The Journal of the Mid-Atlantic Association for Experiential Education Fall 2019 Edition

Lean In with AEE-MA - Shaping Up for Adventure - Practical Aspects of CBC - Nuggets of Knowledge

2 Volume 26 Issue 2 Fall 2019

Mid-Atlantic Current

Fall 2019 ● Volume 26 ● Issue 2

DEPARTMENTS

Conference Update Colleen Williams ............................................................................. 4

Member Spotlight Steve Sassaman ........................................................................... 5-6

ARTICLES

Shaping Up for Adventure: Conditioning in Outdoor Leadership (Featured Article)

Mary Zook ..................................................................................... 7-8

Nuggets of Knowledge (Facilitator Notebook Column) Matthew Cummiskey ................................................................. 9-11

The Practical Aspects of Challenge by Choice (Manager’s Musings Column)

Scott Gray ................................................................................. 12-15

A Balancing Act: Impact and Access to the Outdoors (Outdoor Recreation Column)

Steve Sassaman ........................................................................ 16-18

The Power of Networking (Student Column) Michael Stump .......................................................................... 19-20

The Lexicon of Higher Education

Nathan Harlan .......................................................................... 21-25

Mid-Atlantic Region

Welcome! The Mid-Atlantic Region encompasses the following U.S. States: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Our region unifies individuals from a variety of fields; school and colleges, museums, therapeutic recreation centers, camps and conference centers, outdoor recreation venues, etc. We, as the Mid-Atlantic Region, strive to promote and support the vision of AEE. This vision connects a global community of educators and practitioners, and it expands their capacity to enrich lives through Experiential Education. AEE is currently leading the way in Experiential Education nationwide and they will need our continuous support and efforts in making a difference in the lives of many. We hope that you will join our AEE family in attending conferences, webinars, local events, and more. This is the valuable opportunity to create a wider network, grow as a professional, and to spread the word about AEE. We look forward to meeting you soon! Colleen Williams, M.Ed.

aee.org/mid-atlantic

Mission: To bring together experts, specialists, and students in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond to develop professionalism and promote experiential education.

Leadership Team: Chair - Colleen Williams, M.Ed. colleen.miller154@gmail.com Past Chair - Fred Pierson, MS jkpierson@radford.edu Secretary - Lorilei Dreibelbis dee.lorilei@gmail.com Treasurer - Jess Rothe jrothe1@email.radford.edu Membership / Schools & Colleges - VACANT Member at Large – VACANT Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group- VACANT

Journal Editor Matthew Cummiskey mcummiskey@wcupa.edu

Have questions? Want more information? Want to join the Committee? Email the Mid-Atlantic Region Committee Here: aeemidatlantic19@gmail.com

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Conference Update! Welcome to the AEE Mid-

Atlantic Region! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Colleen Williams and I’ve been the acting Regional Chair for three years. I’ve been involved with AEE for about nine years attending the regional conference as a student, employer, conference convener, secretary, and now chair. AEE values six domains; Global Community, Adventure and Challenge, Reflective Leadership, Social Justice, The Natural World, and Creative Play. For me, AEE feels like a global family of educators willing to support and assist each other in this growing field.

Our 2019 Regional Conference was help at West Virginia University’s beautiful Outdoor Education Center for the second year in a row. The conference had a marvelous turn out from individuals all over our region. The conference was a mixture of all things adventure, fun activities, socializing, growing as a professional, networking, and good food.

To get the conference going we had a Pre-Con event with Jennifer Stanchfield on Friday. Jen’s Pre-Con focused on The Art of Experiential Group Facilitation and Teaching. During the workshop one aspect she focused on was, experiential brain-based strategies to actively engage participants physically, emotionally, academic, social-emotional learning, training, and team-development. Jen was a wealth of knowledge and we were grateful she was able to make the trip to WVU.

Huge, “Thank you”, to Dave Tanis and JJ Franke from Messiah College for facilitating our Playnote. It truly set the mood by helping everyone let their hair down, lower their guard and re-learn the power of play.

Over the course of the weekend there were five workshop slots with each slot offering several sessions 75-minutes in length. Some sessions were traditional lectures while others used WVU’s high elements including a zip-line course and alpine tower. Our Saturday Lunch was followed by our Keynote, Kelly Bricker who shared with us her life of experiences and travel. Kelly seems to have done it all and was truly amazing hear her speak about her life adventures!

To wrap up our Saturday we ended the evening with our first AEE MA Talent Show! Those within our region were able to show case their unqiue talents from jokes, to singing, and bagpipes! We also can’t forget about WVU’s The Puppet Mobile and Magician Kevin Owens for a truly hands-on educational entertainment!

Lodging was available on-site in yurts where participants could socialize and get to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere. All participants left with a reinvigorated purpose, fresh ideas and fond memories. Looking forward to seeing you at the next Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference scheduled for March 27th – 29th, 2020. Registration and workshop proposals open November 4th!

Colleen Williams, M.Ed.

aee.org/mid-atlantic

Steve Sassaman

Name: Steve Sassaman Position/Institution: Associate Director of Campus Recreation for Experiential Education, Student Success, and Risk Management Number of years in position: 2 years Training or Alma Mater: Susquehanna University (Undergrad), Abilene Christian University (Masters), NOLS Outdoor Educator Course Email address: ssassaman@wcupa.edu Website: wcupa.edu/outdoor Why did you become involved in the Mid-Atlantic AEE?

❖ I became involved with the Mid-Atlantic Region recently as I wanted to connect with a broader network of people in this field. Due to job constraints, I am often not able to attend national conferences, so connecting regionally allows me to network with local professionals and work towards collaborative projects as we seek to highlight the value (and increasing need) of experiential education opportunities at all levels.

What is your favorite part about being a member of the Mid-Atlantic AEE?

❖ My favorite part has been the networking opportunities, especially as I must serve as a jack of all trades in my role. I have been able to outsource some training and development of our student staff to those that specialize in those areas. I have also gained support from individuals who understand the why behind what I do rather than just seeing me as the bearded hippy guy who takes students outside.

