This article describes a four-credit semester program at Elliot Lake Secondary School in the late 1990s. This New Trails program is based around physical education and leadership, geography, Native studies, and English credits. The students are outside much of the time. The students become certified in the use of GPS and in map and compass work,…

The Lyme Bay kayaking incident of 1993, in which four children died, led to an Act of Parliament and the introduction by the British Government of the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA), a body established to regulate adventurous recreational and educational outdoor activities. The perception at the time, a view to which some …

Many outdoor organizations integrate whitewater rafting into their programmes. Often this is accomplished by contracting with a whitewater outfitter. This paper analyses rafting accident data collected by the American Canoe Association in an effort to suggest ways in which programmes can better manage risk while contracting with outfitters for…

Campbell Loughmiller (1906-1993) is widely recognized as a leader in therapeutic work with troubled youngsters in outdoor settings. Rejecting punitive or institutional models of intervention, Loughmiller set out to demonstrate that every young person has strengths, desires to make positive changes, can grow in responsibility, and contribute to…

A primary purpose of many wilderness trip programs is the development of positive interpersonal relationships and group experiences that lead to enhanced sense of community among group members. Although there is anecdotal evidence to support the development of sense of community on wilderness trips, there is little empirical evidence to support…

Over the years researchers have attempted to gather information on outdoor orientation programs. Past researchers used different sampling techniques to locate programs, but all concluded more outdoor orientation programs probably existed than they were able to find. In the fall of 2005, a research group for the present study set out to create a…

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…

Describes the phenomenon of risk taking in and through recreational activities, reviewing the use of adventure in recreation; summarizing salient research findings on adventure education within the past decade (perceived risk and individual involvement); and offering remarks related to what researchers know and do not know about the deliberate use…

In this article, the authors describe a leadership experience that allows hard of hearing students to learn from the diverse identities of their peers. They describe a Youth Leadership Retreat for mainstream students that includes motivational speeches, adventure learning, ropes courses, team building activities, reflective and small group…

All forms of organized outdoor activity can--and perhaps should--be evaluated as if they were environmental education, because they may significantly generate and distribute knowledge of, beliefs about, and attitudes towards particular places. Safety guidelines for outdoor activities provide one possible indication of hidden "environmental…

In Grade 9, Upper Canada College (UCC) students participate in a week-long outdoor education program in Halton Region, west of Toronto. This week is the culmination of over 60 days of total outdoor education programming between Senior Kindergarten and Grade 9. Activities during the expedition include moving water canoeing, mountain biking, hiking,…

Many positive benefits can be obtained through participation in risk, challenge, or adventure activities: (1) emotional release; (2) social interaction; (3) expanded perspective; (4) expanded personal limits; and (5) singleness of mind or attention. Participating in these activities also often helps to develop stress management skills. (CJ)

Adventurous activities are growing in popularity as a form of leisure and recreation, yet many non-participants find it difficult to understand what motivates people to seek out situations in which there is an element of danger and risk. This research examines the meanings of long-term participation in outdoor adventure for women working in…

Leisure bereft of all stress is action without purpose. Maximum motivation and gratification are achieved when a balance is achieved between abilities and responsibilities. Stress is an essential leisure ingredient that provides meaning and clarity to social experience. (CJ)

This is a story of what happened on the Aiguille du Grepon. It is based on fact and designed to reveal both the appearance and reality of motivation in climbing, a combination that is often difficult to express in a traditional academic style. The story differentiates motivation along two dimensions, a goal dimension with intrinsic and extrinsic…