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…

Decision making by outdoor adventure educators revolves around balancing risk and competence. A model of outdoor adventure decision making is presented that draws on naturalistic decision-making processes and emphasizes the importance of situational recognition and prior experience. Leaders draw key information from the natural environment,…

Suggestions for meeting licensing requirements for adventure education programs in the United Kingdom include identifying risks that could result in death or disabling injury, determining whether these risks are being adequately controlled, documenting appropriate supervision of instructors, developing a safety policy that addresses staff…

Guidelines for beginning adventure education instructors include preparing to effectively manage accidents by identifying all risks associated with an activity, leading only those adventure activities in which one feels competent, and establishing goals in order to make good decisions in the field and approach programs with clarity and purpose.…

A study examined how 28 components of Outward Bound Western Canada (OBWC) courses affected student self-concept, motivation, and interpersonal skills. Data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations of 92 OBWC students generally supported previous research, but also indicated that the objectives of compassion and service received less…

Three 2-week international courses using a holistic experiential program design--dramaturgy--were evaluated. Seventy participants completed questionnaires 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after the courses. Dramaturgy enhanced the challenge to participants through innovative nonphysical activities and can be adapted during the program for specific…

Presents an interview with the founder of a high school Walkabout program emphasizing experiential, challenging, risk-oriented activities to assist the transition to adulthood. Discusses programs goals, student self-concept and self-evaluation, development of a supportive learning community, and activities useful with younger students. (SV)

Describes techniques for teachers to use during rock climbing and ropes courses in order to challenge participants to succeed, including validating participants' feelings; explaining expectations of the activity such as safety, maintaining respect for others, and challenging physical and emotional limits; establishing participant goals; and…

Describes how adventure therapy can be adapted to help individuals suffering from bulimia develop effective coping mechanisms, increase self-esteem, and gain appreciation for their bodies. Goal is for participants to recognize compulsive behavior in relation to their attitudes and to understand underlying processes that lead to those behaviors and…

Managing the psychological depth of responses to adventure activities calls for the leader to attend to own language and language of group participants. Describes eight levels of psychological depth occurring during group discussion and interaction. Addresses the need to stay at or above the agreed-upon level and avoid moving into psychotherapy.…

Project Adventure's adventure-based counseling text, "Islands of Healing," uses language and simplistic conceptions of individualism and community to create an ecology of ideas. In this framework, moral and social complexities of modern life are exchanged for an artificial cyberspace-like microworld where unthinking acquiescence to group…

Describes a competence/risk theory that hypothesizes that people can use personal competence to influence the probabilities of success or failure in an adventure, providing their perceptions are correct. In a series of linked pathways and feedback loops, a model illustrates the impact of a risk-taking activity on the participant's emotional and…

Describes the development of a New Jersey adventure program for homeless teenagers. Discusses the developmental tasks of adolescence--separating from family, forging a healthy sexual identity, preparing for the future, and developing a moral value system--and the positive impacts of adventure on these tasks. Addresses the issue of closure and…

A group of British graduate students in drama and movement therapy spent a weekend outdoors engaging in adventure, dramatic, and creative activities that focused on the symbolism of the Earth and increasing awareness of the self, the environment, and spirituality. (SV)

Discusses the advantages of a four-year undergraduate liberal arts program for preparing students to lead educational, therapeutic, and recreational experiences in outdoor settings. Recommends a curriculum design that balances training and education with reflection and action (praxis). Outlines the content of an outdoor leadership curriculum and…