Project Adventure, Inc.

Project Adventure and ACCT Association for Challenge Course Technology

2012-01-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

ACCT will hold its 22^nd annual conference in Boston this year – February 9-12 at Westin Boston Waterfront in Boston, MA – 607 attendees are expected.

The proximity of the conference has gotten us thinking about PA’s long and interesting history with ACCT. In a recent interview, Bob Ryan, PA’s Director of Safety and RiskManagement , recalled a Ropes Course Builders Symposium in 1988 when members began discussing the need for an association. The first actual association meeting was held at an AEE conference at Smuggler’s Notch in the fall of 1993. There were 35 attendees. The founding members included: Adventure Experiences, Cradle Rock, Inner Quest, Project Adventure and Signature Research.

The Association was formed to develop challenge course installation standards. Bob recalled a moment when the original members were trying to come up with a name for the organization. When Association for Challenge Course Technology was suggested, Rich Klajnscek, a PA builder at that time, jumped out of his seat and said, “Then the acronym would be ACCT!!” The name was finalized in that moment.

Project Adventure has been represented on the ACCT board and on a variety of committees since the beginning. Randy Smith of Inner Quest served as the first board president; DickProuty of PA as the first vice president. Bob Ryan has served on the board for approximately 10 years.

PA is honored to support and participate with this essential and progressive organization.

Click here to join our Facebook discussion on ACCT!

Payson Arizona Challenge Course & Training

2011-12-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Project Adventure recently completed installation of an extensive challenge course for the Payson, Arizona Unified School District. Donna Moore, coordinator of Health and Physical Education for the Payson schools had previously developed a challenge course program through a PEP grant for a school system in Safford, AZ. Project Adventure’s Bill Bates worked with her to apply for the Payson PEP grant.

The extensive course includes a climbing tower, a dual zip wire and a wide variety of low and high elements. A team of physical educators from Payson’s high school, middle school and elementary schools have participated with exuberance in a series of trainings including Adventure Programming, Adventure Curricula for PhysicalEducation and a Technical Skills Intensive.

Click here to read the article from The Payson Roundup

When doing team development, why focus on trust and building relationships?

2011-09-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

by Peter Aubry

This question often arises when working with a client to design a team building day. It usually comes up in the process of creating a needs assessment. Sometimes this is followed by a request to just focus on problem-solving methodology and to stay away from the interpersonal dynamics on the team or individual team member needs. This area of work is often referred to as the “touchy-feely” aspect and many clients don’t want any of that in their program!

Amazingly enough, this request not to get “too touchy-feely” is made by a variety of clients including social service agencies, schools and corporate groups.

When this concern comes up, I usually address it in the context of the John Adair model.

The Adair model indicates that, in addition to communication, motivation and vision, the leader must attend to building the team, developing individuals and, yes, accomplishing the task.

In my experience, trust is the most essential element in good work relationships and especially in developing high performing teams. Although trusting each other at work makes everything much easier, it is not easy to achieve. In many work worlds, employees are rewarded for controlling and protecting information that insures they keep their position in the company. Knowledge is power and security, right? Expertise, technical or otherwise, makes you irreplaceable, right? So why share information and expertise in these environments?

Clients often ask, “Can we build the team and not deal with the problem of relationships on the team?”
How would you respond to this?
One answer I offer is that they can, but then, do they really need a team? Wouldn’t they be better served by a ‘work group’? A work group can deliver solid performance results when all is said and done. The work group has a central leader who directs various functions with all members reporting directly to him or her. They deal with all the conflicts and issues and are ultimately responsible for the results. So…yes you can deal with just the task at hand. Why then would you want a team? In their book The Wisdom of Teams, J.R. Katzenbach and Douglas Smith suggest that work groups are used when organizations are not looking for significant incremental performance results. A Real Team, on the other hand, is looking to achieve significant results, sometimes exponential, and has a group of people “who are equally committed to a common purpose, goals, and working approach for which they hold each other accountable.” Therefore, if we are going to build a team, don’t we have to address the people side of the equation?

There is a tendency in some work cultures to avoid conflict or have management deal with conflict. This can stem from an underlying mistrust in the organization, other individuals, the team or the team leader, etc. So how do you build a team of people if they are going to avoid conflict or have underlying trust issues? I would venture to say that you have to focus on relationships and the subject of trust as it relates to the team.

