The Anglican Youth Department (AYD) (Sydney, Australia) sponsors Camp Challenge, a 7-day wilderness program for at-risk youth with a 6-week follow-up. A local community contact and local police attend throughout and serve as positive community contacts after the program is over. Parents meet while the groups are in the wilderness. Discusses other…

A conference explored consolidation and professionalization of the Australian outdoor industry. Key issues, five areas of the outdoor industry, and signposts of what constitutes a profession were identified. Tensions between industry needs and the role of higher education, the underrepresentation of Blacks and women, and effects of accreditation…

In November 2000, a conference in London hosted by three outdoor education associations examined the growing culture of risk aversion in the United Kingdom, the role of risk in learning, the increasing difficulty of finding a balance between risk and adventure, and the challenges of tempting children away from computer games and dealing with…

Excerpts of interviews with four New Zealand boys in an outdoor education class were analyzed to explore the possible impact of challenge on their lives and the choices they made. Analysis also focused on the relationship between outdoor adventure and "rational recreation" as a means of social control or as a liberating tool for…

For the purpose of this research project an outdoor education program was developed for students (aged between 10-14) displaying signs of emotional difficulties in engaging with school and family life. The project investigated the effective use of an Integrated Adventure Based Educational program delivered in a complimentary milieu of classroom,…

This paper describes the development of an outdoor education camp that assists young people in recognizing new responsibilities and celebrating transition into young adulthood. Using the concept of initiation, the camp marked the beginning of a process which involved adolescents in developing an identity as young adults, increasing personal…

Sailing expeditions have played an important role in adventure provision for young people in Great Britain over many years. Adventure experiences under sail can achieve social and personal development goals similar to those of land-based adventure education programs. In addition, participants can earn certification in sailing skills. Most voyages…

This paper explores some aspects of building and fostering strong group dynamics to enhance expedition behavior and ultimately, successful wilderness group experiences. It attempts to reflect the needs of both large-scale expeditions and educational and camp groups traveling through wilderness, and includes various activities to allow for direct…

Augustana University College (Alberta, Canada) offers a senior-level outdoor pursuits course called Arctic Canoe Expeditions, open to any student with a previous canoe-based outdoor course. Course goals are for students to apply knowledge from previous outdoor courses, integrate knowledge from their home disciplines into the experience, explore a…

Decision making by outdoor adventure educators revolves around balancing risk and competence. A model of outdoor adventure decision making is presented that draws on naturalistic decision-making processes and emphasizes the importance of situational recognition and prior experience. Leaders draw key information from the natural environment,…

Suggestions for meeting licensing requirements for adventure education programs in the United Kingdom include identifying risks that could result in death or disabling injury, determining whether these risks are being adequately controlled, documenting appropriate supervision of instructors, developing a safety policy that addresses staff…

Three 2-week international courses using a holistic experiential program design--dramaturgy--were evaluated. Seventy participants completed questionnaires 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the courses. Dramaturgy enhanced the challenge to participants through innovative nonphysical activities and can be adapted during the program for specific…

A group of British graduate students in drama and movement therapy spent a weekend outdoors engaging in adventure, dramatic, and creative activities that focused on the symbolism of the Earth and increasing awareness of the self, the environment, and spirituality. (SV)

Anecdotes of adventure activities with children and staff at two Russian camps demonstrate that Russian people, historically dependent on strong leaders, are fascinated by experiential education because the core concepts of shared leadership and cooperation disrupt old models, ask them to look anew at their capabilities, and create a sense of…

The communication style of Asians is less "self exposing" than that of Americans, because Asian culture places more importance on the group than the individual. Integrating American-style adventure-education programs into Asian culture would require an understanding of adventure learning stripped of its cultural influences, understanding…