What is your philosophy of experiential education? ❖ As we become more interconnected through social media and have access to vast quantities of free information

(and misinformation), we become less adept at critically evaluating ideas or having genuine conversations with our peers. Looking at my path, it was not until I began leading others that I gained the confidence to view myself as successful. Though the Outdoors is my passion, I view Experiential Education as the vehicle where students can actually apply what they are “learning.” I tend to look at education from a leadership lens as I believe that everyone has the capacity to lead; it is simply a matter of identifying the unique skills and abilities of the individual and connecting that with their passion. The role of traditional education is to turn humans into cogs of an industrial machine, but our role as educators is to inspire students to create and challenge.

Member Spotlight

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What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment to date?

❖ At Cameron University where I worked prior to WCU, we created a culture of service on campus which led to our designation on the President’s Community Service Honor Role. We were also recognized by Campus Compact for registering the most voters among peer institutions in the state of Oklahoma. This was the direct result of providing opportunities not only to students, but also faculty and staff.

What is one item you cannot live without? ❖ Gourmet Coffee. Even while going on extended expeditions I must bring my Sea 2 Summit X Brew so that I can

have a quality pour over every morning. It is not necessarily the caffeine I need, but I just love the morning ritual.

Who would you choose to switch places with for a day? ❖ Jimmy Chin because I aspire to become a backcountry skier and photographer but have never been able to

invest the time required. Why/when did you decide to pursue a career in experiential education?

❖ I decided on this career path halfway through college. I was studying business thinking that I wanted to wear a suit every day and do adventures on the weekends. However as I became more involved in student affairs programs, I recognized that I was learning much more about budgeting and marketing than in the classroom. Later I united my two passions, the outdoors and student development in a university setting and sought a position working in this specific area.

In your mind, who in this industry can serve as a good role model? ❖ I’m going to be abstract and say students. So often we tend to caudle students while not providing opportunities

to be responsible and potentially fail. One of the reasons the OAP program here at WCU has grown so exponentially is because students are at the forefront of planning. I am clear about being an equal learner in the process rather than an expert authority. This has not only built trust, but I have seen many students identify a capacity to lead that would not have been discovered had they not had this space to provide ownership.

Create your own question. ❖ If I were any part of a bicycle I would be the derailleur as we must constantly adjust to the needs of our group

knowing when to add resistance or make pedaling more efficient.

aee.org/mid-atlantic

Shaping Up for Adventure:

Conditioning in Outdoor Leadership

Mary Zook

y My first prolonged backpacking trip was freshman year of college. I had just come off a season of varsity cross country and a restful Christmas break; I felt ready for anything. Others in my class

were not as prepared. A few miles into our first day on the trail, one of our groupmates started to fall behind, complaining of back pain. Other group members took items from his pack to lighten his load, but by the time we had passed our halfway point, it was becoming clear that his pain was seriously hindering our progress. After he admitted to having a herniated disc (a very painful injury, not mentioned on his medical release), our instructors decided that it would not be wise or safe to let our friend continue the trip. While the rest of us finished the trek to our campsite, our head instructor turned around and started the hike back with our injured friend, consistently removing weight from the student’s pack and adding it to his own. After dropping the student off at the airport, our instructor returned to the trail and finished the hike on his own in the dark, reaching our campsite very early the next morning. Essentially, he hiked the trail three times, carrying his own pack plus 75% of the injured student’s load.

I share this story as a perfect example of physical readiness displayed by an outdoor leader. As outdoor professionals, we are familiar with the concept of preparation, and how an intentional planning process leads to success and safety in the field – we meticulously load our packs, pour over maps, check and double-check the weather, measure distances, clean our equipment, and stow extra snacks in various pockets. But perhaps our greatest leadership tool is simply our bodies and what we’re able to do with them.

In his book Outdoor Leadership, John Graham includes physical conditioning as an essential component of leadership preparation: “While leadership is about far more than physical strength and

endurance, no outdoor leader – whether large or small of stature – can afford to be out of shape … Do what you need to do to maintain enough physical strength and endurance to handle the physical challenges of any trip you’re on (Graham, 1997).” He goes on to stress the importance of realistically assessing one’s physical limits and of practicing key skills associated with any trip or program. Graham understands that leaders and instructors in the backcountry may be called upon to exert significantly more strength and effort than their clients or students, whether this is hiking extra distance, carrying more weight, performing a rescue, or functioning on poor sleep. The guide doesn’t necessarily need to be fitter than every client, but they should be fitter than most of their clients In addition to preparing your body for unexpected challenges in the field, physical conditioning is what makes your job possible. In a physically demanding profession like outdoor leadership or adventure guiding, an injury can mean unemployment and exhaustion can lead to compromises in safety for you and your clients. Training your body to withstand the demands of working on your feet and hauling gear will not only make you a role model for your clients, students, and coworkers, it will also make your career last longer. Additionally, being in shape will make your own experiences more enjoyable. You’ll be able to demonstrate skills with relative ease, challenge yourself on more routes with less fear of injury or failure, and ultimately, have more fun!

You can build your own strengthening program to suit your physical needs and leadership itinerary, whether you’re taking short nature hikes through the park with elementary Boy Scouts or leading a group of experienced paddlers down a stretch of class IV whitewater. Start by thinking about the types of movements typically required during your day. Do you lift boats or carry a pack? Do you hike up steep hills or

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climb rocks? Do you balance on a challenge course or

steer a raft? Once you identify the muscle groups

utilized most, you can start designing a workout that will

benefit your body and improve your skills. You may

have to change your workout depending on the season or

duration of your trips. You may not be doing the same

exercises as others at the gym, but that’s ok – long-

distance backpackers probably don’t need to bench press

300 pounds, and kayakers rarely need to worry about

preventing shin splints. A well-rounded fitness regimen

should include some sort of cardiovascular endurance

activity to prepare your body for long periods of

sustained movement, as well as some muscular

strengthening components and stretching – increased

flexibility reduces risk of strains, sprains, and cramping.

Whatever type of adventure you’re involved in,

physical conditioning will make you a more effective

leader, extend your career, and help you stay injury-free.