What would you say? At Project Adventure, we address this topic by having teams develop norms of behavior that allow them to deal with the issues that arise in an environment of safety. Having the ability and resources to deal with conflict that naturally arises on a team is critical. It is also important to define those issues that management, human resources or leadership must deal with versus the team.

Team Norms can be developed and tied to organizational values. If values are not specific, and stated, they can be developed as part of the leadership team development.

Moving a team toward high performance must include focusing on the relationships and trust that exist on the team as well as the level of commitment of individuals on that team.

How do you address team development at your workplace? Do you work as a team or as a work group? What helps your team to function better?

PA's Most Important Innovation?

2011-09-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

by Dick Prouty

Recently, I was speaking to a group of visiting trainers who were being certified to deliver programs for us. I was speaking about our history and discussing the theme for our 40th anniversary this next academic year. Our theme is: 40 Years of Innovation.

One participant asked this question: What do you think has been Project Adventure’s most important innovation?

“Hmmm..big question,” I said. I paused for a long two or three minutes as I reviewed the many options that came to mind. I had often thought of PA’s history and our creativity, but had not tried to weigh the value of them compared to one another.

Here are some of the significant innovations of our 40 years that came to mind.

Challenge Course:
Before PA, there had been a few elements called a Ropes Course at OB. But PA basically invented the modern challenge course.

New Static Challenge Course built for the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

Academic Adventure based Integrated Curricula:
There had been experiential curricula using projects for more than a hundred years before PA in various schools settings in many countries, but PA put the risk edge in it. Three examples are:

Adventure Based Counseling
Behavior Management Through Adventure (BMTA)
RESPECT program is a structured, research-based program that adapts the proven concepts, strategies, and tools of Project Adventure’s experience and adventure-based instructional methods to change a school’s learning environment.

Artwork by: City Year & Timilty Middle School Students - Boston, MA

Then there are our big three cornerstones!

Experiential Learning Cycle!
.
Challenge by Choice!

Full Value Contract!

Development of an Activity Base:
The activities published in Silver Bullets and QuickSilver and all of the other PA activities in publications or not. Used by literally hundreds of thousands of teachers and counselors world wide!

Quite a list of innovations and inventions of PA!

Then, I gave this answer to the participant:

Facility-based Adventure Education!

“Before PA,” I told the participants, “adventure education was thought of as a wilderness experience. Then Jerry Pieh and the crew at Hamilton-Wenham Regional School System in the 1970s developed a way to replicate the outcomes of Outward Bound by integrating its principles and concepts into a high school curricula. That eureka moment, the conceiving of this integrated experiential curricula program called Project Adventure, launched a whole movement that is now called facilities-based Adventure Education, as opposed to wilderness-based Adventure Education, in the traditional Outward Bound model.”

So, yes, Project Adventure, in and of itself, was a huge innovation, and, and in my humble opinion, really its biggest.

PA launched a movement for facilities-based adventure education that has now grown to be worldwide and far bigger in terms of numbers of students reached each year, than the original wilderness-based adventure education movement.

Now entering its fifth decade, PA is coming full circle with our new Building Respectful Learning Communities. BRLC is a way to get all of the outcomes in a school or agency to be more powerful and amplified. But that is a story for another blog…..

What do you think? What is PA’s most important innovation? How has it affected you and helped you to be a better facilitator/teacher?

Let me know at dprouty@pa.org.

PA Goes Green-er

2011-07-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Project Adventure’s Office Recycling Program

Although Project Adventure staff have been recycling to some extent for many years, the program has been intensified and energized since we moved to our current office building.

Staff are now encouraged to have bins in their own offices. There are signs throughout the building reminding people to Recycle. Our office cleaner supports and monitors our efforts. We have become more sensitive about paper use. Staff is also encouraged to drink Beverly water which is safe rather than bottled water.

PA’s Challenge Course Design and Installation (CCDI) department recycles all of their used steel cable and aluminum hardware in a 15 cubic yard capacity metal recycle dumpster which is

CCDI Recycling Dumpsters

Retired Strandvice, ready for recycling

maintained by Waste Management Co. A week ago the dumpster was emptied with a total weight of 4.5 tons! Our installers are even taking it as far as dismantling retired strandvices to separate the different metals, making it easier to recycle and more cost beneficial. The money gained through this recycling initiative is used to purchase new tools and equipment for the CCDI department.

