Reports that accident rates among adventure education staff are higher than among participants. Implicates staff attitudes as a key factor and explores the meaning of professionalism in this context. Discusses staff responsibility for safety and for organizational commitment to program quality. (SV)

A camp that is establishing a challenge course or climbing wall must ensure program safety. Discusses financial planning, selecting a contractor, adhering to standards for construction, inspections, staff training, screening of participants, and the administrative challenge of implementing and documenting proper actions. Sidebar discusses a study…

The purpose of this illustrated manual is to increase the knowledge and facilitate the training of challenge course instructors at an outdoor education center in Texas. It is intended for use as a tool during staff training for new instructors and as a reference tool throughout the school year by all instructors. The manual presents information…

Project Adventure (PA) offers certification for adventure program managers and two levels of challenge course practitioners. PA feels certification is timely because other fields have certification programs that work well, PA has been using competency-based certification for their own staff successfully for 8 years, the field has recently…

A survey of 652 adventure recreation agencies in higher education settings examined the use of risk management practices and the relationships between agency characteristics and risk management techniques. The survey contained 27 Likert Scale questions divided into four categories (agency guidance, staff development, participant education, and…

To ensure that the rapidly growing climbing gym industry maintains the excellent safety record established so far, the Climbing Gym Association (CGA) has developed the Peer Review and Accreditation Program, a process of review between qualified and experienced CGA reviewers and a climbing facility operator to assess the facility's risk management…

Defining the nature and extent of risk associated with adventure education, this article notes the riskiest activities and delineates three main causes of accidents: unsafe conditions; unsafe acts; and judgmental errors. Careful program organization, staff selection, routine safety inspections, and emergency plans are also addressed. (SB)

An emotionally safe environment helps campers participate in adventure activities. Staff development tips for creating a safe environment include using cooperative goal setting; using parallel training processes; developing working lesson plans that outline facilitation techniques for creating emotionally safe environments; and using co-created…

Focusing on the Outdoor Leader Basic Training Program, a major component of the Wilderness Encounter Training and Certification Project developed in Virginia to serve adjudicated youth, this document outlines the Leadership Certification process for Wilderness Encounter Programs. First is an overview of wilderness programing and the need for a…

Methods must be looked at to implement the objectives of summer camp all year long if we are truly convinced of the impact camp can have in exposing children to their outdoor heritage, challenging their imaginations, and developing their minds and bodies. Every camp or outdoor program differs in content, method, and approach, though all are…

In April 1976, the National Conference on Outdoor Pursuits in Higher Education convened to re-examine the potential effectiveness of a small group in focusing on identifiable issues and program possibilities at the college level. The conference, which was loosely structured and held to a limited participation, featured presentations on outdoor…

A year-long adventure physical education program is described in this guide, which contains objectives, activities, and information about community support and staff development that applies to this, or any, innovative program. Chapter I discusses the philosophy of experiential learning and lists program objectives, which include developing…