Thursday, October 27 2:00 – 3:30pm (90-Minute Workshops)
144 • Purposeful Program Design
ChrisCavert
This workshop will introduce you to some tools you can use to teach (staff training) and practice (professional development) purposeful programming for adventure education experiences. Learn how to use the “activity progression scale” and the “F.U.N.” design to program activities on macro and micro levels. Add considerations for transitions and processing to become a purposeful programmer. All facilitation experience levels can benefit.
Room: Lake Harriet
Open to All (OTD, K-12, TA/AT)
6 • 10 Strategies Proven to Inspire & Engage EVERY Student
ChristianMoore
This session will demonstrate 10 strategies proven to strengthen relationships, grab attention, inspire, and build resilience in all ages and learning types. Participants will receive insights into teaching social and emotional life skills in ways all can understand, relate to, and remember. These strategies have helped over 2 million youth in 20,000 K-12 schools, mental health, and correctional organizations in the areas of academic success, dropout prevention, class management, and bullying prevention.
Room: Deer Lake
Open to All (AD, OAE, K-12, HE, G)
48 • Cultivating Positive Change: Working with Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
TonyDixon,MistyBlakesley,Melissa Harper
In this workshop we will discuss cultivating positive change and resiliency in the lives and communities of youth in the juvenile justice system and building on their internal and external assets. We will explore working with incarcerated, probation, and treatment drug court youth. Topics include cultural safety/awareness, assessment, group process, and engagement activities, as well as strategies on creating these programs. All skill levels and experience are welcome.
Room: Pine/Cedar
Open to All (AD, OTD, TA/AT, S, G)
67 • Gendered Outdoor Leadership
KarenWarren,TALoeffler
Gender role conditioning has long impacted outdoor adventure and continues to challenge outdoor leaders to respond. This workshop will examine the social constructs of gender in outdoor leadership including technical skill development, sense of competence, career implications for women leaders, challenges for gender nonconforming leaders, and sexism in work environments. This workshop is designed for people of all genders to critically analyze impacts of gender on their outdoor leadership in order to bring us all together in the field of adventure education.
Room: Spring Park Bay
Open to All (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
94 • Anti-Oppression 101: From the Overt to the Subtle
EliseScribner,KevinOwen
This workshop will explore the concepts of oppression, including its layers and mechanisms, privilege, intersectionality, and avenues to create positive change within institutions. It will combine an academic background with activities and discussions focused on self-exploration, facilitation skills, and group brainstorms around bystander intervention and self-empowerment. This workshop will equip participants with a basic understanding of oppression, and the tools to begin their own conversations on these topics, or facilitate their own workshops. Participants of all levels of knowledge and experience are welcome.
Room: Excelsior Bay
Open to All (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
110 • Anonymous or Silent Reflection
SamSteiger,JulieCarlson
For introspective participants, for reluctant sharers, for newly formed groups, or just for experiencing something different, sometimes anonymous or silent reflection is a preferred or more appropriate choice than discussion-oriented reflection. Through active participation, this session will offer several anonymous and/or silent reflection activities that can be used for a variety of experiential learning situations. This session is appropriate for all facilitators in various experiential education arenas.
Room: Birch/Maple
Open to All (OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
120 • Experiential Education in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities in the College Classroom
AnnieJonas,JillOverholt
In an era in which higher education is under scrutiny about its relevance and significance, experiential education offers a response. An experiential approach in the college setting provides an opportunity for students and instructors to engage in authentic experiences that support growth and development. However, a common misconception exists that experiential education is better suited to some disciplines than others. In this workshop we share our experiences with adopting experiential education as our college’s strategic plan and our work with faculty to develop an understanding about what experiential education is and how to apply it across college disciplines.
Room: Gray's Bay
Beginner (AD, HE)
132 • Motivational Interviewing
JasonSchmidt
Motivational interviewing is a client centered counseling style for eliciting change. While it originally developed for substance abuse counseling it has far wider applications. This workshop will give you useful tools and approaches to dealing with students, especially potentially difficult students. There is no prior experience necessary. This workshop will likely be most beneficial to those who interact with students over a longer time period (overnight expeditions for example), but it can be useful to all.