PA Staff Garden

Recently PA staff worked together to create a staff vegetable garden on Moraine Farm. The project, headed by Norrie Gall, is well underway with three lush beds containing a wide variety of local vegetables.

Project Adventure Leveraging Technology

Project Adventure’s recent push into a web-centric future holds many significant green initiatives. With tools such as email blasts and online shopping carts, we are effectively able to reduce the amount of waste that we were producing.

Website (www.pa.org)
A new website provides the hub of our online presence and enables us to share valuable information about our business without sending hard copies and also saves time. Our e-commerce capabilities allow us to steadily decrease the number of paper orders that are being processed.

The Cloud
Today we are able to share information with each other internally through the use of “the cloud”! By hosting our information within a web-based server, we are able to share information among staff, anywhere in the country. Viewing these documents online drastically cuts back on the amount of printing and faxing needed.

Remote access for employees not working from our headquarters in Beverly has also allowed us to downsize our physical infrastructure resulting in the use of much less energy. Our new space is much cozier, but we like it here.

Blog
In the past, we produced a publication called ZipLines, a magazine that was sent to thousands in the adventure education industry. While we no longer publish ZipLines, we are focusing on utilizing our Blog as a new resource for our clients to access valuable PA and industry information. By sharing information electronically, we are not using all of the paper that we had in the past.

Social Media
Social media is another great example of how we are connecting with people without having to send print materials. The utilization of Facebook provides us with the opportunity to update our extended community on a regular basis. Our YouTube channel provides the opportunity to share videos with the world. We encourage our trainers, clients and extended networks to share their adventure education video experiences to continue showcasing the impact of our work.

Webinars
The use of webinars allows us to hold meetings with people from all over the world with the single click of a button. This technology allows us to use less gasoline and eliminates all of the energy associated with travel.

Email Marketing
For the past few years, Project Adventure has focused more on reaching our clients through email marketing techniques. By doing this, we have drastically reduced the amount of print materials that we send out. Help support our efforts by clicking here to join our mailing list!

Individual PA Staff Green Initiatives

Much of the energy behind PA’s current program comes from the green initiatives of individual staff. The following are examples of this inspirational commitment.

Nate and Michelle
Hollis, NH
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, Nate and Michelle became more aware of where food comes from. They began to purchase food more locally – from a farm stand down the street and farmers’ markets. They have also begun to grow their own food. After a trip to Costa Rica, they decided to turn their lawn into a more edible landscape of herbs. Currently, they are partnering with their neighbors to raise free range chickens and to create an edible garden for children in the neighborhood.

Other initiatives that Nate and Michelle have taken on are:
•   As often as possible, not buying bottled drinks
•   Compost year-round using a method known as vermi-composting (www.vermicompost.net)
•   Use a clothesline.
•   Consider where things come from before buying. Use essential oils for cleaning, e.g., clove oil rather than bleach.
•   Drive a Prius and a Subaru Outback.
•   Try to work at home whenever possible.

Norrie
Beverly, MA
In a recent conversation about personal efforts to live more ‘greenly’, Norrie said, “I’ve begun to change my relationship to Stuff.”

In the process of this change, Norrie taught herself to sew and says that she will soon debut a skirt that she made from curtains that once hung in the PA conference center. She has also re-covered used chairs with curtains from PA. Additionally, she has made dolls for her baby out of her old clothes. And, this year, she made all of her Christmas gifts.

She has also given away many books, learned how to can and buys clothes for herself and the baby on consignment which says is not only more economical but also more fun.

In the food realm, Norrie says that, after reading Food Matters by Mark Bittman, she has begun to have two of her three meals a day be vegetarian. She has also made most of her own baby food and buys organic, following the guidelines of what is good to buy organic.

From biking more to gardening and hanging clothes on the line, Norrie says that life is good for her and her baby. Her exuberance affirms that.

Suzanne
Beverly, MA
Suzanne has participated in Beverly’s Community Garden in the past, but has since become a backyard gardener, growing raspberries, rhubarb, grapes, tomatoes and various herbs. She also believes in making food “from scratch”, not purchasing processed foods. She buys locally and is a member of Moraine Farm’s CSA.

Suzanne also uses a clothesline and waxes poetic about the scent of sheets that have hung on the line.

