Let's Talk: Accreditation

Choosing an adventure-based program that is reputable and the best fit for your goals is a difficult task. There are hundreds of organizations from which to choose. How can you know which programs meet or exceed industry standards for quality and risk management?

I Signed Up For an Outdoor Adventure—How Safe Will It Be?
Submitted by Jeff Baierlein, AEE Accreditation Reviewer & Director of Outdoor Program Consultancy Viristar LLC, 

Physical and Social Stereotypes: Understanding Why University Students May Not Participate in Outdoor Recreation
Submitted by Iris Buchanan, Wilderness Guide, Student

In our National Parks and in wilderness programs across the United States, people with certain physical attributes and social standings are commonly excluded from participating in outdoor activities. Outdoor communities that are filled with outdoor enthusiasts tend to be inherently exclusive, despite their best efforts and due to various stereotypes attached to these groups and programs that include how they should look and how they should act.

Creativity: Experiential Education’s Big “ah ha” Moment
Submitted by Daniel Cape, author, experiential educator, creativity consultant

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician who was assigned the challenge of determining the volume of gold in his king’s crown. One day, after working on the problem unsuccessfully for some time, he stopped thinking about it and joined his friends at a local bathhouse. As Archimedes lowered himself into the bath he observed the water level rise; and then it hit him. The volume of his king’s crown could be measured by the volume of water that is displaced when submerged. And so the story goes that Archimedes was seen excitedly running through the streets naked immediately after shouting, “Eureka!”

3 Female Adventurers You Should Know About
Submitted by Dan Miller, Chief Learning Officer, AEE

Last week, I moderated a webinar entitled Out of Our Corsets and Into the Woods with Denise Mitten Ph.D.  The hour-long presentation focused on women adventurers from the 1800's through today and it will forever change the way I teach (and think about) about the history of outdoor education.  This article is a brief look at some of the women Dr. Mitten talked about in her webinar.  I encourage anyone who reads this post to study the webinar (it's free) and determine how you can incorporate these fine examples of humanity into your own teaching practice.

5 Reasons to Give Peer Mentoring a Try
By Dan Miller, Chief Learning Officer, AEE

My 4 year-old recently starting taking a martial arts class. She really likes the class, but sometimes she chooses to sit in the corner instead of participate in group activities. The adults have been working with her, talking to her, getting down on her level, offering encouragement, but nothing seemed to help…until they had another child try talking to her. Within seconds, she was out of the corner and participating with the rest of the group.

The Foremost Task of Education
by Dan Miller, Chief Learning Officer, AEE

“I regard it as the foremost task of education to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an indefatigable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion.” – Kurt Hahn