You’ll be prepared to go the extra mile – sometimes

literally – and stay healthy while providing your clients

or students with a meaningful experience in the

outdoors. It goes without saying that all physical

training will be more effective when paired with

adequate sleep, nutritious food, hydration, and a positive

attitude. You can learn more about activity-specific

conditioning and skills from the REI Co-op Journal

(https://www.rei.com/blog/tag/tips), the NOLS Blog

(https://blog.nols.edu/2016/01/29/fitness-guidelines-to-

get-expedition-ready), Backpacker Magazine

(https://www.backpacker.com/skills/fitness), Blue Ridge

Outdoors Magazine

(https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/fitness/), and

Outside Online (https://www.outsideonline.com/health).

aee.org/mid-atlantic

NUGGETS OF

KNOWLEDGE

Connecting

Quotes with Adventure

Experiences

Matthew Cummiskey

s an adventure facilitator, it is important to incorporate a variety of processing strategies. One effective method is the use of quotations, either personal ones or those from others. A wonderful facet of quotations is that they can distill down complex concepts into a bite size and often memorable series of words that participants can take with them. Quotations can be used to inspire, teach, challenge, and question; their use

is really only limited by the imagination of the facilitator and the array of quotes collected. Below is a selection of quotes along with a narrative on how they might be applied with selected adventure activities. the “Now What” is a skill that takes time to develop. Novel facilitators are more likely to struggle here due to a lack of experience and let’s call it accumulated life wisdom.

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▪ “Fear is the great limiter of human potential” (John Helion) – When participants don’t speak up in problem solving activities or processing sessions, fear is often the reason. Fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment or fear of being judged is a common cause. Discuss how fear limits our growth and look for ways to deal with fear. In the climbing activities, fear of failure and fear of heights often manifest themselves. Identify the fear, analyze it and see if it can be worked through, remembering that sometimes a participant will choose not to take part which is their choice.

▪ “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – This is the question asked by Dr. Spencer Johnson in his bestselling book Who Moved My Cheese? This goes hand in hand with the previous quote. Participants at West Chester University read and incorporate the book in instances when fear is a limiting factor in group or individual performance.

▪ “Life is difficult” – This is the first sentence of A Road Less Travelled by F. Scott Peck. Sometimes during initiatives or problem solving activities, groups will give up or ask for a modification that will make the task simpler. Often, this leads into a discussion of perseverance. In this day and age the concept of losing has been distorted to the point where “everyone is made a winner” and no one is allowed to fail. This is incongruous with life. Failure needs to be viewed as feedback to improve future efforts rather than an indictment of us as people. Fear of failure will limit opportunities and growth.

▪ “Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Don’t say it mean”(Anonymous) – During the forming and storming process of group development, listen to how the group members communicate and how their communication is perceived by the rest of the group. Discuss communication styles, how group members want to be spoken to and how they respond to different types of communication. Discuss effective and ineffective types of communication and how the group can communicate in a manner that will move the group forward.

▪ “Insanity, doing the same thing over and expecting different results” – When attempting to solve a difficult challenge, some groups formulate a strategy and use it repeatedly in the face of failure. They cannot divorce themselves from the idea that since they perceive the strategy to be good, the outcomes will naturally be favorable as well. This may be due to linear thinking of lack of creative problem solving. This quotation is often most evident in the activity traffic jam. It takes courage sometimes to admit that a strategy is not working, abandon it, and embrace a new one. This same linear thinking can be seen in individual who repeated choose bad relationship or improbable careers.

▪ “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” (Wayne Gretsky) – For many activities, the hardest part is the first

step – the commitment to simply do it. People won’t know what they are capable of unless they take a risk. Along similar lines is the quote “challenge by choice is about opportunity, one that may never be repeated again.” Yes, all individuals can opt out of an activity, but how often will you have a chance to tackle a vertical playpen or rappel down a face? Often, opportunities in life only come once. Seize that moment – both authors of this article would not be married to their wonderful spouses if they had not taken a risk and seized the opportunity.

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▪ “Three things others must give you: love, respect and trust” (John Helion) - Trust is an integral part of adventure activities and an often stated objective arising from team-building experiences. The first quote explores the idea that trust must be earned; you cannot demand it, it must be given. That ties in naturally with earning trust, how does one do that? The answer is consistent favorable experiences over time. Start with a two-person trust fall (dyad), then three (triad) and then four or five (butter churn). What behaviors made your partner/partners worthy of your trust, in other words trustworthy? Was there anything that damaged the trust? If the group is comfortable with its level of trust, the facilitator may advance to levitations and elevated trust falls.

▪ “He who fails to plan, plans to fail” (Winston Churchill) – Facilitators know how integral planning is to the success of the group. This quote hammers that concept home and helps make a direct connection between the process and the product. If you prefer a more casual approach to this concept, consider the “5 P’s” – proper planning prevents poor performance. ▪ “Refusing to ask for help when needed it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful” (unknown) – Asking for help can be perceived as a weakness. In reality, strong individuals know when they need the assistance of others. Furthermore, asking for help also empowers those who are asked and represent teachable moments for all involved. ▪ “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” (Proverb) – Adventure activities at face value can look somewhat silly. Climb up a tree, traverse a wire with ropes dangling overhead, cross paths with someone else, and then get lowered on the

other side. Sounds a bit strange. But really adventure activities are metaphors for life – metaphors relating to problem solving, perseverance, team building, confidence and a myriad of other personal and interpersonal aspects. Not all of the concepts discussed during or after an activity will make sense at that moment. However, the lesson may become apparent in a particular context or point in time later in life at a point when one is receptive to it.

▪ “Are you too close to the problem” - This question relates to perspective. At times individuals actively focused on overcoming a challenge are too mired in the nitty gritty to see the overall picture or its solution. In the activity team knot, there are knots tied in three foot intervals of a rope, one for every person. Each participant grabs the rope in one segment and attempts to untie every knot without letting go. Afterwards, the group attempts to tie two knots back into the rope, likewise without letting go. Often, the individuals at the point of action have difficulty because even though they’ve tied knots thousands of times before they lack the perspective of others a few places away. In life, it’s often better to step back briefly or ask others not intimately involved in a problem for their input. Don’t try and always go it alone.

