Outdoor Education

Forum Post: Trying to figure out the next step to take and would love advice!

Swimchamp714 — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:46:00 GMT

My name is Corey and I am a 23 year old student studying Outdoor Adventure Leadership at Southern Oregon University. In a couple of terms I will be graduating and I honestly have no idea what I want to do with my degree. I know I enjoy being outside, adventures, and working with people, BUT besides that I don't know exactly what I want to do. I haven't found my overall passion of the outdoors.

I'm trying to figure out a direction to go in after I graduate in a couple of terms and I don't really know where to begin. I will admit I'm relatively new to all of the outdoor sports but I know, beyond a doubt, that this is the field for me. However, I do know I cannot graduate without some sort of plan of attack and I'm having difficulty trying to make a plan when I don't have something to set my sights on.

I figure I should ask the people who are in the field for advice and hope this will help me figure out where to go with everything.. and who knows maybe it will open some doors for the future!

Thank you for your time and advice!

-Corey

Forum Post: starting a semester school

coolnaturegirl — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:20:00 GMT

Hi. I work at a residential environmental education center in New York and there was talk once upon a time, years ago, of starting a semester school at our facility. I am trying to revive the idea, but don't have much to work with besides my desire to get the process started again. I was wondering if anyone in the community has experience in either starting or working in such a program and could give me an idea of where to start.

Our center has the space for students and plenty of things to teach and do with them, but I don't really know where to go from there. Do we need certified teachers and accreditation? Do we need to get permission from the state to start a school? I have many more questions and would greatly appreciate any help/ideas any of you may have.

Thanks so much! Sena R.

Forum Post: Florida Everglades Weather educational materials

Andrew — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:25:00 GMT

I am putting together a course journal for a sea-kayaking trip to the Florida Everglades. Does anyone know of a good source online or in print for area specific weather signs and forecasting?

Thanks,

Andy

Forum Post: Re: Is there a 'Climbing Certification War' starting?

Nick Wilkes — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:06:00 GMT

Rick, et al.,

Different organizations may offer various forms of guiding certification, but the specific certification needed by a given guide depends on his/her context. I originally earned AMGA Single Pitch Certification when I was guiding in Utah, which was the only choice at the time (2007). Top-Rope certification would not have been sufficient in my guiding context at the time, as none of the crags there were accessible via top rope. Five years later, I now guide at Devils Lake in WI, where everything is top-rope accessible. Furthermore, I work for myself, and thus do not have a large company to insure me. At this point, PCGI certification Top Rope certification makes more sense because 1) I don't need more advanced training for my guiding context, and 2) PCGI offers an affordable insurance option that other certifying bodies do not. This last provision is extremely valuable; while the AMGA seemed to be trying to make certification expensive and difficult so as to make independent guiding more difficult, PCGI helps guides work for themselves by providing reasonable insurance options. So even though no certifying body is trying to dominate in its authority to certify, it's possible some organizations will offer guides more value in going through their particular organization. And that kind of competition, where organizations are trying to find more and more ways to bring value to certification, is very good for guides.

Best,

Nick Wilkes

Owner, Devils Lake Climbing Guides

Forum Post: Pre and Post Survey or Assessment of Outcomes

BradBarron — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:17:00 GMT

Hello community,

I am in need of a post experience assessment or survey that I can hand out to my participants. My primary need at the moment is for something focused on a multiple week ABC setting, but I would take anything you might be able to come up with as an example to start with. I plan to use some public domain things like the Iowa Adaptive Bx Scale, but I also want to develop some anecdotal type questions that give me some insight into how the sequencing or specific activities worked.

Thanks for any help in advance! Hope everyone is having a great summer with programs in full swing!

Brad Barron

Forum Post: Challenge Course/Adventure-Based Counseling program NAICS code?

BradBarron — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:16:00 GMT

Evening OutdoorEd denizens,

I am getting ready to file some LLC papers to start a ABC/group development/experiential ed. business. Our local Small Business and Technology Development center provides a ton of free market research, but I need a good NAICS number in order to effectively look any of it up to see who local competitors or clients may be as well as to look at industry trends, etc., etc.

This is the number your accountant puts somewhere on your tax forms to identify what industry you are in. Anyone have some feedback on what they chose and why? Right now in some preliminary stuff my consultant sent, I am seeing everything from golf courses to cheer-leading gyms. Not really helpful...

Thanks!

Blog Post: New Book: Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices

Rick Curtis — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 02:42:00 GMT

A new book has just come out from Human Kinetics Publishing from the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) that adds to the growing list of text books that focus on outdoor education and is a great reference title for any professional's library. The editors, Mat Epeldring and Geoff Harrison have brought together experts from across the industry to explain administering outdoor programs from the inside out. Available from Amazon.com and Human Kinetics.

[Full disclosure - the authors included a graphic on risk management and decision making from one of my lectures. I did not receive any compensation for the use of my material.]

About the Author:

The Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) provides opportunities for professionals and students in the field of outdoor recreation and education. AORE’s mission is to exchange information; promote the preservation and conservation of the natural environment; and address issues common to college, university, community, military, and other not-for-profit outdoor recreation and education programs.

