Interviews and observations focused on experiences of 15 young Asian women at a 5-day summer adventure program in southern England. Participants seemed bored with presentations about future career options, activities lost their challenge through repetition, and debriefing was weak. However, the women connected with the transferable skills of trust…

An induction program was designed to address the problem of discrimination between secondary students in A-level courses and those in vocational courses. A 2.5-day course of outdoor activities mixed students in small teams requiring a range of different, but equally important, skills. The course enabled them to become more aware of their different…

Canada is the second largest country in the world by area. With its diverse geophysical features and relatively small population density it is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts of all types. In the Canadian outdoor adventure education field there is an awakened acknowledgement of the centrality of Native peoples that pervades its practice today.…

The articles in this collection address various definitions, viewpoints, and treatments for youth at risk and youth offenders. Articles not only examine alternatives to incarceration, but also provide examples of value-forming experiences beneficial to all young people. The articles and authors are: (1) "Introduction" (Anthony Richards); (2) "The…

A staff member of the Outdoor Adventures Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln relates his experience in supervising the construction of the first low ropes course in Yucatan, Mexico. During 1994, two staff members visited Yucatan to explore trip possibilities for the program and to inquire about a future conference location. While leading…

This reading list contains 140 books, reports, resource guides, conference proceedings, directories, and journals pertaining to adventure and outdoor education, adventure therapy, group work, developmental work, and at-risk youth. Most entries were published from 1984-94. Entries are listed in the following categories: adventure (general); outdoor…

In this essay, women outdoor leaders discuss how gender influences their work, and explore and challenge some assumptions underlying outdoor leadership that continue to privilege the impartial, disembodied practices typified by the masculine outdoor leader. Four feminist, and three other feminist outdoor leaders participated in personal interviews…

A British summer adventure education program aims to re-engage high risk secondary students into society. A qualitative evaluation found that although the participants had fun, there was not enough focus on transferring skills to daily life. Because of the many factors affecting the experience, any difference made in the lives of the youths was…

City Bound, an urban-based Belgian youth program, uses challenging social tasks such as visiting a prison or preparing for a mock job interview to foster individual development and social awareness. Discusses options for mixing elements of Outward Bound, a nature-based learning program, and City Bound, as well as specific adaptations for at-risk…

The author relates his experiences as a participant of Outward Bound in 1965 and discusses how these learning experiences influenced his later work as a special education teacher at a youth residential treatment center in The Netherlands. Describes experiential outdoor programs for Netherlands youth including Outward Bound, Elan-training, Centre…

Addresses effects of the (UK) Education Reform Act of 1988 on three linked components of outdoor education: outdoor pursuits, outdoor studies, and residential experience. Argues that curriculum changes completely fragment the cross-curricular value of outdoor education and fundamentally undermine the role of perhaps the most significant process of…

"Experience Canada" is an experiential adventure-based program that is more academic than recreational. High school students interested in academic achievement but indifferent to the typical classroom environment, travel to explore controversial issues such as those involving aboriginal communities, logging, and mining. The program…

A survey of all secondary schools in a southern English county found that 4.6% offered outdoor education courses, 15% had discontinued such courses in the last 5 years, 46% included outdoor/adventure activities in physical-education curricula, and 88% ran short residential trips temporarily replacing the school curriculum. Discusses obstacles and…

A teacher of student teachers at Lulea University of Technology in Sweden uses fantasy and story telling to integrate mathematical thinking and problem solving into adventure-education programs for elementary students in nearby forests. Maps, magic places, rituals, mysterious signs, audiovisual aids, actors, and darkness restore a sense of magic…

Mastery and performance goals of learning were related to "broad" and "narrow" views of adventure identified through interviews with 12 British outdoor educators. Motivational research provides empirical support for using progressive teaching approaches in outdoor education. Findings suggest that educators should encourage a…