▪ “Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking” (J.C. Watts) – For many activities in adventure there exists a fine line between working within the rules and breaking them. For example in minefield, students blindly navigate a maze with the help of a partner. Some students will tap a mine and pretend like it didn’t happen. That speaks to one’s character and the need for external pressure to do the right thing. Others might say, “Well it was on a little bit.” Honesty in this case is like being pregnant, you either are or you aren’t. Facilitators shouldn’t call out participants but get them to reflect on their performance or speak in generalities. Some other quotes you may choose to incorporate are: “The sharpest swords were forged in the hottest fires”

(unknown), “To speak wisely may not always be easy, but not to speak ill requires only silence” (Tillotson), “When befriended, remember it; when you befriend, forget it” (Benjamin Franklin), “All I have is my good name - pass it on” (Rand Araskog), “He who helps early helps twice,” (Tadeusy Mayowiecki), and “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage” (Anais Nin).

Quotes are powerful, succinct tools for communicating a message to participants. They are more likely to taken to heart and affect meaningful change. Consider using the above quotations as part of your repertoire or researching new ones and aligning them with specific elements or activities. Good luck!

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The Practical Aspects of Challenge by Choice:

Ethics, Engagement and Risk Management on the Challenge Course

Scott Gray

Hat precisely is Challenge by Choice (CBC)?

There are as many different interpretations of Challenge by Choice (CBC) as there are experiential educators. Ask a rock climbing guide, a challenge course facilitator, or YMCA summer camp counselor, “what is a challenge by choice” and they might all give very different answers. They might even give you answers that directly contradict one another. Some educators view CBC as an obstacle to learning; a “cop out” mechanism in place to prevent triggering situations and minimize risk. Other facilitators use CBC as the ethical foundation of their programs and build the experiences they provide around the concept. For our purposes I will use my own definition of challenge by choice: “a programming philosophy that allows participants and teams to choose their own level of challenge and create their own definition of success within the framework of an experiential program.”

If we view challenge by choice not as a limitation placed on an educator, but as a central element of our programming philosophy, we can improve our programs in a number of different ways. We can model positive ethics, foster participant engagement, and still minimize risk in our programs without framing CBC as a catalyst for disengagement. CBC does not have to be something you mention at the start of the day and forget about. It can be a foundation for interacting with participants in positive and meaningful ways. I often question the ethical assumptions we make on the challenge course. Is it ethical to push a participant off a zip line? Most of the educators I know, including myself, would say, “no.” But what if they ask you to push them? What happens if you refuse to push them and they sit on the platform for half an hour?

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aee.org/mid-atlantic

Spend enough hours facilitating a zip line

and you too might have asked yourself these questions. A better question might be,” is it ethical to take away the agency of a participant to help them achieve a goal or complete a task?” Our programs are not about us, they are about the growth of our participants. We are called facilitators for a reason. We provide experiences for people and help them reflect on those experiences. We don’t do things for them or show them how to do things. CBC means that participants take responsibility for their learning and their experience. Not only should we not do things for participants, but we should not assume we always know what they need to learn. “I know what is best for you,” is a phrase few people like to hear. Think about how you might respond to having someone in a position of authority make that statement to you. While we as facilitators try our best to scan for behaviors that demonstrate discomfort or fear in an individual, we can never really know what is going on inside the mind of a participant.

This is a place where Challenge by Choice can play a major role in our programming. We need to admit as facilitators that even small misjudgments can lead to bad experiences for participants. Sometimes the ethical thing to do is take a moment and admit that not all the experiences we provide are right for every participant. Thus, our goal should be to never force a participant to partake in an activity in a way that leads them to panic. I try to remind myself at the start of programs to recall the Hippocratic oath “do no harm.”

Letting participants know they have the ability to engage in the program in a way that works for them can help them build trust in the facilitator and each other. Forcing participants to do things against their will or creating an environment where people are taking on roles and responsibilities they are uncomfortable with does not foster trust in a group. The group needs to know that the facilitator is a resource for their growth as a team, not an antagonist. Every day we make dozens of simple ethical decisions while facilitating our programs. CBC can be a valuable tool to use as a “rule of thumb” when trying to show empathy and practice basic human kindness. It allows the facilitator to remember to look at their clients as individuals that have personal agency. CBC places the needs of the participant before the wants of the facilitator. Participants can also be more willing to “buy in” to the program when they know you actually care about them and foster an environment of trust.

This segues well into the concept of participant engagement. We all want our clients to be engaged

in our programs. If we view challenge by choice as simply a mechanism for stepping aside during an activity, we are missing out on the possibilities that CBC can be used to create engaging experiences. It is critical that we give our participants the maximum level of agency possible over their program. This is especially the case with groups of adults. Agency is not just a matter of ethics, but also of engagement and ownership. This does not mean that they completely run the show, but rather that participants achieve the tasks at the challenge level they deem appropriate. This applies directly to the framing of challenge by choice. Both the group and the participants need to know that challenges will increase over the course of the experience. However, they also need to be informed that they have some level of agency to choose the difficulty of those challenges. Challenge by choice is not necessarily a “do or do not,” philosophy. The “choice” can be interpreted in a very literal way. Facilitators should let the group or participant make as many choices as possible about their experiences.