Geoff Harrison, MS, has been working in the field of health and recreation for over 20 years and has been fostering student and staff development at Boise State University since 1998. Geoff serves as the associate director of education and recreation at Boise State University, where he oversees multiple programs and service areas, department partnerships, and initiatives. He also serves as an adjunct faculty for the department of kinesiology. Prior to his work at Boise State, Geoff worked in the fields of publishing, event promotion, and domestic and international adventure travel.

Geoff has served the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education as a committee chair, board member, conference host, and interim national director. In 2010, Geoff was the recipient of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education’s Jim Rennie Leadership Award.

Mat Erpelding, MA, has been working in the field of physical education and outdoor leadership for over 15 years. Currently, he teaches at the College of Western Idaho in the physical education department and at Boise State University in the leadership studies minor. Additionally, Mat guides mountain climbers and teaches courses for the American Alpine Institute and teaches wilderness medicine courses for the Wilderness Medicine Training Center. Before making the transition to outdoor education, Mat worked as a developmental therapist and in the mental health industry.

Mat is a past president of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education and served on committees and the board of directors and as a conference host. In 2006, Mat was the recipient of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education’s Jim Rennie Leadership Award, and in 2010 he received the Instructor of the Year Award from the Wilderness Education Association.

Mat and Geoff co-own Experiential Adventures LLC. They provide training and consulting services to organizations that foster leadership development, help organizations manage change, develop positive organizational cultures that promote success, and build professionalism in outdoor programs through trainings and certifications.

From the Publisher:

Outdoor recreation programming is a growing and diverse field that requires administrators to be ready to work in complex and multidisciplinary environments. Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices will help both seasoned and new administrators—as well as students and emerging professionals—flourish in various settings, including university, military, government, commercial, and nonprofit organizations.

You’ll learn the best contemporary administrative strategies and practices from veteran professionals from the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE). The AORE authors provide extensive coverage of all aspects of administrative duties and responsibilities from a diverse organizational setting.

Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices guides you in developing and sustaining programs in outdoor recreation settings across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. You will reap the benefits of the experience shared by the AORE authors, who also provide questions and critical thinking exercises that will enhance the materials and deepen your understanding.

This reference explores all the issues pertinent to being a successful outdoor program administrator. The book has four sections: Outdoor Program Foundations, Program Design and Implementation, Staffing Considerations, and Facilities and Programs. Topics you’ll delve into include

designing and developing programs;
risk management and legal considerations;
budgeting and financial operations;
marketing and land access (permits);
environmental stewardship;
staff recruitment, supervision, training, and assessment; and
management of indoor climbing walls and challenge courses.

Outdoor Program Administration: Principles and Practices presents material that will help you improve your administrative skills and enhance the programs you oversee. As such, it’s an essential book for your professional library.

Contents

Preface

Part I. Outdoor Program Foundations

Chapter 1. The Outdoor Program Administrator
Geoff Harrison, MS, and Mat Erpelding, MA
Outdoor Program Administration Defined
Outdoor Program Administrator Defined
Skill Sets for Outdoor Program Administrators
Administrative Competence
Acquiring Skills
Professional Maintenance
Administrative Challenges
Summary

Chapter 2. History of Outdoor Recreation in the United States: An Outdoor Program Administrator’s Perspective
Steven P. Guthrie, PhD, Bryan J. Cavins, EdD, and Jerome Gabriel, MEd
The Beginnings of Environmentalism and Outdoor Recreation: 1825 to 1880
The Beginnings of a Profession: 1880 to 1920
National Environmental Consciousness and Outdoor Recreation Evolves: 1920s to 1960s
Adventure Programming Emerges: 1960s to 1990
Outdoor Adventure Programming Today (1990 to Present)
Summary

Chapter 3. Dimensions of Outdoor Recreation Programs
Todd Bauch, MEd, and Steve Hutton, MA
Three Service Sectors of Outdoor Recreation Programs
Common Programmatic Types
Common Facilities or Resources of Outdoor Programs
Outdoor Program Administrative Structures and Models
Summary

Chapter 4. The Future of Outdoor Program Administration
Laurlyn K. Harmon, PhD, and Susan L. Johnson, MS
Evolving Participant Characteristics
Staffing
Professionalization of the Field: Standards, Certifications, Accreditation
Youth and the Outdoors
Technology and the Outdoors
Sustainability
Collaborations and Partnerships
Outcome Assessment
Summary

Part II. Program Design and Implementation

Chapter 5. Administrative Risk Management
Mat Erpelding, MA, and Geoff Harrison, MS
Terms and Definitions of Risk Management
Creating a Comprehensive Risk-Management Plan
Summary

Chapter 6. Designing and Developing Outdoor Recreation and Education Programs
Todd Miner, EdD, and Heidi Erpelding-Welch, MS
Vision
Mission Statement
Strategic Plan
Sustainability
Dealing With Change: Evolve to Survive and Thrive
Summary

Chapter 7. Legal Considerations in Outdoor Recreation
Brent Wilson, JD, and Tracey Knutson, JD
Negligence
Legal Definition (Elements) of Negligence
Negligence and Related Theories of Liability
Defenses Against Negligence
Role of Insurance in Legal Liability Matters
Summary

Chapter 8. Budgeting and Financial Operations of Outdoor Programs
Tim J. Moore, MS, and Geoff Harrison, MS
Budget Components
Budget-Development Strategies
Forecasting Expenses and Revenue
Summary