Room: Cook's Bay
Beginner (OTD, OAE, K-12, TA/AT, G)
140 • How Outdoor Leadership Style and Decision Making Relate to Risk Analysis and Incident Evaluation
BobStremba
Effective outdoor program leaders often juggle many factors. They flex among a variety of leadership styles that best match the conditions of favorability, considering how to involve the group in decisions, and trying to match all of this to the often-changing potential for an accident. Then, if an incident does occur, leaders and the incident are reviewed on factors including how predictable and avoidable the incident was. This workshop presents two emerging meta-models that integrate several existing models to give outdoor leaders and program administrators tools that can inform field practices and improve organizational risk mitigation practices.
Room: Crystal Lake
Intermediate (AD, OAE, HE, S)
169 • Current Policy Issues Impacting Experiential Education and How You Can Get Involved
RebeccaBear
This workshop will delve into some of the current state and federal policy issues faced by experiential educators. We will examine issues such as land management, education policy, wage and hour issues, and professional requirements. We will discuss current issues and share tools to help you be a better advocate for EE.
Room: Minnesota
Open to All (AD, OAE, G)
176 • Awesome Icebreakers and Energizers
MichelleCummings
This high-energy, hands-on workshop will teach participants how to play some of the industry’s best icebreakers. Kick off your programs with some fun! Ice breakers and energizers need not be just fillers or boredom-breakers; when used effectively, they too can be directly tied to leadership objectives and markedly advance the transfer of learning to the real world.
Room: Wayzata Bay
Open to All (G)
SEER Session 1
AnitaTucker,JaysonSeaman,Brad Faircloth
Presentations include: Racial Diversity in Academic Outdoor Programs at U.S. Colleges and Universities, and There’s Two Ways to Count Your Change: An Investigation of Retrospective Pre and True Pre. See complete SEER schedule for details.
Room: St. Croix II
Open to All (HE)
Thursday, October 27 2:00 – 5:00pm (3-Hour Workshops)
8 • Neurodiversity and Sensory Processing: Embracing Differences
LorileiDreibelbis,JohnDreibelbis
Social conventions and expectations too often fail to create space (emotionally or physically) that support the body’s neurological/sensory processing. Can we create spaces that: - respect the natural function of the senses? – support individuality and interdependence? – set learners up for “success”? Looking through the window of neurodiversity gives invaluable insight into the infinite variability of each person’s experience with their environment. Understanding of Sensory Processing provides us a new vocabulary and perspective from which to interpret and understand behavior. With discussion and activities, let's build vocabulary and empathy to open windows to challenge.
Room: St. Croix 1
Open to All (AD, OAE, K-12, S, G)
70 • Career Mapping: Design an Itinerary for Your Professional Life
AngieMoline
Do you know where your career is taking you? If not, this workshop is for you! Participants will use 5 steps to design a fulfilling career path. Step 1: know yourself. Step 2: dream BIG about your career goals. Step 3: define your career path. Step 4: make a plan to follow your bliss. Step 5: regularly check to see if it fits. During this workshop, participants will reflect on their strengths and values, brainstorm professional opportunities, learn to conduct informational interviews and gain career experience, and review sample EE résumés to clarify paths to success.
Room: Lake Calhoun
Open to All (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
73 • The River Semester: Lessons and Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Outdoor College Semester Programs
JoeUnderhill,ChristopherDunham
Drawing on our experience in leading the nation’s first semester-long college program on the Mississippi River, this workshop will share insights and lessons, highlight the enormous educational value of the experience, and explore opportunities for future programs that combine college curriculum and outdoor travel in mixed urban and wilderness settings. This will include reflections on both the logistical and pedagogical challenges and opportunities, and the value of combining traditional college courses with this kind of immersive experience. It is open to any educators interesting in learning more about this program and exploring similar programs on the river or in other locations.