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Telling a group that their goal is to make a cube out of pool noodles in under ten seconds can be a challenging task. Inviting the group to make a cube out of pool noodles and letting them decide what time to shoot for, can give them ownership of the activity. It is no longer about the challenge you put before them. It is instead a task that they choose to build their own goals around. Groups might surprise you when they choose their own level of challenge. They might limit their attempts to three tries, or create new rules you would never think of. As long as these goals are within the standards and practices for your program, it is permissible to let them create their own experience. This type of facilitation can give the participants ownership over their program and let them define success for themselves. Success is no longer achieving what the facilitator decided it was, but about achieving goals set by the group or individual. Participants can have CBC be the cornerstone to defining success. We don’t have to brief elements with total completion as the end goal or “win state.” Sometimes an activity can be explained in a way where the group discusses amongst themselves what success is. So many elements are facilitated with the assumption that everyone needs to get over something or cross an open space. Instead an element can be briefed from the perspective that one person is to get over the wall. Thus the focus of the element is no longer about everyone getting up the courage to go over the wall, but becomes a problem to solve in an efficient way that minimizes risk. Who is more engaged in a wall activity, the person who never goes over but helps lift everyone up? Or the person that goes over once, half heartedly spots, but is not truly engaged in the goal? A person that is spending all their energy worrying about going over the wall might not engage in ways that are actually right for them. Once that first person is over the wall, the group can reassess a new goal for themselves or decide to move on. This gives the opportunity for others who would like to go over to have their voices heard, but never places the facilitator in a position where they are defining success for the group or the individual. Maybe getting one person over was their goal and they are happy with it. If so, process the experience and move on.

To foster engagement we need to give some level of ownership of the program back to the participant and allow them to define success form themselves. By practicing CBC we do just that. Even with the most thorough vetting of participants, we have no idea what emotional or physical condition our participants might actually be in when they arrive at our facilities. A person might have just lost a loved one, or might be fighting depression. They might have a physical limitation they are unwilling to share with you. We need to have empathy for our participants. This includes the need to limit the risks to which they are exposed.

We have already discussed how CBC can be used to create an environment where participants are more comfortable choosing their own level of challenge. This has the added benefit of helping participants make good decisions concerning the healthy and unhealthy risks they might engage within our programs. CBC is not about someone feeling bad because they are too afraid of heights to compete the static course. It is about their willingness to take personal responsibility for themselves and make a decision that is right for them. It can be an empowering experience to say “no” to something you do not want to do. If framed correctly, that participant might get more out of climbing back down the zip platform than stepping off of it. The facilitator will have to make a judgment call about publically celebrating someone deciding to not zip, but privately letting a participant know you respect and appreciate the strength it took to make that decision. This can be the difference between regret and personal growth.

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In a more practical sense, the best challenge course rescue you will ever perform is the one you never had to do. Challenge by choice gives participants the agency to say “no.” That simple word might be the difference between them feeling good cheering on their teammates on the sidelines and having them feel humiliated as you belay them down from the course. Even if we honestly ask someone, “how does this activity make you feel?” they might not respond truthfully. This can be made worse if peer pressure is creating an environment of conformity or anxiety. Perhaps the most active role the facilitator plays in enacting CBC as a program philosophy is stepping in when teammate encouragement becomes group coercion. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. If the group is shouting a participant’s name and they look distressed or tell you they don't want to do something, err on the side of empathy and ask the group to respect their teammate’s decision. Facilitators and participants alike often have an almost unhealthy obsession with our high course elements. They are big, flashy and expensive. It is important to remember the high course is just a tool. What is valuable for one person might be dangerous for another. It can be the high point of our program, or the point where a positive experience falls apart. Experiences where participants face their fears can be enormously valuable. Experiences where a participant panics can be dangerous. In the end, Facilitators should attempt to see Challenge by Choice as an opportunity to better meet the needs of our clients and give them ownership of their experience. It is not a limitation placed on us by some guy in a suit somewhere. It can be the central ethic of all our programs. We just need to think of it as a way to invest people in the experience instead of a way to divest from it. By modeling our program design around CBC, we can we transfer agency away from the facilitator to the participant. By doing so, we make our programs more ethical and engaging while limiting risk to ourselves and our participants.

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Steve Sassaman

he past three years have seen the highest number of National Park Visitors in history with 318 million visitors last year. This has followed the trend of exponential growth since the 1970s (Annual Visitation Highlights, 2019). Despite this growth, outdoor

recreation continues to be a space enjoyed principally by the white and affluent. Even as activities such as climbing becoming more mainstream, it is athletic white males like Alex Honnold who are celebrated for conquering nature in extreme feats. This does little to create an inclusive space highlighting that the outdoors can be enjoyed by everyone (Duncan, Gilbert, Gourvitch, Linfield, & Moore 2018; Zak 2017) The history of outdoor recreation is fraught with colonialism. Even as our public lands were established, it was at the expense of the native peoples who inhabited the lands. The increased regulation of National Parks and increased pressure to open lands to resource extraction further reinforced the White American paradigm of nature as property (Duncan, et al, 2018). Visitors of color cite not only the high cost of food and lodging in parks, but also disproportionate mistreatment by park officials. The increasing strains of a “need” for enforcement compounded by socialized perceptions of the African American relationship with nature further maintain the homogeny and unwelcome environment of outdoor spaces (Duncan, et al, 2018; Golash-Boza, Noble, Bashi Treitler, & Valdez, 2015; Zak, 2017).

A Balancing

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How to equitably address the increasing number of park visitors and desire to welcome more diversity is a challenge. Education for both park employees and visitors is the key to balancing increased access to recreation while minimizing impact. As noted on the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics homepage, nine out of ten people are uninformed about their environmental impacts (2019). Regulations do little to curb this lack of awareness and in fact, tend to increase impactful behaviors (citation). According to a study conducted in Rocky National Park, 55% of those surveyed “felt it was very appropriate (M= 4.64) to leave food scraps behind as a food source for animals” (Lawhon, et al, 2013). The motivations of these visitors are not malicious, in fact, they may be motivated by the misconception that they are supplying local fauna with food. Education around habituation and wildlife diets is needed to raise better awareness of seemingly harmless impacts (LNT, 2019).

Waste has also become a major problem with increased use of our national parks. As discovered by Lawhon, Taff, Schwartz, Miller, & Newman (2018), approximately 66% of visitors bring items into the park that are also disposed of in the parks. Simple habits such as repackaging food and getting reusable items such as water bottles not only make the experience simpler but also reduces the need to discard as much waste. According to the Outdoor Industry Association (Wright, 2017), the outdoor industry generates $887 Billion Annually and creates 7.6 million jobs. Despite these economic gains from increased guiding services and blossoming retail and dining establishments, the unintentional oppression of the industry is further reinforced. As we become more experienced we start to discover various cost and weight-saving strategies, such as a beer can stove. However, this information is not widely distributed nor does it provide the positive relaxing first-time experience we often highlight as the reason to get outside (Zak, 2017).

