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eNews Update June 2008
AEE Monthly eNews Update June 2008
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Please Join the Board and Staff in Welcoming Paul Limoges to AEE
AEE is excited to introduce Paul Limoges as our new Chief Executive Officer. Paul comes to the association with a wealth of firsthand EE knowledge gained while serving as Global Education Manager and Ranch Director for Heifer International, and while working with Up With People doing experiential education around the world. Paul also serves on the board of the National Society of Experiential Education. The search committee was particularly taken by Paul's authenticity and his balance of strengths between business and education.
Originally from Canada's Montreal area, Paul currently resides in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, with his wife and three kids. "In many ways, experiential education has been a 'best kept secret' and I feel that by working together and building partnerships, and by asking the right questions, we can put more power behind our voice and bring more visibility to all of the good that we do." Paul will begin his post in Boulder on July 7, 2008.
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Please Nominate an Individual or Organization for their Achievements in Experiential Education
There are so many people that put forth heroic efforts in the field of EE, or for the association, and so many go unsung. Please take a moment to nominate a deserving individual or organization. Award winners will be celebrated at the Annual International AEE Conference in Vancouver, Washington in November 2008. Nominations will be taken until July 15, 2008.
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Please Vote for
AEE Board of Directors
Seventy-two AEE members have voted so far for the five positions open on the AEE Board as well as to approve a requested change in the by-laws. Please do your part and vote before the July 15 cutoff.
Click here for more information or to vote (you will have to log in).
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Schools & Colleges Professional Group
Has a New Chair!
Please join us in welcoming Wes Riddle, the new chair of AEE's S&C Professional Group (400 members and growing). A recent survey of AEE members revealed a strong desire for the association to connect with traditional education. Wes's personal research on EE's effectiveness in classroom settings and the potential of applying EE techniques makes him uniquely qualified to serve in this role.
Wes serves as the Coordinator in the Center for Student Leadership, and an Instructor in the Department of University Studies at Kennesaw State University, just north of Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Master's in Education from the University of Georgia in 2005, where he focused on the use of EE techniques in the classroom.
Wes is particularly interested in helping the group increase networking and professional development opportunities through newsletters and a stronger web presence and is excited to meet you at the conference in Vancouver.
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SBMS Achieves Two Million Cumulative Cycling Miles
In 1984, Santa Barbara Middle School (SBMS) started tracking the number of miles pedaled on official school trips, which are woven into the curriculum. On June 4th, SBMS celebrated the two-millionth mile pedaled, as 89 students crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on the final day of a 10-day trip to Marin and San Francisco.
Jim Brady (in photo), Assistant Headmaster and Head of the Experiential Education Program (and Human Geography, Songwriting and Conflict Resolution teacher) states that, "These trips are an investment in each student's future. Their relationships with each other and with staff deepen through years of travel together. Each student participates in at least three journeys per year in the four-year program. They gain confidence from accomplishing something they may not have thought they could do and that has a lasting impact. Instead of feeling like an isolated teen in a challenging world, they feel connected to something big and meaningful." See more.
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Please Join AEE on Facebook and MySpace
More and more, online social networking tools are being seen as a viable way to help professional relationships thrive. In addition, these tools make it easy to collaborate and share ideas in a comfortable, non-threatening forum. And so, AEE has created pages on both Facebook and MySpace.
The photo at right (from the Southeast Regional Conference of Jim Cain and Abe Winters) was posted to facebook by member Carrie Bonds.
Click below to view our pages without logging in:
Or create an account and then join our group:
Facebook: Once you are on the AEE page, click on the green button at the top of the page, that reads "Sign Up". After inputting your name and contact information, create a password, then browse our page or join our group.
MySpace: From the AEE page, click on "Join Group". Choose to "Sign Up" and follow the prompts to create a log-in and then join the group.
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 New Technique for Belaying when Using the Petzl Grigri Device
Thank you to Bill Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Climbing Wall Association, for alerting us to the following announcement.
Petzl hopes to popularize a new, safer technique for using its Grigri to belay a leader in three ways: a web video, a poster, and an updated technical notice to be delivered with each device. The poster was created for display in climbing gyms, walls, or shops and outlines the new technique as well as common mistakes and bad techniques using a Grigri.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to receive some posters, please contact Petzl America at (801) 926-1500 or info@petzl.com. Read Petzl Press Release.
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First Asian Chinese Experiential Education Conference
The First Asian Chinese Experiential Education Conference took place June 7-8 in Hong Kong. The theme of the conference was " Experiential Education and its Social Mission." Workshops, discussions, and story telling focused on the social responsibility and social mission of adventure counseling and experiential education.
Joint Organizers:
- Adventure Education Organization in China
- Don Bosco, Youth Village in Macau
- The Department of Applied Social Science of City University of Hong Kong
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News from Accreditation
The Accreditation Council held its annual spring meeting on June 10 & 11 at Project Adventure in Beverly, Massachusetts. We enjoyed the good company of friends and colleagues, blooming rhododendrons, and the wonderful hospitality provided by the good folks at PA.
During this meeting the following programs received initial and continuing accreditation:
- River's Way Outdoor Adventure Center (Bluff City, TN)- Initial
- The Westminster Schools (Atlanta, GA)- Continuing
- Greenfield Community College (Greenfield, MA)- Continuing
- Sandia Preparatory School (Albuquerque, NM)- Conditional Continuing
- Second Nature Blue Ridge, LLC (Clayton, GA)- Continuing
- Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center, (Estes Park, CO)- Conditional Continuing
Congratulations to all!
For more information, tune into the Accreditation News in the next edition of Horizon, due out in September.
Henry Wood, Director of Accreditation
303.440.8844 x 16, accreditation@aee.org
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