Chapter 9. Marketing Outdoor Programs
Geoff Harrison, MS, and John McIntosh, PhD
Marketing Basics
Identifying the Market
Marketing Mix
Developing a Marketing Plan
Branding
Marketing Methods
Summary

Chapter 10. Access and Permitting for Use of Public Lands
Rachel M. Peters, MA
Outdoor Programs on Public Lands
Permitting Defined
Management Agencies and Regulations
Permitting Tips
Summary

Chapter 11. Environmental Stewardship
Whitney Ward, PhD, and Will Hobbs, PhD
History of Environmental Stewardship in the United States
Major Impacts of Recreation Today
Applied Environmental Stewardship
Integration of Environmental Stewardship and Recreation
Summary

Chapter 12. Developing Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines for Outdoor Programs
Mat Erpelding, MA, Curt Howell, MA, and Brien Sheedy, MA
Characteristics of Quality Policy, Procedure, and Guideline Documents
Considerations Specific to Developing Policies and Procedures
Developing Administrative Policies and Procedures
Developing Field Policies and Procedures
Summary

Part III. Staffing Considerations

Chapter 13. Staff Recruitment and Supervision
Jeff Turner, PhD, and Leigh Jackson-Magennis, MEd
Human Resource Planning
Staff Selection
Staff Supervision
Summary

Chapter 14. Staff Training
Bruce Saxman, MA, and Tom Stuessy, PhD
Needs Assessment
Staff-Training Progression
Mentoring
Staff-Training Assessment
Mechanisms for Training Assessment and Evaluation of Staff
Staff-Training Designs: Integrated Training Model
Activity-Specific Training
Staff Appraisal
Summary

Chapter 15. Staff Assessment
Jenny Kafsky, PhD, and Mark Wagstaff, EdD
The Basics and Purpose of Staff Assessment
An Effective Environment for Assessment
Assessment Criteria
Assessment Tools
An Effective Assessment System
Summary

Part IV. Facilities and Programs

Chapter 16. Rental Operations
Rob Jones, MS
Planning
Purchasing
Rental Center Operations
Summary

Chapter 17. Indoor Climbing Walls
John Bicknell, MA, and Guy deBrun, MS
History of Artificial Climbing Walls
Climbing Wall Facilities and Construction
Climbing Wall Activities
Climbing Wall Management
Summary

Chapter 18. Challenge Course Management
Christina Carter Thompson, MS, and Adam Bondeson, BA
Challenge Terms
History
Challenge Course Program Design and Outcomes
Primary Influences on Challenge Programming
Challenge Course Facilities
Designing and Choosing a Course
Bidding Process
Building Process
The Challenge Course Administrator
Organizational Support and Resources
Summary

Chapter 19. Land-Based Programming
Curt Howell, MA
Incident Prevention and Incident Response
Cost Analyses
Determining Learning Outcomes
Risk Management
Backpacking
Climbing
Caving Programs
Mountaineering
Ski Programs
Cycling
Summary

Chapter 20. Water-Based Programming
Chris Stec, BS, and Geoff Harrison, MS
Incident Prevention and Incident Response: Needs Assessment
Water-Based Programming: Flat Water
Water-Based Programming: Moving-Water and Whitewater Venues
Water-Based Programming: Open Water
Summary

Chapter 21. Special Events Programming
Brent Anslinger, BS, and Amy Anslinger, BS
Special Event Options
Risk Management for Special Events and Competitions
Assessing and Planning for Your Event
Staffing
Managing the Event
Developing Timelines for Successful Events
Putting the Planning Into Motion
Summary

References and Resources
Index
About the Editors
About the Contributors

Audiences

Reference for outdoor program professionals in university, military, nonprofit, and other settings and for outdoor professional employers. Text for college and university students.

Blog Post: A Proposed New Conference Model for Outdoor Education

Jay Roberts — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:05:00 GMT

I have posted here previously about my views on the current conference structure/environment in outdoor/experiential education but now I would like to propose a specific way forward in the hopes that it might get some folks talking and (just maybe) get the folks with AORE/AEE/WRMC/WEA talking with one another. As the previous sentence reveals, we have a veritable mess of organizations and conference associations for such a small field. While to some degree "diversity is strength" I believe in this particular case it is not. While I do not have current numbers at my fingertips, I would hazard that none of these conferences has attendance over 1,000 and many/most hover between 250-800. I also know, from conversations with folks at the various associations, that budgets are very, very tight. Given this backdrop, does it make sense to have not 1, not 2, but at least 3 different associations and conferences happening around the same time year after year? I don't believe it does.

In my perfect world, we would simply merge at least AEE and AORE into one, larger association and all would be right for the world. For anyone that knows the history of these two "cultures" I would say that my hopes for such a merger are slim at best. But, there are other creative ways forward! I suggest that each year the three conferences (AEE, AORE, WRMC) come together at the same location for their conferences. Participants could then sign up for "packages" that would consist of various "tracks" and/or Special Interest Groups. Cost sharing would consist of a set conference fee plus additional fees for the various tracks signed up for. Many conferences have similar set-ups.

