AEE Books & Publications

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Field Guide: Stories of Lived Experiences

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Created for leaders, practitioners, and researchers working with groups to address the challenges of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in their programs and organizations.

​​The Association for Experiential Education invites you to utilize the The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Field Guide: Stories of Lived Experience as a tool to engage groups working in the outdoors, classrooms, or boardrooms in DEIB training. It is a conversation starter, a source of inspiration, and a call to action. The guide includes personal reflections by over 40 authors in the areas of: 

• Outdoor and Adventure Programs
• Community Engagement
• Parks and Recreation
• Camps 
• Adventure Therapy
• Advocacy
• Experiential Education
• College and Universities
• Training and Development
• Youth Development
• Social and Environmental Justice
• And more

These individuals share their lived experiences with racism, sexism, heterosexism, gender identity, ableism, and ageism. They provide counternarratives to some of the common embedded practices in professions using experiential education. Readers are challenged to dig deep, engage, and listen to the voices with open hearts and minds to begin to make personal and systemic changes. The guide contains a glossary of terms and social justice quotes to help spark discussion, reflection, and action.

Envisioned by Dr. Nina Roberts to be used by those in need of a resource for DEIB training, this guide is Nina’s legacy. In the initial stages of this project, Nina’s energy waned due to the progression of her cancer. Nina paved the way for so many people to advance diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. She strove for equity and belonging for all. She asked that her social justice torch be carried forward. Please lift up her torch and use this book to continue her work.

Watch the May 15 2023 DEIB Field Guide Launch Party / Author Reading on our YouTube Channel!

Spread the word! Download the Media Kit

Rita Yerkes (Editor)  Denise Mitten (Editor)  Karen Warren (Editor)

ISBN-13: 9798987102008 Publisher: Association for Experiential Education Publication date: 10/24/2022 Pages: 256

Essential Elements of Experiential Programming

Essential Elements of Facilitation

This book is intended to help enhance those odds by improving employee participation in the process of managing tasks and relationships, thereby increasing the overall success of the corporation. The Essential Elements of Facilitation is a book for anyone who wants to help organizations make constructive changes, especially:

• consultants working outside an organization and wishing to enhance their understanding of facilitation methods and principles;
• trainers working within an organization and desiring to strengthen their roles as human resource development professionals;
• managers leading groups of employees and looking for less directive and more empowering approaches leading to greater work effectiveness;
• facilitators in other fields (e.g., therapists, teachers) seeking to refine their facilitation techniques in order to work with corporate audiences; and
• students in organizational development or leadership courses wanting to improve their knowledge of facilitation theory and practice.

Simon Priest, Ph.D. Michael Gass, Ph.D. Lee Gillis, Ph.D. A publication of TARRAK Technologies, Copyright ©2000 by Simon Priest, Mike Gass, Lee Gillis & TARRAK Technologies. ISBN 1-932298-02-9

Coming of Age, The Evolving Field of Adventure Therapy (Free for Members, $10 for Non-Members)

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Coming of Age brings together a group of articles arising from the third International Adventure Therapy Conference held in Victoria, British Columbia, in April 2003. Together, they offer an overview of the field of Adventure Therapy in the new millennium, boasting a strong collection from the field's leading international figures: Martin Ringer, Keith Russell, Simon Crisp, Denise Mitten, Rudy Gilsdorf, Sean Hoyer, Anita Pryor, Luk Peeters and others. Coming of Age will familiarize those new to Adventure Therapy with the field's key concepts and issues, provide seasoned practitioners with information to stimulate and challenge deeper thinking, and establish direction for research and practice. Readers will come away with an in-depth understanding of the development of Adventure Therapy as both a discipline and a profession.

Editors: Scott Bandoroff, Ph.D., Sandra Newes, Ph.D. Paperback, 260 pages, 6 x 9 x 2". Release date: 2004. ISBN: 0-929361-14-8

Ethical Issues in Experiential Education (Free for Members, $26 for Non-Members)

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As the title suggests, in this book Jasper Hunt examines ethical issues in the field of adventure programming and experiential education. Hunt has written this book for EE practitioners and not professors of ethics. Consequently, he limits the discussion of ethical theory to the first chapter, in which he also includes a methodology for resolving ethical problems. Topics covered include informed consent, sexual issues, student rights, environmental concerns, programming practices and many others, and Hunt's references to specific examples bring the issues to life. Ethical Issues in Experiential Education is a must-read for any EE practitioner.

