Prescott College. Adventure Education

"This thesis explores the theoretical basis for the implementation of family workshops and retreats that utilize experiential learning as the primary instructional methodology. The author argues that because of the uniqueness of each family unity's needs and composition experiential learning methodologies can provide a retreat facilitation with tools that help empower each family member to become a knowledgeable and responsible participant involved...

This thesis introduces the question of how to intentionally build a sustainable adventure movement, which is a grassroots effort to intentionally and significantly increase the use of outdoor adventure education as an innovative educational tool for schools, communities and businesses in perpetuity. Taking a whole-systems approach and applying leading social movement and diffusion theories, the Adventure Movement Project (AMP) seeks to develop a framework...

The backcountry skiing population has increased significantly over the past ten years. Current sales of backcountry ski and rescue gear outpace more traditional alpine, telemark, and snowboarding equipment. As higher numbers of people head into avalanche terrain more fatal accidents are occurring, human triggered avalanches being the primary cause of death. In the late 1980s there were an average of 11 avalanche related deaths per year in the United...

This exploratory study investigated the effect of a twenty-one day outdoor orientation program (OOP) on participants' relationships with the natural world, as understood via the lens of biophilia. The primary research question was "Does the Prescott College New Student Orientation have an effect on participants' biophilic profiles, as measured by the Kellert-Shorb Biophilic Values Indicator (KSBVI)?" Biophilic profiles were calculated pre and post...

Is technology sabotaging the adolescent's journey to creating healthy community? This is the question this researcher explored in this thesis. This researcher completed a literature review which delved into the impact of technology on adolescent's ability to create and foster healthy community and relationships. This researcher also developed his own qualitative research tool, where he used a survey with a series of questions aimed at adolescents....

The central question of this research is: what are the attitudinal and behavioral effects of the Archways experience on the wilderness ethic, ecological awareness, and creation care of participants? Archways is a pre-orientation wilderness program for incoming students at a small Christian liberal-arts institution. The goals of the Archways experience include increasing self-confidence, building strong relationships, promoting meaningful spiritual...

The purpose of this project is to offer a training curriculum for adventure facilitators who work in adventure therapy settings and do not have a clinical background. The information presented in this training is broad enough to apply to various adventure therapy settings and populations. It can also serve facilitators with novice to advanced skill levels in facilitation. The training explores five key areas of facilitator skill development. These...

This research-based project sought to examine if a correlation exists between attitudes about outdoor recreation, environmental perceptions, and Christian faith. The survey was administered to members of the student body of Harding University, a Christian university located in Searcy, Arkansas. The study measured participant's perceptions of outdoor-based (adventure) activity and environmental accountability. Relationships and correlations were inferred...

Growing up in Switzerland, I participated in the Swiss Girl Scout movement. We spent the majority of every Saturday afternoon in the forest, learning outdoor skills such as making a fire, navigating with a map, and planting seeds. Working in a residential home for children and adolescents at-risk, I noticed that the first priority was to manage unwanted behaviors, which we generally approached through punishments or restrictions. I felt more like...

This study explores complexities associated with outdoor leaders' backcountry decision making, including decision-making errors that can often pose a realistic and overlooked challenge for experienced outdoor instructors (EOIs). Although experience assists in the formation of high quality decisions in routine situations, this study was concerned with uncovering how experience can also lead to constructing poor decisions. There are numerous accounts...