The advantages to this are numerous. All associations would save on conference hosting costs as we could share costs among larger organizations. Vendors would be thrilled with more potential customers and we would likely get higher vendor participation and advertising potential. With more people, we would have better bargaining power with catering, hotels, etc. Imagine a conference titled "International Conference on Outdoor and Experiential Educational" or something of the like that drew 1500-2000 attendees rather than several hundred. Students, vendors, scholars, practitioners could all attend because this would be the ONE conference to attend, to network, and to learn and grow professionally.

It's time to change the paradigm. It's time to think boldly so that we can better serve our constituencies. Are there issues? Sure. But you cannot tell me those are not petty compared with the benefits of a larger gathering of folks. We can make it work. Isn't that, after all, one of the educational tenets we claim to espouse in this field-- collaboration, creativity, and cooperation?

Blog Post: The Science of Experiential Learning

Jay Roberts — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:15:00 GMT

A recent editorial in Nature argues for more experiential, informal curriculum for students in science classes. The editorial titled: “Learning in the Wild” makes the point that informal learning environments are often much more powerful and longer lasting in transfer than formal classroom curricula. They go on to note: “Indeed, researchers say, the personal and idiosyncratic nature of informal science education is precisely what makes it powerful. The question that plagues classroom science — why is this relevant? — never even arises.”

Experiential methodology is getting a little more attention these days as we learn more about how the brain functions in various learning contexts and states. The Nature editorial cites the 2009 report from the National Academies on how people learn in informal settings which can be found here. The National Academies Press also released a very useful text simply titled How People Learn in 2000 that represents a rigorous scientific approach to the issue and summarizes key findings from neuroscience and related studies. Not surprisingly to those of us who advocate for experiential education, these reports support experiential learning methodologies. It would be well worth your time to read these as it is difficult to find rigorous, evidence-based studies of experiential education from such well-regarded sources (e.g. the National Academy of Science). Here is a short-list of findings from the 2000 report:

1. You must work with and address pre-existing knowledge in learners

2. Active learning is a key component to “meta-cognition”

3. Depth of learning is more important than “superficial coverage” of topics

4. Learning is influenced by context. Therefore, attention must be paid to the social aspects of learning

For those who support experiential education, these findings ought to look and sound familiar. They speak to the heart of the experiential educational philosophy and approach. That our “hunches” are now finding support in empirical science is heartening. Here is hoping there are policy makers, school officials, and “curriculum specialists” out there reading more about the science of learning. In the meantime, for the outdoor and experiential educators out there: take heart because the National Academy of Sciences has got your back!

Group: Outdoor Education

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Forums on all aspects of Outdoor Education

Blog Post: Comfort Zone: Model or metaphor?

Rick Curtis — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:33:00 GMT

I found this research paper from the Australian Journal of Outdoor Education by Mike Brown of the University of Waikato and wanted to share it. Mike presents a very interesting perspective on the Comfort Zone in outdoor education programming.

ABSTRACT: The comfort zone model is widespread within adventure education literature. It is based on the belief that when placed in a stressful situation people will respond by overcoming their fear and therefore grow as individuals. This model is often presented to participants prior to activities with a highly perceived sense of risk and challenge which arouses strong emotional and physical responses to novel tasks (e.g., ropes courses or rock climbing activities). Students are encouraged to think about ‘stretching themselves’ by moving outside their comfort zone, to expand their preconceived limits and by inference learn (and become better people). This paper explores theories from cognitive and social psychology, based on the work of Piaget and Festinger respectively, that underpin the comfort zone model. The perpetuation of this model which uses risk to promote
situations of disequilibrium/dissonance does not find strong support in educational literature. It is therefore suggested that the comfort zone model be reframed as a metaphor, for possible discussion post activity, rather than being used as a model to underpin programming and pedagogy in adventure education settings.

You can read the PDF online.

Blog Post: The State of Outdoor Recreation in the United States

Rick Curtis — Mon, 02 May 2011 02:51:00 GMT

Each year the Outdoor Industry Foundation releases it's Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report which presents an assessment of the level of participation in outdoor sporting activities in the United States. Monitoring these trends are key for outdoor programs to stay focused on what activities are of major interest to different population groups.

Unlike many other sports, outdoor participation among Americans has remained remarkably stable over the last several years - demonstrating impressive resiliency during challenging economic times. According to The Outdoor Foundation's topline report, the rate of participation in outdoor recreation in the United States remained solid in 2010 and at the same level seen in 2008. Nearly half of Americans ages 6 and older, or 137.9 million individuals, participated in at least one outdoor activity in 2010, making 10.1 billion outdoor outings, according to the 2011 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report. The research shows significant increases in adventure sports such as kayaking, backcountry camping and climbing as well as slight increases in youth participation among those individuals ages 13 - 24.

Published annually by The Outdoor Foundation, the 2011 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report 2011 is derived from 40,000 online interviews conducted in January 2011/early February 2011. Respondents came from a nationwide sample of individuals and households from the U.S. Online Panel operated by Synovate. A total of 15,086 individual and 23,656 household surveys were completed. The total panel has over 1 million members and is maintained to be representative of the U.S. population. Over-sampling of ethnic groups took place to boost response from typically under-responding groups.

File Size: 496 KB

Download from the Outdoor Industry Foundation (PDF)

Forum Post: RE: Developing an outdoor ed adventure facility

DeborahB — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:22:00 GMT

Thank you, now I need to build a great team of educators, investors, and community leaders to make the plan reality.