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Though we are still working towards attracting a broader population of our community to the Outdoor Adventure Pursuits Program here at West Chester University, we have made positive strides in being able to facilitate an inclusive program balanced with minimum impact. Specific strategies include:

❖ Minimal costs for trips (between $10-$25) ❖ Free access to all required equipment (tents,

sleeping bags, rain jackets) ❖ Intentional conversations about the why behind

our practices (straining food from gray water) ❖ Overview of the seven principles of Leave No

Trace for all programs (all Trip Guides complete Trainer Course)

❖ Inclusive Language (saying “short torso” rather than women’s packs)

❖ Non-gendered tenting arrangements ❖ Marketing focused on wellness language rather

than the traditional “thrill and conquering of nature”

❖ Clearly defined levels of programs (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

❖ Essential Eligibility Criteria focused on participant ability

❖ Establishing community standards with the entire group for every program

❖ Conducting a land acknowledgment for space we recreate at

References

Annual visitation highlights. (2019, March 13). Retrieved from: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ socialscience/ annual-visitation-highlights.htm Ducan, S., Gilbert, A. Gourvitch, R., Linfield, L., & Moore, S. (2018). Inclusive facilitation self-education guide: Identity, privilege, and oppression in the outdoors. Retrieved from: https://boltatbrown.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/inclusive-facilitationdi-self-edcation-guide-2018.pdf Golash-Boza, T., Noble, S., Bashi Treitler, V., & Valdez, Z. (2015). Why america’s national parks are so white. Aljazeera America. Retrieved from: http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/7/heres-why-americas-national-parks-are-so-white.html Johnson, C. Y., Bowker, J. M., & Cordell, H. K. (2001). Outdoor recreation constraints: An examination of race, gender, and rural dwelling. Southern Rural Sociology, 17(1), 111–133. Lawhon, B., Newman, P., Taff, D., Vaske, J., Vagias, W., Lawson, S., & Monz, C. (2013). Factors Influencing Behavioral Intentions for Leave No Trace Behavior in National Parks. Journal of Interpretation Research, 17(3). Lawhon, B., Taff, B. D., Schwartz, F. G., & Miller, Z.D., Newman, P. (2018). Exploring Visitor Attitudes, Values, and Behaviors Regarding Waste in National Parks. Report Prepared for Subaru of American and the National Park Service. Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Wright. L. (2017) The Outdoor Recreation Economy. Report prepared for Outdoor Industry Association. Retrieved from: https://outdoorindustry.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/04/OIA_RecEconomy_FINAL_Single.pdf Zak, E. (2017, April 8). Outdoor recreation isn’t free - Why we need to stop pretending it is Retrieved from https://everydayfeminism.com/2017/04/outdoor-recreation-isnt-free/

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Michael Stump With ten years of experience in Outdoor Recreation, I have found one thing that is crucial to being successful, that seems simple and easy, that can make or break you, the one thing that has led me to where I am

today: networking. Networking allows for experiences in a multitude of places and the ability to constantly learn new things. Before I began professionally working in Outdoor Recreation, I worked at a summer camp in Roanoke, Virginia. This is where networking really began for me, and I didn’t even realize it at the time. Originally, I was a music major at Radford University, but after talking to my supervisor at camp, I decided that outdoor recreation was my passion. I never realized that by having one small conversation, one that

lasted maybe fifteen minutes, would lead me to the Science Adventure School at West Virginia University. When I started my sophomore year, I switched my degree from Music Education to Recreation, Parks and Tourism with a concentration in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership. Once I started taking classes at Radford University, I was able to use the connections I had made at my summer camp. My supervisor had taken the same classes and had many of the same connections which helped me get my foot in the door. One of those connections was with the ropes course director. I had done low and high ropes activities at the summer camp but taking this class showed me that I still had so much more to learn.

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Radford University’s Adventure Based Learning Experience (RU ABLE) made a huge impact on me. Even though they had low ropes and high ropes elements and I facilitated at summer camps, everything at Radford seemed a little bit different. I was gaining new experiences and new knowledge even though I was doing the same thing that I had been doing for the past four years. This was the first time I had really experienced new ways to do the same thing. I remember at one point, I realized that these two places were extremely similar but at the same time so different. It was a phenomenal realization for me. After that, I knew that I wanted to keep doing different things, I wanted to gain as much experience in Outdoor Recreation, and the best way to accomplish that was to put myself out there, to meet new people, and build positive connections.

The timing of switching majors worked out perfectly. I was able to take a semester off and hike the Appalachian Trail. About a quarter of the way through, I started to realize that making connections went beyond professional ones, it could be done in the field doing outdoor recreation as leisure. Those bonds are some of the strongest bonds I have made in outdoor recreation.

After coming back to Radford, I took an internship at RU ABLE. By having a positive connection with the director of RU ABLE, I was able to continue working there with a six-month break. This internship gave me the option to attend the annual Mid-Atlantic AEE Conference, and it led to some of the most impactful experiences of my Outdoor Recreation career. By attending this conference, I had an opportunity

presented to me, an opportunity that I could not ignore. I am currently working at the Science Adventure School in West Virginia all because I was at the conference and talked to the right people.

At the Science Adventure School, I was able to discuss my career with a supervisor and was also able to talk with a coworker about working at a ski resort. This was an amazing opportunity to meet more people, to make more connections, to continue building my resume and experiences. This despite the fact I have no knowledge in skiing.

These varied connections didn’t seem important in the moment but were impactful on my future. At the time, I just seemed like I was meeting tremendous people with incredible experiences. Little did I know that one interaction with my supervisor at camp when I was 18 would lead me to the Science Adventure School 6 years later. While here, I have made so many positive connections that may lead me somewhere else down the road. I am excited to find out and I am excited to continue gaining experience and building more positive connections with people in the Outdoor Recreation world.

