Describes a study of self-concept changes among 87 ninth-grade students during a 10-week mandatory adventure course. Concludes that course participation improved overall self-esteem and perceptions of own physical self and popularity, particularly among male students. Contains 16 references. (SV)

Qualities of human character developed through outdoor education programs include self-image, self-esteem, and personal enhancement. The primary goal of adventure education programs is to develop communication and human relations skills through the experiences of stress, group living, a new environment, and independence. (JN)

Ten hearing-impaired college students participated in a 10-day winter outdoor adventure education course. Compared to a control group, participants exhibited improved self-concept after completion of the course. Gains in self-concept were maintained for a 2-month period following the course. (Author/JDD)

Presents a model for facilitators of adventure-education group initiatives, group problem-solving tasks requiring cooperation and trust. Discusses initial observation and assessment of individual and group behaviors, setting objectives, preparation, group orientation, structuring the task toward objectives, implementation, guided reflection,…

This paper provides information about conducting adventure-based counseling using a ropes course with adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Active learning in the process of therapy is widely accepted, but it is not clear how the complex nature of that relationship works and how programs should be structured to facilitate change. Theoretical…

Eight to eleven year-old girls and their counselors in a summer camp were studied to ascertain the impact of the camp experience on the campers' self-concept and social competence behavior. Among the findings were that the campers' perceptions of the counselors as accepting and controlling were associated with significant changes in self-concept…

A total of 24 self-identified women of color took part in focus groups and interviews concerned with attitudes toward the outdoors and involvement in outdoor activities. Analysis focuses on social support for participation, family influence, peer influence, role models, perceived isolation, sociocultural influences, discomfort and fear, personal…

This article describes a wilderness education program that uses a rope challenge course to foster group cooperation and individual self-confidence in deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students. (DB)

Provides a comparative analysis of the implications for girls in outdoor and adventure education in New Zealand and England. Observed and interviewed girls aged 13-15 in residential outdoor education programs. Girls in both settings stated that their self-confidence had increased as a result of the outdoor and adventure activities. (KS)

Emphasizes the importance of leader awareness of the discomfort and need for emotional safety that may surface for women survivors of sexual abuse during an outdoor experience. Discusses survivor's self-perception and how this affects the outdoor experience; the impact of natural elements on survivors; and how to help survivors develop coping…

Examines the language and meanings assigned to various colors to understand sources of negative racial attitudes. Discusses the importance of self-definition and a positive self-image in creating a trusting environment that fosters understanding. Advocates using teachable moments with children to promote understanding of diversity. Includes a…

Views experiential learning as metaphor development. If a participant's enactment of a personal metaphor leads to an impasse during an adventure activity, this moment of "stuckness" is an opportunity to develop new images that generate new options for action. Facilitators must be sensitive to such situations and assist in widening…

Discusses the search for gender identity in the midst of conflicting messages from modern society and reviews the American tradition of looking to outdoor adventure as a means of affirming gender-based community. Urges experiential educators to be sensitive to gender-related anxiety and aware of the benefits of same-sex groups. (JHZ)

Beyond the Limits, a program of the Wicomico County school system (Maryland), conducts 1-day adventure experiences that use a challenge ropes course and classroom experiential activities to develop students' intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Before the experience, all participants agree to the "full value commitment," which is a…

The Camping Out experiential education program in Ontario (Canada) helps prepare youths (age 14-21) to deal with issues of sexual orientation and to practice building healthy, open connections that acknowledge the diversity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities. The camp offers a year-round followup support program. (SAS)