From: bounce-rossmark22@outdoored.com
To: Bachiahtat@msn.com
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:26:01 -0400
Subject: Re: [General Forum] Developing an outdoor ed adventure facility

You really have a good business plan.

From: olarians <bounce-olarians@outdoored.com>
Sent: 3/18/2011 12:31:21 PM

good post!!!

Blog Post: Australian Study shows ongoing outdoor education program multiplies life effectiveness skills

Rick Curtis — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:16:00 GMT

A recent Australian study shows teenagers exposed to outdoor education programs develop real life skills that give them a huge advantage over others as they transition into adult life.The study, commissioned by Cranbrook School in Sydney, is the first to follow a group of students who attend four Outward Bound courses as part of their mandatory high school curriculum from Year 7 to 10. "It shows young people taken from the comfort of their homes learn to be self reliant fast in wilderness conditions. They also learn to take responsibility, work in teams, and accept the consequences of their own actions. Their life skills grow with every year, and by their final outdoor experience they are significantly more confident, capable and stable than students who did not participate. They are also far better prepared to initiate, motivate, and lead in later life." The study, led by Dr. James Neill from the University of Canberra, used a variety of measures to assess changes in leadership and other social skills impacted by an ongoing Outward Bound experience.

Experts agree than any outdoor education is better than none. Similar research techniques have been used to measure the effect of short courses – some less than a week - provided by others in the industry – all of which show students developing positive life skills. The Cranbrook Study shows that the benefits are multiplied if students take part in more than one outdoor education course throughout their school years.

You can download a PDF copy of the full report from Outward Bound Australia.

Blog Post: A Call for Better Scholarship in Graduate Outdoor Education

Jay Roberts — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:15:00 GMT

It's another year and once again my in-box is full of survey requests from well-meaning students in various outdoor education graduate programs. Over the last 10 years, I must have completed fifty of these and I am beginning to wonder about their efficacy. While I realize Master's level work is not meant to be a "new contribution to the field," it appears as though we have set the bar awfully low. There is worth to be had in survey style research, to be sure. Brent Bell's "Neighborhood Project" (JEE, 33 (1), 2009) is an excellent example of this sort of research done well. But enough with the survey's sent out by email to every Tom, ***, and Harry that runs an outdoor program in higher education. While I am on this rant, I would also like to suggest that not every form of research needs to fall into the "pre/post" paradigm either. The scientific fetishism in the field seems rappant. Most of these studies are of dubious utility, in my mind, because population sizes are usually very small, timescales are short, and the confounding variables are numerous.

For those interested in other ways of knowing not represented by the current "evidence-based" standards colonizing educational research, I would recommend Biesta and Burbules (2003) Pragmatism and Educational Research as an alternative. It would be great if that text, or others like, were required readings in some of these programs. It would also be great to link the college or university more purposefully with the community in which it is located. More action research, place-based studies, or applied approaches would certainly be welcome.

So what would I like to see in my in-box? How about conceptual studies-- one's that explore questions of race, class, and gender in outdoor education. Or, one's that explore the linkages between outdoor education and education for sustainability? How about the influence of Romanticism on our current thinking about the outdoors? Or, one's that explore the links between what we are learning about the brain in relation to outdoor learning (the emerging eco-psychology field is fascinating in this regard)? How about more work that purposefully integrates outdoor education learning outcomes with K-12 schooling (Michael Gass has been a real pioneer in this sort of work at UNH)? And, if we are going to do qualitative or quantitative (or mixed methods) work moving forward, how about some longitudinal studies or ones that have a significant enough population size for results to actually matter? How about anything, really, that moves us away from the esoteric, the inane, and the shabby. As Historian Page Smith once wrote:

"the vast majority of research turned out in the modern university is essentially worthless. It does not result in any measurable benefit to anything or anybody. It does not push back those omnipresent 'frontiers of knowledge' so confidently evoked; it does not in the main result in greater health or happiness among the general populace or any particular segment of it. It is busywork on a vast, almost incomprehensible scale."

To move Outdoor Education forward in this educational climate, we have an ethical obligation, I believe, to prepare our graduate students with exceptionally high standards of research methodology. So, enough with the surveys. Let's do some real thinking for a change.

Forum Post: RE: Text for college course on environmental education?

shimeixiaoxiao — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 08:43:00 GMT

Excellent! I've got a few of these readings, but not all, so thanks Derek.

I'll be compiling a reader which these will go into. Some of Orr's stuff's definitely going into it (from Earth in Mind and Ecological Literacy) as well as some stuff from Orion Magazine.

In addition, I'll be requiring these three texts:

Beyond Ecophobia
Conservation Education & Outreach (only one I hadn't heard of until recently; looks great)
Sharing Nature with Children

Lee Frazer

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Forum Post: Google Voice

Keith Crawford — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:22:00 GMT

Does anyone have experience using Google Voice as a part of your program? I am specifically thinking about using it as the emergency Program Team contact number. When called it would ring whichever team members were available to be on-call at that time.

Thoughts? Previous experiences?

Blog Post: An Inconvenient Education: Convocation Address at Earlham College

Jay Roberts — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:51:00 GMT

Text of a talk given at Earlham College, Sept. 1st, 2010 for a convocation on an interdisciplinary approach to Climate Change.