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The Lexicon of Higher Education

Nathan Harlan

ne of the barriers to entering a new profession is learning the language that is endemic to that field. Most seasoned outdoor professionals can still remember learning terms such as belay,

topographical, cubic feet per second, tensile breaking strength, and cat hole. To the uninitiate, these terms are, as Shakespeare’s Casca would say, “Greek to me”. The unfamiliarity of a vernacular that is seldom encountered outside of its niche application creates everything from mild confusion to outright mystification. While some terminology is questionably superfluous, and others are certainly colorful (example: Groover a.k.a. River Toilet), it stands to reason that every field will generate its own terminology to precisely communicate within a given environment. Consider the term backcountry and all that it implies to an outdoor professional. While preparing risk management plans, an outdoor professional considers the course area. Is it frontcountry or backcountry? The answer prompts a different type of emergency response plan, equipment, permits and other considerations. The term backcountry, so ubiquitous to the outdoor educator is still foreign to others. A few years ago, while reconnecting with two of my cousins and their spouses over lunch, I was attempting to describe a trip I had instructed overseas. While trying to impress upon my urban, Hollywood inhabiting audience, the particular challenges and ecstasies of living and teaching in the backcountry, I realized that I was spitting jargon that was native to me but incomprehensible to my listeners. My cousin’s wife asked me to explain what I meant by the term backcountry – a term that I

considered common usage. I had already spared them the use of terms such as alpine zone, moulin, and open water crossings and was therefore taken aback that I had lost them at the use of what I thought of as a basic universal term. My extended family’s lack of familiarity with outdoor terminology shouldn’t have come as a surprise given their lack of experience, not to mention interest in the field. As it turned out, I was equally at a loss to comprehend much of their descriptions of the intricacies of the music and film industry in which they work. It should come as no surprise that each field populates its own lexicon. Speaking the language is a crucial component of professionally inhabiting one’s occupation. As practitioners of outdoor education in a higher education context, it is critical to recognize that we exist at the crossroads of two professions. Fluency in the vernacular of the outdoor may be a given, but perhaps not so much the lexicon of higher education. Do you consider yourself a higher ed professional as well as an outdoor professional? Can you speak the language of both your chosen professions? In the interest of expanding and sharpening our higher education vocabulary and working knowledge of higher education operations, I’ve compiled a sample of terminology as well as some commentary on the relevance of each to the outdoor practitioner in academia. To broaden the perspective, I’ve invited a few colleagues who are fluent in the vernacular of both fields to contribute to the list.

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Degree Pursuant While in a planning meeting with the Center for Veterans, Military and Family, my colleagues from Adventure WV were discussing a collaborative program that would engage new students in the First Year Trips program. Typically, students in this program take a 1 credit course focused on first year transitional issues. Our Veteran partners pointed out that GI Bill benefits only cover degree pursuant courses. My colleagues being the professionals that they are went on to brainstorm possible solutions and bypasses to this challenge. Description: A term used to describe students who are taking classes in pursuit of a degree, as opposed to those auditing a class or taking a non-related class out of personal interest. Often used to indicate courses that satisfy graduation requirements for a degree. Relevance to Outdoor Educators: If your program offers trips or classes for credit it is critical to understand how those credit hours may (or may not) benefit a student. In recent years there has been a push to limit the credit hours required for graduation. This can lead to reluctance to enroll in non-degree pursuant courses on the part of students and resistance to recommend the course on the part of advisors. Additionally, scholarships, military benefits and other forms of aid sometimes mandate that courses must be degree pursuant to be eligible.

Weighted Student Credit Hour Shortly after starting as an outdoor educator at a large public institution I encountered a mystifying experience that took me some time to sort out. I was called into a meeting with one of the colleges at the university with whom our program partnered. Students who took our trips could earn credit hours through this college and as

the program was quite large this translated to many more students taking courses in this college. After being read the riot act for 30 minutes about the importance of partnership, trust, loyalty etc. I was dismissed. As confused and clueless post meeting as I was beforehand I headed back across campus to my office. Only later did I learn that through a misunderstanding the college thought that I was redirecting our course credits through another college at the university. This would have led to the associated

per-student funding shifting with it. Suddenly it made sense! As my higher education acumen has grown, I’ve learned to pay attention to the flow of funding. It explains much otherwise inexplicable behavior in higher ed! In the same vein, Dr. Danny Twilley from Ohio University contributed the term Weighted Student Credit Hour. His description is below. Description: Weighted student credit hours is a funding guideline that reimburses the university for the cost of teaching classes. Costs to offer a course differ among academic programs and academic levels (freshman/sophomore,

junior/senior, masters, doctoral). Student credit hours generated in a particular class are multiplied by the general state reimbursement level (formula) and by the dollar amount assigned to the course level by program. This calculation generates the level of reimbursement the college/university receives per credit hour generated. Relevance to Outdoor Educators: Oftentimes co-curricular outdoor programs offer classes in collaboration with academic units or lead minors for the academic side of the house. This formula is often used to establish minimum course enrollments. Though funding processes vary by institution, an understanding of how the financial model operates is imperative to building successful partnerships across the institution.

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Retention Rate Greg Corio, Assistant Dean for Strategic Youth Initiatives at West Virginia University points to the importance of understanding retention rate. No other metric at an institution of higher learning keeps institutional leaders up at night as regularly. As Greg has pointed out, becoming a part of the solution to retention opens a few doors that are typically closed tight to the outdoor educator. Description: Refers to the percentage of first year students that complete two consecutive semesters and enroll in a third. Retention rate is a standard metric used to evaluate the institution in its efficacy. Consequentially, potential students may look at the retention rates before settling on an institution, while regulators, donors and funding sources may award funds or penalize based on retention performance. For the institution, the loss of students also creates an immediate and direct cost. The cost of recruiting a student, the loss of revenue from tuition, empty beds in residents’ halls and partially full classrooms all erode an institution’s financial soundness. Relevance to Outdoor Educators: It is often said that at a University, “retention is everyone’s Job”. Though many schools have academic offices tasked with focusing on retention, the strategies to fight attrition employ all staff in the effort. In recent years the relationship between pre-college programs and retention has been explored in more detail. Outdoor Orientation Programs have been demonstrated to have a large effect on the retention of participants. The efficacy of these programs has led some institutions to support and integrate their outdoor programming

efforts in substantial ways. This has led to further cross campus partnerships designed to have a positive impact on retention. Outdoor educators who miss the importance of retention forfeit an incredibly important opportunity to make a key contribution to the institution.