Room: Lafayette Bay
Intermediate (AD, OAE, HE, S, G)
105 • A Set of Great Novel Games for Corporate (or not) Team Building Sessions
PaulMassieu Arvizu
Do you need bigger, newer games and EE activities? Come join us. I will be sharing a vast set of games that will help you deliver your team building goals. In this session you will find not only great game ideas, but also some ways to structure your sessions. Experience an active, interesting and fun session that will give you a handful of different ideas to work on relationship building, affirmation, trust, communication, cooperation, problem and conflict solving and everything in between.
Room: Elk Lake
Open to All (OTD, OAE, HE, S, G)
122 • Expedition Mindset: Let Go, Notice More & Use Everything.
EricBoggs
Both on trail and in life, the script is constantly reinvented. While improv does not provide a neat and tidy paint-by-numbers script, it can provide a set of philosophies and practices that are remarkably simple and applicable in nearly any environment in which people wish to build relationships, solve problems, adapt to new circumstances, and inspire new ideas. This hands-on session will incorporate a spirit of play with a handful of exercises to help build community amongst participants, explore applications to leadership training and development, and help us prepare even when we don’t know what is coming.
Room: Lake Nokomis
Open to All (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
Thursday, October 27 3:45 – 5:15 p.m. (90-Minute Workshops)
14 • Social and Emotional Learning in Action
TaraFlippo
This workshop will provide the context for social and emotional learning in schools, the important work from CASEL- the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning- the nation’s leading organization providing evidence based competencies and outcomes. Additionally, I will highlight The Browne Center’s new book- Social and Emotional Learning in Action: Experiential Activities to Positively Impact School Climate, an easy to use sourcebook which addresses the five competencies promoted by CASEL.
Room: Minnesota
Open to All (K-12)
33 • Story Magic: Using Magic Tricks and Object Lessons to Teach and Inspire
BrianBrolin
Storytelling using object lessons is probably the oldest teaching tool in the world. In this workshop I will present ideas I have used for over 40 years with many cultures and age groups. Participants will leave with the skills and materials to do simple rope magic tricks that have a variety of uses. I will also discuss the use of a teaching tool I call a "story bag" that contains small items usable as talking pieces and object lessons to teach and inspire.
Room: Cook's Bay
Open to All (OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
63 • Peace through Challenge: Experiential Peacebuilding
AnaPatel,JohnLee
How can people living in conflict-affected communities with no positive or neutral experience of the “other,” learn to cooperate? Experiential peacebuilding is a term used by Outward Bound Peacebuilding to describe an approach that applies experiential learning to the challenge of building relationships between people on different sides of conflict. The theory behind this work is that the experiential learning can build common language, accelerate trust and facilitate positive experiences among adversaries. This interactive session explores the theory and practice of experiential peace building, as well as providing participants with a framework for developing their own experiential peacebuilding activity.
Room: Pine/Cedar
Open to All (OTD, OAE)
76 • Creating Engaging Environmental and Experiential Education Activities For Middle School Math and Science Classes
SamanthaSmith
This workshop will discuss the challenges faced by middle school teachers in finding engaging resources for their students that are environmentally focused and experientially based for their age group of students. The presenter will offer classroom tested ideas, and work through small group discussions to help attendees brainstorm ideas that would fit their personal circumstances and particular challenges. The breakdown of workshop time will be to begin with a short lecture, then the substantial portion will be small group activities and discussion, and closing with a whole group sharing and Q&A.
Room: Wayzata Bay
Beginner (AD, OAE, K-12, S)
95 • Stretch: Comfort Zones, Choice, and Contemporary Theories
NateFolan
What does it mean to invite someone to step out of their comfort zones? What’s the impact? There are many contemporary theories that validate the significance of choice and the value of stretching into to new situations. They go something like this: choose to be vulnerable, acknowledge the discomfort, choose a response, enter a flow state, level up, and develop growth mindset. Come ponder a massive mash-up of relevant theories. Are you willing to stretch?