Author: Jasper S. Hunt, Jr. Paper back, 137 pages, dimensions 6 1/2 x 10 x 1/2". Release date: 1994. ISBN: 0-7872-9308-3.

Exploring the Power of Solo, Silence, and Solitude (Free for Members, $10 for Non-Members)

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What do solitude experiences offer in this increasingly high-speed, technically dependent world? As this book inspiringly reveals, solo quests can provide powerful reconnection with the natural world, the true self, and the great mystery beyond. As Parker Palmer writes in "To Know as We Are Known," "Solitude calls us to confront ourselves...to learn who we really are and what we can rely on."

"Exploring the Power of Solo, Silence, and Solitude" provides theoretical frameworks, guidelines, and activities for facilitators of solo experiences, and also reviews current research. It is rich in professional and personal insights and strategies shared by 22 authors with deep experience in the practice of solo.

ISBN #0-929361-23-7. Paperback, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 x 1 1/2", 324 pages. Release date: 2005.

About the Editors:

Clifford E. Knapp, Ph.D., has been an experiential educator for most of his 40-year career, working in K-12 schools and at the university level, as well as in outdoor education. He also has served in summer camp leadership roles, co-directed his own camp dedicated to human relations and adventure skills, and is the author of 10 books, including the award-winning In Accord With Nature: Helping Students Form an Environmental Ethic Using Outdoor Experience and Reflection.

Thomas E. Smith, Ph.D., has been a clinical and school psychologist, a wilderness guide and therapist, and an experiential/humanistic educator for 50 years. His professional career has been guided by two lessons learned long ago: There is a wilderness beyond, and there is a wilderness within. He is the author of seven books, including The Theory and Practice of Challenge Education. He introduced the theory and practice of Raccoon Circles a decade ago, which led to the eponymous book.

Theory & Practice of Experiential Education (Free for Members, $67 for Non-Members)

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In the early days of the Association for Experiential Education, it was often noted that experiential education was experience rich but theory poor. In 1985, the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) published the first edition of this book to help rectify the dilemma. We are pleased to introduce the 4th edition of the original text, which has been re-titled Theory & Practice of Experiential Education.

The relationship between theory and practice in experiential education rests on a profound creative tension. As we become more theory based in the application of experiential education, it is essential to maintain the delicate balance between theory and practice. Theory informs practice, while practice tests and refines theory. This book is an attempt to offer the richness of theory that clarifies practice.

Since that first edition was published back in 1985, there have been some key developments in the theory of experiential education, and the editors of this volume have strived to make this edition reflective of that evolution. The classic chapters retained from previous editions give the reader a sense of both the timelessness and progression of ideas about experiential education. Some of the new chapters cover topics such as multiple intelligence theory, constructivism, brain-based learning theory, educational reform, and facilitation analysis. Yet others critique how experiential education is articulated and practiced, offering new theories and methods.

The result is an excellent teaching resource for undergraduate and graduate courses about education theory and courses specifically in experiential education. It is the editors hope that educators will make this book their own by using the articles that work for their teaching style and students in an order that fits their course progression.

Editors: Karen Warren, Ph.D., Denise Mitten, Ph.D.. TA Loeffler, Ph.D. Authors included in the anthology: Jasper Hunt, Ph.D., Mary Breunig, Ph.D., Dan Garvey, Ph.D., Jay Roberts, Ph.D., the editors, and more than 40 other EE experts. 

4th edition. Paperback, 578 pages, dimensions 6 1/2 x 9 x 2". Released November 2008. ISBN: 978-0-929361-17-8

Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs (Free for Members, $15 for Non-Members)

July 21, 2020: AEE Accreditation Council Approves a New Standard about Dealing with Infectious Diseases. 

This has been a difficult time for outdoor education. Most AEE accredited Adventure Programs have not operated this summer, while most AEE accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs, being classified as an essential service, have continued to provide programming. Some of our organizations that have been closed are currently experimenting with re-opening or are considering re-opening in the fall.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic AEE has developed an accreditation standard for infectious diseases. Like all AEE accreditation standards it is written in a way to provide programs the flexibility to design policies and procedures that fit their unique missions and programming. 

AEE is pleased to announce the publication of the 7^th Edition, Revised of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs. This edition includes numerous improvements.

Standards and narratives were carefully reviewed and edited to ensure that they are current, clear, and help readers understand the breadth of evidence of compliance that may apply to program contexts and the populations served. Terms in Glossary of Terms are updated and a clearer distinction between therapeutic adventure and adventure therapy is included.  Several other terms are revised to better reflect how they should be interpreted by organizations seeking AEE accreditation.

