Oregon's first outdoor program coordinator, laid out the key principles: self-directed learning, formation of groups of people with similar interests…

This paper is an account of Russian and American educators exploring the use of experiential education in schools and organizations. The goal of experiential education is to find harmony between the individual and the group. In August of 1988, 18 students and 2 professors from the Soviet Union came to Dartmouth (New Hampshire) as part of a…

This study examined the ecological and social impacts of rock climbing. The survey included climbing sites in 10 federal areas, 2 state parks, 1 private area, and 1 city park. Resource managers provided information on the observed impacts of rock climbing and current management practices to minimize impacts. Survey results indicate: (1) 71 percent…

Experiential educators can prepare students and clients for living in the global society of the new millennium through international experiences, both short- and long-term. The elements of experiential education--risk/challenge, direct experience, processing and reflection--can be important aspects of the international experience. Historically,…

New federal and state legislation calling for environmental education creates the opportunity for outdoor educators to become an active part of the K-12 educational system. This will require that the outdoor educational community modify their professional training at the post-secondary level as well as understand the formal educational system. An…

In 1989, Ewert and Hollenhorst proposed the Adventure Recreation Model to describe participant characteristics, behaviors, and motivations with regard to adventure recreation activities. The model relates participant attributes (frequency of participation, skill and experience level, locus of control, and motivation factors) to activity/setting…

A study examined the effects of integrating cultural history interpretation of the environment into wilderness adventure trips for college students. At Colgate University (New York), pre-orientation camping trips available to all incoming students integrated interpretive activities related to the local environment. Before the trips, leaders…

This paper presents a model for determining appropriate provider qualifications in a variety of adventure settings, in which adventure-based activities are used, but particularly the qualifications and training needs of adventure therapists. The model is based on the premise that the skill and educational needs of providers increase with the…

The dilemma in adventure education is to eliminate unreasonable risks to participants without reducing the levels of excitement, challenge, and stress that are inherent in adventure programming. Most accidents in outdoor pursuits are caused by a combination of unsafe conditions; unsafe acts (usually on the part of the student); and error judgments…

Although outdoor leadership does not appear to be coalescing into a unified profession, there are potential solutions to this fragmentation. Six robust approaches to the professional provision of outdoor leadership are: (1) outfitting and guiding; (2) organized camping; (3) adventure education, such as Outward Bound; (4) the outdoor school; (5)…