Using Adventure Education to
Promote Leadership Development
Tammy Schilling, Glenn Beer, & Lanie Dornier
LA GEAR UP
Louisiana Tech University
NCCEP 2009
Timeline
• 2002
– Initial RFP for Summer Learning Camps
– Four proposals selected
•
•
•
•
Louisiana Tech University (4 weeks)
University of Louisiana at Monroe
East Feliciana School District
Northwestern State University
• 473 total campers in summer 2003
• 2003
– New RFP for Summer Learning Camps
– Proposals selected
• Louisiana Tech University (8 weeks)
• Northwestern State University
• 660 total campers summer 2004
Timeline
•
2004
–
–
–
–
New RFP for SLCs distributed
Reviewers suggest that Louisiana tech serve as model program
Statewide management responsibility awarded to Louisiana Tech
Explorers Clubs and Professional Development Project for Counselors added as
integral components of SLCs
– 1st Annual Explorers Club State Conference and Leadership Summit held at
Louisiana Tech University in April 2004 with 215 participants
– Camps held at
•
•
•
•
•
McNeese State University
Southeastern State University
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Louisiana Tech University
809 Campers attended camps in 2005
Summer Camp Attendance
Seven Year Total: 6,629 students!
1600
1600
1400
1243
1200
1039
1000
800
600
809
805
2005
2006
660
473
400
200
0
2003
2004
2007
2008
2009
Annual
Conference
ACADEMICYEAR
EXPLORERS
CLUBS
Academics
Behavior & Leadership
College Preparation & Career Exploration
Service to School & Community
SUMMER
LEARNING
CAMPS
SUMMER
The
ABCs
PD
PROJECTS
FOR
COUNSELORS
Essential Elements-the ABCs
• Academics
– Focused Tutoring
– Math/science Enrichment Explorations
• Engineering, Multimedia, Physical Science, Nature of Science
• Behavior/Leadership Training
– Code of Conduct
– Leadership Training
– Explorers Club Meetings
Essential Elements-the ABCs
• College Prep and Career Exploration
–
–
–
–
EPAS testing
Explorers Club meetings
Pathfinder Training
Exposure to Various Areas of Study
• Service to School and Community
– Action plans for AY through Explorers Club meetings
Statewide Management
•
•
Louisiana College Access and Mentoring Programs for Success—LaCAMPS
established
Responsibilities Include
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Recruiting university partners
Recruiting participants and processing all camp applications
Coordinating transportation
Purchasing incentives (T-shirts, etc.) to take advantage of volume pricing
Providing liability, accident, and overnight sickness insurance coverage
Assigning students to camps
Providing training for all camp counselors working LA GEAR UP camps across the
state (includes first-aid and CPR)
– Reduce per camper costs
Statewide Management
• Prospective university partners are provided
– Template for Camp Schedule
• 4-hour explorations each day are unique to each university site and
should highlight specific programs available at that university
• Leadership Training
• Tutoring
• Explorers Club Meeting
• Friday Field Trip
• Sunday orientation dinner
• Friday Graduation Dinner
• Saturday Closing Ceremony
– Curriculum support for leadership training, tutoring, and Explorers
Club meetings
– Pre- and post-tests
Professional Development Project for
Counselors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Academic planning utilizing EPAS
Participants are provided with and also create club activities designed to provide
ongoing leadership training for club members
Develop action plans allowing club members to be given opportunities to assume
leadership roles in the club, either as club officers or as chairs of various club
initiatives
PBS principles are discussed and incorporated into project developed action plans
Disseminate information to all LGU students through College Connection nights
sponsored by the Explorers Clubs
Career exploration is facilitated through the use of the Individual Career Portfolio,
the Career and Life Explorer, the Pathfinder workbook, and Louisiana e-Portal
Develop plan to empower club members to assume leadership roles in
implementing service projects within their school and community
Academic Year Explorers Clubs
• PDPC participants serve as club sponsors
• Participant and Student Action Plans, based on
the ABCs provide a framework for academic year
activities
• Clubs are student-led and designed to provide a
vehicle by which students can reach students
and encourage the pursuit of postsecondary
education
• Clubs facilitate the transition from middle to high
school
• Extend the summer learning experience
throughout the academic year
• Establishes expectations in academics, behavior
and leadership, college preparation and career
exploration, and service to school and
community
The Annual Explorers Club Conference and
Leadership Summit
• Bringing it all together!
