Adding Adventure to Afterschool

1
Adding Adventure to Afterschool

• Jessica Jens
• Interim Director, Upham Woods Outdoor Learning
  Center
• 4-H Youth Development Agent, Sauk County
  UW-Extension

2
Adventure Education What is it?

• Central characteristics
• Uncertain outcomes
• Risk
• Inescapable consequences
• Energetic action
• Willing participation
• What is essential is the wholehearted, wide-eyed
  spirit of adventure in both teachers and students
  who, together, seek to do their utmost with
  hands, heads, and hearts.

3
What does Adventure look like?
4
Some Benefits of Incorporating Adventure Ed in
the Afterschool Setting

• Focuses on cooperation more then competition
• Challenges the individual to try new behaviors
  and new skills
• Encourages small groups of children to work
  together
• Promotes exploration and enjoyment of the
  environment
• Involves all players and does not eliminate
  anyone
• Offers opportunities for everyone at their own
  skill level
• Does not highlight certain players as better or
  less skilled then others
• Increased Physical Fitness

5
Goal of Adventure Education
Personal Growth Development
6
Important Philosophies of Adventure Education

• Experiential Learning Cycle
• Personal Growth Philosophy
• Challenge by Choice
• Full Value Contract

7
Experiential Learning Cycle
DO
Do
REFLECT
APPLY
Apply
Reflect
8
Personal Growth Philosophy
Zone of Disequilibrium
Comfort Zone
Panic Zone
9
Challenge By Choice

• Challenge by choice offers a participant
• A chance to try potential difficult and/or
  frightening challenges in an atmosphere of
  support and caring.
• The opportunity to back off when performance
  pressures or self-doubt becomes too strong,
  knowing that an opportunity for a future attempt
  will always be available.
• A chance to try difficult tasks, recognizing that
  the attempt is more significant than performance
  results.
• Respect for their individual ideas and choices.

10
Full Value Contract

• Elementary School
• Play Hard
• Play Fair
• Play Safe

Middle School Be Here Be Safe Set Goals Be
Honest Let Go Move On
11
Facilitation in a Nutshell

• Briefing/Frontloading
• Activity
• Debriefing/Reflection
• Connecting the Experiences to help complete the
  Do-Reflect-Apply triangle
• The Adventure Wave
• Sequencing Activities

12
(No Transcript)