INTRODUCTION

In the few minutes I have, I’d like to speak a bit about the role education plays in the climate change debate. I am concerned here both with how our current models of schooling in the U.S. but in many other parts of the world, too, have contributed to our current situation and what role education might play, in the words of Maxine Greene, imagining things otherwise. It has been almost five years since Al Gore released his popular and controversial documentary An Inconvenient Truth. As I mentioned in the introductory remarks, both nationally and internationally, we seem to have gone backward from that watershed moment. We seem less concerned, less focused, and less politically determined to tackle the environmental challenges before us in relation to climate change. But how or why is this an educational problem? Indeed, if you have seen An Inconvenient Truth, you may have noticed that not once did Al Gore invoke our educational system (either K-12 or Higher Education) as either part of the problem or as a potential ally in generating solutions. This is curious to me. It is as if the sum total of 16 years of institutional socialization, of schooling on a massive scale, the values imparted, the knowledge, skills, and abilities gained—these have no bearing, no impact, on our associations with the natural world.

INCONVENIENT EDUCATION

So, to borrow from Al Gore, I would like to argue in the next few minutes for what I would call an “Inconvenient Education.” Just as Gore titled his movie an “Inconvenient Truth” to suggest that there is something about this truth we do not wish to hear, I have titled this talk an “Inconvenient Education” to argue that the way forward in terms of sustainability and education is likewise “inconvenient.” When we are “inconvenienced” we are interrupted. Our normal patterns of thinking and behaving are halted. Things cease being easy and comfortable. So what might an inconvenient education entail?

PURPOSE OF SCHOOL

First, we ought to step back and re-consider the purposes of school. David Orr, in his provocative essay, “What is Education For?” argues that it is not education per se, but education of a certain kind, that will save us. He notes, in that essay, that the architects of the final solution in Germany, the administrators of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, were products of perhaps the finest educational system in the world at that time. These were well-educated men. And yet they were capable of atrocities that are difficult to imagine and understand. Clearly, their schooling failed them. But to Orr “this is not an argument for ignorance but rather a statement that the worth of education must be now measured against the standards of decency and human survival.” With species extinction rates nearly 100 times the background rate, the health of our oceans and freshwater systems in drastic decline, and a warming planet that not many in the U.S. seem to care about, how can we not ask hard questions about what schooling is for? When we look at the health of our people, our forests, our rivers, and the web of life all around us, I wonder, has our education failed us too? What we are now measuring the worth of our education against?

While we obsess over test scores, accountability metrics, and “seat time,” our children are spending more time in front of screens of various sorts and less time outside. The average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen. Richard Louv coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” to describe the impact this has had on the minds, bodies, and spirits of American children. A University of Michigan study, for example, found that between 1981-1997, children’s unstructured outdoor activities fell by 50%. Surely classroom learning is necessary, but it is not sufficient. It is clear to me that we cannot care for something we do not understand, and we cannot understand something that we do not meaningfully interact with. Rachel Carson knew this well. In her essay, “A Sense of Wonder” she writes: “what is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and wonder, this recognition of something beyond the boundaries of human existence? Is the exploration of the natural world just a pleasant way to pass the golden hours of childhood or is there something deeper? I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant.” What is education for? A job? Preparation? For what? To what end? It is inconvenient to ask these sorts of questions but if we are to take the present and future challenges of climate change seriously, these are the kinds of questions we must address.

KNOWLEDGE OF MOST WORTH

In addition to questioning what an education is for, another element of an inconvenient education involves questioning what knowledge is of the most worth. This includes both what we are teaching and how we are teaching it. Aldo Leopold recognized this in the 1930’s when he took note of the fact that many in his day viewed the ecological damage wrought by poor farming practices as the result of a lack of education. But Leopold was not so sure of this. He said: “the usual answer to this dilemma is ‘more conservation education.’ No one will debate this, but is it certain that only the volume of education needs stepping up? Is something lacking in the content as well?” In my foundations of education class, for example, I give students a pop-quiz on local knowledge. I ask, for example, if they can name three birds that migrate through this area in the Fall. Or, which vegetables you can safely plant before May 1^st in this area. I ask them to name the reservoir in town where we get our drinking water and the name of the river our Whitewater river eventually flows into. In a class of 55 students, every single student fails. And yet, 100 years ago, an 8 year old would likely get 100%. Perhaps this is not a problem. Many of Earlham students are not from Richmond, the Midwest, or even the U.S. But what does it say about what we value here at Earlham, educationally, when we don’t ask all students to engage with the natural and human history of this place? Author Russell Scott Sanders argues that colleges and universities ought to be assessed as to how many of their graduates stay in the community upon graduation—a homecoming major so to speak. Perhaps this goes too far, but it ought to force us to consider what knowledge really is of the most worth when we consider appropriate responses to climate change? Good people will disagree here: some may wish to emphasize so-called STEM coursework (science, technology, engineering and math) so we can prepare students for the needed technological breakthroughs and work to both reduce our ecological footprint and meet rising population and resource demands. Others might argue for more work on ethics and critical media literacy as a way to respond to the mass-consumerism and individualism that seems ever present in the United States and in other parts of the developed world. Still others may argue for a more place-based, experiential, and community-oriented approach that gives students a sense of agency and active citizenship. Of course, these knowledge domains are not isolated, but rather they interact and are interconnected and interdependent. If that is true, then perhaps what is most important is to teach a “systems thinking” orientation which aims to understand not just the isolated parts but the ways in which the parts come together to form nested and networked wholes.