Graduation Rate Description: Like retention rate, graduation rate tracks the percentage of first time, degree seeking students who complete their degree within a designated time

frame. 150% of the normal timeline is often used to track graduation rates. For example, the rate for a four-year degree would track the number of students who complete within six years. Similar to retention, graduation rates are used as a comparative tool by students and funders alike. Graduation Rates are published by the US Department of Education on their College Navigator website.

Relevance to Outdoor Educators: It is a matter of course that students who don’t retain to the institution will be less likely to graduate within 150% of the normal time. Even those students who withdraw and then re-enroll in classes or drop to part time are less likely to persist through to graduation. Outdoor programs who play a crucial role in retention also share in the success of increased graduation rates. More specifically, some programs have targeted at-risk populations such as undecided majors during sophomore year or higher. Reflection based outdoor programming is prime to partner with strengths-based discovery work and career counseling to address fit issues within majors. Perhaps most fundamentally, outdoor education can help students develop resiliency, coping skills and a caring community which are understood to be invaluable resources in persisting through to graduation.

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First Year Student Dr. Brent Bell from the University of New Hampshire points to the fact that terminology is not static but rather ever evolving. This highlights the importance of not only learning the language, but staying up to date through journal articles, conferences and by attending meetings that may be outside of your normal scope. Have you ever attended a faculty senate, board of governors or trustees meeting? Description: Historically and still commonly also called freshmen, the term first year student is emerging as a more inclusive way to describe students new to the institution who have not completed any college classes post high school graduation. In addition to conveying a more inclusive intent, the term is also helpfully descriptive and can be usefully modified as in first-year transfer student (transfer students new to the institution) Relevance to Outdoor Educators: Understanding precisely what population is implied with the use of a given term is paramount to fully serving all members therein. Colleges and universities are seeing higher numbers of nontraditional students enroll in degree programs (enough so that the term itself may soon become antiquated). The older term freshmen can conjure up an expectation of homogenous aged, somewhat inexperienced young students. Outdoor Professional who program narrowly to this demographic miss an important subset of first year students. Additionally, as the number of transfer students, veteran students and continuing education students increase on campuses, outdoor educators will need to adjust programming to better serve their diverse experiences and needs. Fluency in the terminology of higher education also dictates an understanding of the various titles, positions and offices that populate the organizational charts of an institution. Marion Holmes, Director of Adventure WV at WVU points to the need to build relationships with a wide range of professionals to move projects and programs forward. The following is Marion’s non-exhaustive list of offices and personnel that Adventure WV works directly with on a routine basis. How many of these departments and personnel do you know at your institution?

• Financial Aid Officers

• Office of Accessibility Services

• Admissions/Enrollment Management

• Registrar

• Student Life/Student Activities

• Facilities Management

• Transportation/Fleet Management

• Risk Management Office

• Procurement/Purchasing

• Talent & Culture/Human Resources

• Provost

• Dean of Students

• Academic Deans

• Board of Governors

• University Relations

Marketing/Outreach/Communications

• Campus Police

• First Year Experience Office

• Student Union

• Student Orgs

• Campus Recreation

The acquisition of fluency in a second language is often aided by a love of that language and the cultures that speak it. This can be said for the language of higher education as well as that of the outdoors. The higher ed / outdoor educators that I am privileged to call colleagues and friends all share this dual devotion to their shared professions and take seriously their responsibility to develop professionally in each. Having shared key higher ed terms, it seems appropriate to end with a celebration of the richness and humor of the outdoor vernacular. Each contributor to this article also provided their favorite outdoor term.

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Full Value - A living document created by a small group towards the beginning of any outdoor expedition. The document (or bandana, or paddle, or any item really) sets norms for the group and commits to giving each person his or her “full value.” - Marion Holmes, Director of Adventure WV at West Virginia University Groover – A portable toilet system typically used on river trips. The term comes from the original container used – old ammo cans which left a distinctive set of grooves in the backside of the user. The best part of a groover is getting to choose the view! - Greg Corio, Assistant Dean at West Virginia University Boof - A term used in whitewater kayaking that describes purposefully using a natural feature of the river (rock or water) to avoid a hole/hydraulic backwash. Often times when executed appropriately the kayak will make a “boof” sound when hitting the

water. - Danny Twilley, Associate Professor at Ohio University Wisper*%$@ - a term, not of endearment, for a whisperlite stove that melts, sputters, blows up, or otherwise causes distress. - Brent Bell, Associate Professor of Kinesiology at UNH Bear Burrito (a.k.a. hammock) The device that everyone thinks they want to sleep in while camping, until they actually try sleeping in it. - Nathan Harlan, Executive Director, Office of Student Wellness at WVU

Nathan Harlan is Executive Director of the WVU Office of Student Wellness. Cathy Yura is the Director of the WVU Collegiate Recovery Program

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SAVE THE DATE

2020 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference March 27th-29th, 2020

Adventure WV Outdoor Education Center 1397 Chestnut Ridge Road, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525

About our conference lodging Located in the center of campus, the Adventure Basecamp Overnight Facility includes 4 overnight yurt structures. Arranged to accommodate up to 12 people per unit, each yurt is equipped with bunk-beds, electricity and heat. Multiple outlets are available along the outside interior wall. Guests will also find that each yurt is equipped with a center communal area that consists of multiple Adirondack chairs and tables. Dimmable lights and outside seating are also available. Each yurt is located within a very short walk of all conference program areas. Bathrooms, showers, picnic areas and fire rings are also located within within feet of these yurt facilities. ONLY 40 YURT SPACES ARE AVAILABLE. Once they are all reserved only off-site accommodations will be available.