Over 1,800 copies of the manual have been distributed to programs around the world since the first edition was published.

New multi-activity sections are added based on their technical commonalities. These include SECTION 12. Climbing Activities and SECTION 17. Winter Activities.  Standard explanations in these sections include activity-specific information as appropriate.

Therapeutic (T) standards designations are eliminated. Text relevant to this edition is included in appropriate standard narratives.

Academic (A) standards designations are eliminated to accommodate organizations other than academic institutions that provide professional development for adventure program leaders/program personnel. Text relevant to this edition is included in appropriate standard narratives.

Running, and Swimming and Wading are moved to Chapter 6: Non-Technical Activities. SECTION 19: Initiative Games and Problem-Solving Activities is renamed Group Development Activities and is also moved to Chapter 6. 

SECTION 19. Other Technical Land Activities, SECTION 35. Other Technical Water Activities, and SECTION 46. Other Non-Technical Activities are added to Chapters 4-6. Organizations complete these sections for individual adventure activities that do not have standards sections in the 7th edition.

A more comprehensive introduction is added to this manual to inform the reader about important information prior to reading the manual or beginning the process of accreditation.

For the PDF version:

Hyperlinks are added to facilitate navigating the Manual. The Table of Contents (ToC) is hyperlinked to chapter headings, section headings, and Appendix 1; and back to the TOC. Term are hyperlinked in the document to the term in the Glossary of Terms and back to the hyperlinked version of the term or the heading or standards in which they are used.

Hyperlinks are bolded and underlined. To activate a hyperlink, click on the heading or term and then click on the link that appears below the. Second level titles in the introduction that are not directly below the title are hyperlinked back to the first level title that is linked back to the TOC.

     The Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs is a reflection of the talents, passion and expertise of a community of many talented and dedicated people. In the 33 years since the first attempt to compile adventure program standards, countless people have contributed in many ways to the development of the accreditation standards we have today. The development of accreditation standards is an iterative process, and these standards will continue to evolve as the fields that use adventure programming grow and evolve.

Editors: Joe Austin, Aaron Funnell, Jude Hirsch, Michael Lindsey, John Nordquist, Steve Pace, and Paul Wolf

80 pages, spiral bound, laminated soft-cover report format. Dimensions: 8 3/4 x 11 x 1/2". Released November 2017. ISBN: pending

Manual of Accreditation Standards for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs (Free for Members, $15 for Non-Members)

In 2013 the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council invited AEE to jointly embark upon the expansion of AEE’s existing standards to better reflect the field of wilderness therapy’s current practices. This resulted in the creation of a detailed set of ethical, risk management, and treatment standards created by longstanding leaders in OBH, adventure therapy, and wilderness programming. The newly designed OBH accreditation from AEE represents another milestone in a rapidly evolving field. OBH accreditation will become THE standard by which all future wilderness and outdoor adventure treatment programs will be measured.

In 2018, AEE was pleased to announce the publication of the 2nd edition of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs. The Second Edition of the Manual includes numerous improvements that are consistent with changes in the 7th Edition, Revised of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs. Standards and narratives were carefully reviewed and edited to ensure that they are current, clear, and help readers understand the breadth of evidence of compliance that apply to program contexts and populations served. Terms in Glossary of Terms are updated and a clearer distinction between therapeutic adventure and adventure therapy is included. Several other terms are revised to better reflect how they should be interpreted by organizations seeking AEE OBH Accreditation.

July 21, 2020: AEE Accreditation Council Approves a New Standard about Dealing with Infectious Diseases.  

This has been a difficult time for outdoor education. Most AEE accredited Adventure Programs have not operated this summer, while most AEE accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs, being classified as an essential service, have continued to provide programming. Some of our organizations that have been closed are currently experimenting with re-opening or are considering re-opening in the fall. 

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic AEE has developed an accreditation standard for infectious diseases. Like all AEE accreditation standards it is written in a way to provide programs the flexibility to design policies and procedures that fit their unique missions and programming. 

OBH Accreditation is a requirement of all OBH Council member programs that they attain accreditation within two years of the start of their membership.

Editors: Joe Austin, Aaron Funnell, Jude Hirsch, Michael Lindsey, John Nordquist, Steve Pace, and Paul Wolf

88 pages, spiral bound, laminated soft cover report format. Dimensions: 8 3/4 x 11 x 1/2". Released 2018. ISBN: pending