In addition to what we teach then, an Inconvenient Education would ask us to reconsider how we teach. Are students learning how different subjects and disciplines are connected and interrelated? Are they also asked to work through and experience the consequences of knowledge enacted through projects that are collaborative, relevant and practical? Are they learning systems and holistic thinking and not just broken down and disjointed parts? Environmental Historian Donald Worster, for example, in an essay entitled “Thinking Like A River,” argues that to truly understand our agricultural relation to water we must learn to think differently. This new kind of thinking, he argues, “requires more than technique: [it is] a way of perceiving, a set of mental images, an ethic controlling agricultural policy and practice. It demands, as I have said before, learning to think like a river.” What would schooling look like if the aim was to have everyone thinking like a river?

BEGINNING THE CONVERSATION

The issue, at this point, is not which of these curricular visions is the right one, it’s the fact that we have not yet even begun the conversation. We simply have not considered education as part of the problem and part of possible solutions moving forward. I would ask all of us this simple question: if climate change is as serious as many believe it is, is our current educational response adequate? If the full brunt of the challenges of climate change are truly upon us, how would we educate differently?

INFORMAL CURRICULUM

One final point I would like to make about this inconvenient education—it does not stop at the classroom door. It is important to note that there is another domain to be considered-- the informal curriculum or what some have called the “public pedagogy of the everyday.” What does it communicate, at a place like Earlham for example, when our classroom walls are devoid of color, when the hallways are lined with fake plants, when we don’t know where the food we eat at Saga comes from, and the windows must be opened in winter because we cannot regulate the heat properly? Everything speaks and everything teaches. A truly inconvenient education would constantly pit our values against our actions—noting the areas of incongruence and involving the community in imagining solutions.

CONCLUSION

Chuck Yates once said that the goal of Earlham is simple: we wish to make students comfortable with being uncomfortable. I wonder, are we uncomfortable yet in regards to our individual and collective responsibility to climate change? Do we have the sort of Inconvenient Education we need to challenge us, provoke us, to imagine things otherwise? Can our education give us the will to go about enacting that future in both big and small ways? I think so. But only if we begin to realize the impact education and schooling has on our relation to the health and well-being of this planet. Thank you.

Forum Post: Re: Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School

CoraleeReynar — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:38:00 GMT

Good Morning Alistair,

Thanks for the email/advice -- I just ordered two copies.... I had noticed this book on the OBI website before receiving your email....so, your recommendation convinced me to order one. So, thanks for taking the time.

All the best to you,

Coralee

From: Alistair McArthur <bounce-Alistair_McArthur@outdoored.com>
To: coraleereynar@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, August 31, 2010 6:02:17 PM
Subject: RE: [General Forum] Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School

Hi Coralee,

Excellent new publication produced by and available from Outward Bound International (OBI) – OBI Staff Resource Site

OBI Readings Book

Inspirational Readings—$15*(US)
A collection of 240 pages of inspirational readings used by Outward Bound staff from many schools worldwide. Organized into topics such as "Courage and Risk Taking", "Wisdom and Virtue". "Happiness and Humour", etc. Shipping $5 USA, $10 other countries.

http://www.outward-bound.org/

Regards,

Alistair McArthur

From: General Forum [mailto:generalforum@outdoored.com] On Behalf Of CoraleeReynar
Sent: Wednesday, 1 September 2010 9:32 AM
To: a.mcarthur@c031.aone.net.au
Subject: Re: [General Forum] Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School

Hi Carolyn,

I found a posting that you made in 2009 and am wondering if you still happen to have some resources/readings for OB -- I am instructing an OB course at the beginning of October in Canada and am searching for as many resources as I can find in the next month. Any help that you can offer would be so very much appreciated. By the way, when and where did you work in Canada?? Thanks again, Coralee

From: carolynb <bounce-carolynb@outdoored.com>
Sent: 9/29/2009 9:06:08 PM

I might have it around - I will look. I could scan it and e-mail it. I have these from several OB schools plus multiple copies of the one I put together years ago for Canaidain Outward Bound Wilderness School.

Carolyn

From: aklish89 <bounce-aklish89@outdoored.com>
To: carolynb3@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 5:21:25 PM
Subject: [General Forum] Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School

Does anyone have a copy of "Readings from the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School" kicking around on a shelf or burried in a box not getting used? I used mine for years and then made the mistake of loaning it to a student (I didn't realize that it was no longer available). Well, it wasn't returned and has been greatly missed ever since. I promise to use it lots and to use it wisely!! Contact me at alish@cocc.edu . THANKS!

Blog Post: Children & Nature Network releases Natural Leaders Network Toolkit

Outdoor Ed — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:48:00 GMT

The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working nationally and internationally to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being.

C&NN has just annnounced the release of the Natural Leaders Network Toolkit. This tool kit is a guide for all youth around the world who want to start Natural Leaders action groups or networks. It’s like a road map to figure out how to get started and where to go with your work. It offers some cool ideas and gives examples of how you might build your own Network. You will find stories of current Natural Leaders and the work they are doing, as well as the history of the Natural Leaders Network and how Natural Leaders fit into the greater movement to reconnect kids to nature. Go ahead, download it now and start reading.

