A 3-day outdoor adventure training program for an experimental group of Resident Assistants (RAs) at Pennsylvania State University was implemented to determine the effects of such a program on group cohesiveness and self-confidence. There were 60 subjects in the control group and 55 in the experimental group; 59% of the control group were male and…

A therapeutic approach, including transactional analysis, assertiveness training, personal causation and modeling theories, was effectively incorporated into the Wilderness Experience Program (WEP) for problem youth, to meet the goal of developing an emancipated individual who could assume responsibility, develop realistic self-expectancies and…

Designed to provide information for teachers wanting to use adventure activities with students and to help teachers in developing programs with clear objectives, solid logistic support, and safe policies and procedures, this teaching guide focuses on the goal of having a permanent impact on the self-concepts, behaviors, and attitudes of troubled…

An outline for training leaders of outdoor adventure activities containing both the method by which leaders should be trained and the material which should be presented during the training is presented. Because the outline concerns itself with the skill of leadership, it is applicable to a wide variety of outdoor educators including those involved…

This book contends that learning is enhanced through active involvement in personally meaningful experiences accompanied by processing for meaning and future use. While some processing takes place automatically, much can be done strategically to enhance and generalize learning. Intended as a resource for experiential educators and therapists, this…

This proceedings includes 18 papers and abstracts of papers presented at the third biennial research symposium of the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors. Following an introduction, "Strengthening the Foundations of Outdoor Education" (Anderson B. Young, Leo H. McAvoy), the papers and abstracts are: "Research in Outdoor…

This paper reviews the research literature published between 1992 and 1995 on group development and group dynamics in outdoor education and closely allied disciplines. The research is categorized in six general dimensions: (1) how the personal characteristics, skills, and experience that individuals bring to the group influences group dynamics and…

This conference proceedings includes 66 papers, workshop descriptions, and abstracts concerned with experiential education; outdoor education; adventure-based education, counseling, and therapy; and outdoor leadership. Topics include various aspects of program design and administration; experiential educational practices and group facilitation…

Two former staff members reflect on their feelings about the August 1995 closing of Bark Lake Leadership Centre (Ontario, Canada), which for 49 years had offered outdoor adventure and environmental education courses to youth and adults. They discuss their experiences as both students and teachers at the center, which helped shape their careers in…

An adventure weekend course aimed to clarify college physical education majors' perceptions of "enjoyment,""success," and "challenge" associated with physical education activities. Twenty-five students participated in a high ropes course, a climbing wall, and group problem-solving activities, and became more…

A study examined perceptions of a 7-day Outward Bound program among 23 urban youths, foster parents, and foster care workers from group homes in Atlanta (Georgia). Foster parents reported improved self-esteem and behavior among the teens, but foster care workers reported worse behavior. Negative program impressions lessened among male youths but…

This annotated bibliography lists resource materials related to the use of adventure programming with special populations. Materials were written between 1980 and 1992 and include journal articles, books, and documents cited in Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). Dissertation Abstracts International, and Psychlit. The 108 entries…

Those in the field of wilderness-adventure therapy (WAT) have come a long way in their attitude toward research, but their methodology has lagged behind their enthusiasm. This paper examines the literature in the field of wilderness adventure therapy for delinquent and pre-delinquent youth in order to evaluate the current state of research. The…

Northland Support Wilderness Experience (NSWE) was a bicultural (White and Maori) wilderness therapy program that operated in New Zealand from 1985 to 1990. NSWE conducted 11 wilderness expeditions per year with approximately 10 participants each, and provided 18-month followups for participants, parents, and significant others. Participants were…

The Northland Wilderness Experience (NWE) was established in 1985 to provide outdoor therapeutic programs for at-risk youth from the Northland region of New Zealand. The program involved a physically challenging 10-day expedition, followed by an 18-month followup period of group outdoor activities offered every 2 weeks. By the end of 1989, 280…