Room: Spring Park Bay
Open to All (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
99 • Experiential Learning & 21st Century Success
AndrewPotter
Become a skilled advocate for experiential education! Recent studies have demonstrated the important link between instructional methodology, student engagement and their acquisition of 21st Century skills. Experiential learning and related teaching strategies play a vital role in forming learning environments that empower students and deliver on both cognitive and affective skill development. Educators need to be equipped with both simple and complex teaching tools to be successful in the preparation of students for the challenges of the 21st Century.
Room: Birch/Maple
Beginner (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, G)
124 • Community Impact of Outdoor Education for Immigrants and Children of Immigrants
AnnKoller,MohamedFarah
Learn about how to leverage partnerships with cultural affinity organizations to bring new populations into the fold of experiential education. Hear first-hand accounts of the community impact that outdoor experiences have as youth return to their communities and schools. Wilderness Inquiry has decades of experience engaging with cultural affinity organizations in order to gain access to underserved populations who benefit from outdoor education. In partnership with Ka Joog, dozens of Somali-American youth benefited from extended outdoor trips.
Room: Crystal Lake
Beginner (OAE)
154 • Staying Grounded in Your Facilitation
TonyAlvarez,GaryStauffer
Our work follows the experiential wave model which is grounded on the presence and maintenance of 7 adventure beliefs. When attended to, the environment created allows for the client to do the hard work without concern for being judged, being abandoned or feeling unsupported. What helps us determine if we ought to highlight the challenge piece over the safety piece? And why are we so sure that all 7 will always all show up? Come join us and explore what beliefs ground you in your practice!
Room: Deer Lake
Advanced (OAE, K-12, TA/AT)
155 • Creating Place-Based Learning Experiences in the Elementary Years
DawnKlaiber
During this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of the importance and value of place based learning in the elementary years. Participants will have the opportunity to see how this method is working. Participants will have opportunities for discussion as well as time to collaborate and create place based learning experiences for children based on a location and topic of his or her choice.
Room: Gray's Bay
Beginner (K-12)
SEER Session 2
BradDaniel,ChristineNorton,Justin Hougham
Presentations include: Exploring an Emerging Line of Research: Brain Wave Activity and Outdoor Experience, Positive Relationship Outcomes between Parents and Adolescent Children following a Therapeutic Wilderness Program for Struggling Teens, and Engaging At-Risk Populations Outdoors, Digitally: Researching Youth Attitudes, Confidence, and Interest in Technology and the Outdoors. See complete SEER schedule on page for details.
Room: St. Croix II
Open to All (HE)
161 • Setting The Tone: 20(or so) Tips To Lay The Foundation For A Fabulous Program
EricStarkweather
Would you like to learn how to improve your effectiveness as a facilitator and educator? What if you could instantly improve your ability to connect with participants from a wide spectrum of backgrounds? In this presentation, we will touch on why it is important for our participants to make authentic connections with us, and you will learn how you can become better at fostering those connections. You will gain knowledge of several tips and techniques for effective rapport-building, as well as ideas on how to implement them. You will also leave with a handout that covers the presentation material AND extra bonus content.
Room: Excelsior Bay
Beginner (AD, OTD, OAE, K-12, HE, TA/AT, S, G)
Friday, October 288:00 – 9:30 a.m. (90-Minute Workshops)
55 • 21st Century Program Participants: Can We Achieve the Same Outcomes with Different Levels of Risk?
BradDaniel,AndrewBobilya
Outdoor adventure programs have traditionally embraced challenge and stress as tools for personal growth. To what extent are these concepts useful with a new generation of participants? This workshop will explore whether outdoor programs can encourage personal growth in the mental, physical, emotional, social, and/or spiritual dimensions using different levels of challenge. We will review recent research and discuss several key questions: Is there an optimal amount of stress that encourages personal growth? How does this generation respond to programs that embrace challenge and stress as tools for growth? How can programs be modified to serve the current generation?