Research has articulated the benefits of autonomy in outdoor programming (e.g., Chang, 2017), and the independent student expedition (ISE) is one type of autonomous experience that has received attention across the literature. Research suggests that ISEs have the potential to foster personal growth and promote group development (e.g., Daniel et…

This research examines the characteristics of adults that girls and adult OST facilitators consider most important for supporting positive youth development experiences in the outdoors. Three factors are identified: Emotional support, challenge support, and outdoor preparedness. While Emotional Support is rated most important by both girls and…

This study explores differences between Outward Bound (OB) and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) participant perspectives on programmatic factors and their relation to outcomes. Although OB and NOLS are assumed to be similar in many ways, as each program offers wilderness expeditions for students in backcountry environments, the mission…

Allowing students a sense of autonomy has long been considered an important pedagogical tool. This paper synthesizes the current literature on student autonomy from the education, youth development, and outdoor adventure fields and explores its value through an analysis of data from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The results…

This annotated bibliography contains 247 citations of research-based literature on the use of wilderness for personal growth, therapy, education, and leadership development. The annotations are divided into 2 periods: 1995-2001 (60 citations) and prior to 1995 (187 citations). Within each period, the entries are categorized according to the…

Responds to a letter from a camp leader who experienced difficulty with an adolescent girl during a 3-day hike and disapproved of a staff member's response. Offers advice on handling such a problem, addressing the staff member's intervention without undermining his credibility, revisiting the situation with the group, and exploiting the…

The experiences found in adventure programs often parallel the archetypes depicted in mythological quests. Drawing on the work of Joseph Campbell, the stages and trials of adventure participants are compared to similar rites of passage and epic adventures experienced by heroes and heroines in epic literature and mythology. The basic pattern of…

This proceedings contains 13 papers from the 1998 Research Symposium of the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors. Following a preface "Building the Research Foundations of Outdoor Education" (Karen M. Fox, Leo H. McAvoy, Anderson B. Young), the entries are: (1) "An Integrative Review of the Literature on Women in the Outdoors" (Karla A.…

This volume contains peer-reviewed research articles and abstracts based on papers presented at the sixth biennial research symposium of the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors. Introductory materials include the editors' introduction, "Milestones in Outdoor Education" (Anderson B. Young), and a tribute to the founder of the Indiana University…

Leaders of Christian wilderness expeditions may facilitate their own and others' spiritual growth by striving to develop a sense of community; focusing on relations, not information; planning for thorough wilderness immersion; bringing home as much of the wilderness experience as possible; and leaving the old self behind and opening oneself to…

Single-sex adventure education programs for adolescent women give them space to challenge traditional feminine roles, relate to other women without the pressures of mixed-sex groups, and examine issues such as personal relationships and health within a safe environment. If there are insufficient women facilitators, male staff should have awareness…

Reviews theories of leadership development relevant to the design of outdoor adventure programs for corporate executives and managers. Summarizes likely objectives and methods of outdoor development programs and their theoretical basis. Presents a framework for program comparison that correlates leadership outcomes with learning methods at…

As experiential counseling gains wider acceptance, it becomes more important to operate from a structural framework promoting effective and ethical practices. This paper outlines a four-part model of experiential counseling: theoretical foundations, experiential activity and personnel, processing and communication skills, and prerequisites for…

Adventure programming is the deliberate use of adventurous experiences to create learning in individuals or groups, often with the goal of improving society or communities. Adventure programming may focus on recreation, education, individual or group development, or therapy, or on a combination of these. This second edition contains 61 chapters by…

Anecdotes about adventure experiences illustrate how an "artist"-facilitator seamlessly applies scientific methods while in the moment to best enhance student learning. Adventure educators can be artists by creatively framing, constructing, and debriefing the experience while not being central to the experience themselves, thereby…