The Children & Nature Network launched the Natural Leaders Network in 2008 to encourage young leaders to take decisive action against nature-deficit disorder. With founding support from the Sierra Club’s Building Bridges to the Outdoors, and the corporate support of The North Face, we are ready to take on this challenge.

Reports from the Children & Nature Network

June is the nation’s Great Outdoors month, proclaimed by the President of the United States and all 50 state governors. The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is among those organizations celebrating and supporting Great Outdoors month. C&NN has chosen the occasion to announce the release of two major studies it commissioned with funding support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The “American Beliefs Associated with Children’s Nature Experience Opportunities: Development and Application of the EC-NES Scale,” was conducted by the Maryland-based independent non-profit learning research Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) at the request of the Children & Nature Network. Authors are John Fraser, Ph.D.; Joe E. Heimlich, Ph.D.; and Victor Yocco. This is the first study to establish a baseline measure of the attitudes of the American public concerning the importance of direct experiences in nature for children’s healthy development. Among its findings, the survey indicates that parents and others in the public see the benefits to children’s physical development and their love of nature from nature-based experiences, but do not tend to see the cognitive, emotional and social benefits from those experiences. The study also revealed a wide age differentiation—the younger the adult participating in the survey, the less likely he or she is to see the benefits for children’s healthy development from these experiences in nature.

While the public reports positive attitudes about children playing outdoors in nature, the respondents also reported barriers. The most dominant was concern about safety. Respondents reported significant differences between locations where they played as children, such as woods, and where they let children play today, such as indoors. They identified “wilder” places like woods, streams and ponds as the riskiest locations.

To C&NN, this discrepancy strongly suggests that the movement must develop new ways for parents to feel safer introducing their children to nature, such as Family Nature Clubs (http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/natureclubs/).

“We believe this landmark study is the first but not the last of its kind,” said Cheryl Charles, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Children & Nature Network. “During the next five years, we hope to see the children and nature movement reach more people, of all income and cultural groups, and that, in the next survey, they report an even stronger appreciation for the importance of children’s direct experiences with nature for their healthy development —along with a greater willingness to make those opportunities possible for every child, every day.”

The second study, C&NN’s Grassroots Survey, developed by the Children & Nature Network’s national Grassroots Leadership Team with independent analysis of the results by professional evaluator, M. Lynette Fleming, Ph.D., provides a baseline measure of the growth of the “children and nature movement” as reported by grassroots leaders and representatives of the more than 70 campaigns working to reconnect children and nature. These campaigns are registered on the Children & Nature Network’s map of the movement (www.childrenandnature.org), located in more than 40 states—spanning cities, states and regions. These campaigns, in total, report between 900,000 to 1.5 million participants during 2009.

Among other findings, reported as changes since their children and nature campaigns started:
• 74% of the campaigns report an increase in community support;
• 71% report increased awareness of the importance of nature for children’s healthy development;
• 71% report increased media attention; and
• More than half report an increased number of people participating in events and programs.

In addition, Fleming reports a trend toward collaborative efforts to support the growth of the children and nature movement, rather than individual efforts by individual organizations and agencies—locally, regionally and nationally.

“This report is the first to quantify the numbers of people reached as well as the value of the resources that the Children & Nature Network provides in the effort to nourish and support this movement,” said Betsy Townsend, Founding Chair of C&NN’s national Grassroots Leadership Team and a member of the C&NN Board of Directors. “I am inspired by these indicators of progress—and compelled by how much work we all still need to do to reverse the trend that Richard Louv, co-founder and Chairman of C&NN, has called nature-deficit disorder.”

“I am heartened by the rapid growth of the children and nature movement, evidenced in part by these studies,” said Richard Louv, C&NN co-founder, Chairman, and author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. “However, more research is needed on a number of fronts. And we are a long way from reaching our goal of every child experiencing their birthright of experience in the natural world, which we believe offers better health, improved learning abilities, and a sense of wonder.”

2009 Independant Baseline Study
The “American Beliefs Associated with Children’s Nature Experience Opportunities: Development and Application of the EC-NES Scale,” is the first study to establish a baseline measure of the attitudes of the American public concerning the importance of direct experiences in nature for children’s healthy development.Download PDf

2009 Grassroots Survey
The second study, C&NN’s Grassroots Survey, developed by the Children & Nature Network’s national Grassroots Leadership Team with independent analysis of the results by professional evaluator, M. Lynette Fleming, Ph.D., provides a baseline measure of the growth of the “children and nature movement” as reported by grassroots leaders and representatives of the more than 70 campaigns working to reconnect children and nature. Download PDF

Health Benefits to Children from Contact with the Outdoors & Nature
The following is a synthesis of selected research and studies on health benefits. These studies, along with others, were originally published as part of C&NN's four volumes of annotated bibliographies of research and studies listed below. Download PDF

Children's Contact with the Outdoors & Nature: A Focus on Educators and Educational Settings
The following is a synthesis of selected research and studies that focus on education and educational settings. These studies, along with others, were originally published as part of C&NN's four volumes of annotated bibliographies of research and studies listed below. Download PDF

Children and Nature 2009: A Report on the Movement to Reconnect Children to the Natural World
Download PDF [1.1MB]

C&NN Community Action Guide: Building the Children & Nature Movement from the Ground Up
Download PDF [1.4MB]