• Students present results of club
activities, learn about upcoming camp
opportunities, scholarships, and other
college prep information
• 215 attended first conference in 2005
• The fourth annual event attracted
almost 500 students, teachers,
administrators, and parents
Significant Positive Results
Dependent
Variable
Campers
NonCampers
Difference
Significance
Effect
Size
10th
Grade
GPA
2.8805
2.3962
.4843
P<.001
.127
11th
Grade
GPA
2.9383
2.5558
.3825
P<.001
.103
12th
Grade
GPA
3.0512
2.5712
.481
P<.001
.137
Comparison of 10th, 11th, and 12th
Grade GPA Campers vs. NonCampers
4
GPA
3.5
Campers
3
Non-campers
2.5
2
GPA
GPA
GPA
Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Grade Level
SLC Leadership Program
• Students must attend Explorer I
camp at Louisiana Tech to learn
about responsibilities related to
Explorers Clubs
• Students attend two additional
camps in subsequent years at
other university sites
• In fourth year, students may
apply to serve as Junior
Counselors
• In Year 5, successful Junior
Counselors may apply to serve as
a regular paid camp counselor
(20 so far with one serving as a
LEAD Counselor!)
Evolution of Leadership Training
• Vision
To make explicit the connection between
leadership training and participation in
Explorers Clubs, giving students the ability to
further develop leadership skills throughout the
academic year
• General Organization
– Overall focus for each year
– Series of learning points
– Activities to support
Year 1 Example
Focus: Exploration of personal and interpersonal leadership
Sample learning points:
- Increase self-awareness and appreciation of
personality diversity
- Learn effective techniques for conflict resolution,
communication, and problem solving
Activities:
- Personality assessment and interpretation
- Blue-Green Game
Current Leadership Training
• Similar format – focus, learning points,
activities to support
• Use of Adventure Education
• Connection to Explorers Club
Year 1 Example
Focus: Self- and Group-Awareness and Basic
Leadership Exploration
Sample learning points:
- Increase self-awareness and appreciation of personality diversity
- Becoming aware of the individual similarities and differences within a
group and how individuals come together to make up a group and
contribute to the group’s success
Adventure Education Activities
• Basic Elements
– Trust
– Communication
– Cooperation
– Fun
Other Facets
• Full Value Contract (i.e., goals)
–
–
–
–
–
Be here now (focus).
Be safe.
Be respectful.
Let go and move on
(choices for how you respond).
• Challenge by Choice
Year 1 Activities
Session I
Personality Assessment
Explorers Club: One Body
(Jones, 1998)
Session II
1. Hula Hut Relay (Hughes, 2003)
2. Stepping Stones (Rohnke & Butler, 1995)
3. Handprints (cut out only) (MacGregor, 2008)
Explorers Club: Use handprints to address
leadership skills or first two domains of Action Plan
Session III
• Personality Interpretation
• Footprints (Jones, 1999)
– What kind of footprint do you want to leave on
your school or community?
“Here walked ___________________, a _________,
___________ leader best remembered by
__________________________.”
Debriefing
• The most important part of adventure education
• Includes opportunity for:
– processing as individuals and as a group
– providing analogies to real-world experiences
(ex. barriers and supports – college access)
– encouraging transfer of leadership skills back to school and
community settings
• Trust
Outcomes
– Trust people in my group/rely on others and I can help
someone
– That you can trust some of the people that you be
with/Don’t Know
– Trust Your Friends/You Get Help When You Need Help
From Friends
Outcomes
• Communication
– Teamwork and communication is very important
– Communicate To Get Through Things/Doing Fun Activities
– How To Talk Positive Between People/Have A Positive
Attitude
Outcomes
• Cooperation (teamwork)
– When You Work Together You
Accomplish More
– Teamwork/How To Work in
Groups/Trust/Believe In Others
– Teamwork/Work Successful
With A Group/Everybody Got
Along Just fine With One
Another
– Working In A Group/Team work
is the best way to get things
Done/Listening & Telling
Outcomes
• Self-esteem/self-awareness/confidence:
– How to be comfortable with myself and others.
– To be brave enough to tell them when I was
uncomfortable
– Different activities to trust someone and finding
my comfort zone
Outcomes
• Leadership Awareness
– I believe that we learned more than we think we
learned.
– To step down when needed
– the most challenging (things) can be the best
things
– Sometime you have to do things even when you
don’t want to
– To always think of yourself as a leader because
someone is always watching
More Information
• Tammy Schilling
– tschill@latech.edu
• Lanie Dornier
– ldornier@latech.edu
• Glenn Beer
– gbeer@latech.edu
• Website
– www.latech.edu/lagearup