When she can, Suzanne walks to work.

PA Staff - Vehicles
When you arrive at Project Adventure's headquarters it is clear that the majority

of the staff are driving Subarus. After speaking with the owners, it was apparent that Subarus are preferred not only for their exceptional performance in New England weather but also Subaru's sustainability efforts.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Thirty acres of Moraine Farm land, owned by the Batchelder Trust, was donated to

the Trustees of Reservations. The trustees in turn have donated 2-3 acres to the Food Project (a program that teaches children how to farm).

The CSA’s season runs from May to October. Shareholders buy a season’s share and whatever is harvested during a week is divided evenly among them. Shareholders receive notification by email when the crops are ready.

North Shore Sustainability Partnership (NSSP)

History and Mission
Moraine Farm Advisory board’s long standing member Caleb Loring helped Project Adventure to establish the North Shore Sustainability Partnership in January, 2009.

NSSP provides participating North Shore schools and colleges with a forum for collaboration to significantly advance their sustainability education and sustainability operations initiatives. The scope of work in each participating school is to be enhanced by collaboration with the other schools and engagement with their extended school communities.

Goals
The NSSP sustainability mission is to be achieved by engaging participating school communities in active pursuit of the following goals:

1.   To advance existing and new green initiatives that address degradation of the natural environment and
climate change
2.   To develop and share sustainability curriculum and student-led efforts
3.   To foster habits and cultures of generosity, responsibility, and an ethic to ‘give back’
4.   To build community and pro-social skills within and across school communities to support sustainability education and practices

These goals will be pursued by sharing promising practices, pursuit of collaborative projects, and by schools supporting each other for achieving agreed upon goals.

Common Projects
Bottled water elimination has been significantly advanced in all participating schools. For some schools, this initiative has been extended from school-based to educating and influencing family behaviors.

Another common project is the support of local food production and awareness of local food consumption benefits. This involves the possibility of school food services buying locally, schools and families joining CSAs, growing food on campuses, students volunteering on farms and mapping environmental impacts or energy savings achieved through local food consumption.

What you can do to help
You can support our efforts by doing the following:
- Like us on Facebook to get frequent PA updates and special deals on products!
- Subscribe to our Blog to learn more about PA and the Adventure Education Industry.
- Join our e-newsletter mailing list to receive important updates and special deals.
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun industry-related videos.
- When you take a workshop here at Moraine Farm, be sure to utilize our recycling receptacles.
- Call us if you have an old Challenge Course that is no longer in use. We would be happy to help dismantle and recycle it or potentially get it back up and running! 978-524-4500

Life

2011-06-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Gerry Hinman, Berkshire Farm Center Coordinator of Therapeutic Recreation and Project Adventure & Adventure Based Counseling enthusiast.

While at a PA debriefing workshop with Jim Schoel, I had an opportunity to add a new tool to my tool bag – actually it was 10 oddly-shaped rocks. At first, I was very skeptical. While building a tower of his own, Jim instructed the group members to grab as many rocks from the bucket and “do something” with them while reflecting on their lives. Being a veteran adventure practitioner, I reserved judgment and went about the task of “doing something” with these rocks. Minimally, I felt that I would build the biggest tower of the group and impress my fellow group members. My first attempt went very well. I immediately built an impressive tower and it was almost complete when I decided to add just one more rock and it came crashing down. Uggh... I would have to begin again and I was quite frustrated as I attempted to attain my prior success. This time I was far more rational and logical about my placement of rocks and still…disaster. Finally, after much effort, I had reached the height that I once attained and I went for the rock that had toppled my first attempt. It was then that I paused and looked at what I had accomplished and said to myself “be satisfied with what you have accomplished.” It was a fine tower and I did not need the stress of having it come crashing down again. Throughout the remainder of the day, I felt myself drawn to looking at my rock sculpture and the way that these solid objects rested upon themselves in a precarious manner and that, at the very bottom, the foundation was balanced by the smallest of stones. I saw the frailty of life in my little sculpture and how it can all come crashing down if we don’t know when to say “enough.”

When we processed the activity in the workshop, I was amazed to see how everyone had taken a different approach with their rocks. Some used the rocks to tell the story of their lives, with the rocks representing people. One person created a replica structure of a place where he used to live which had been a sanctuary for him. I thought hard about how the experience related to my life and was stunned to realize that everything about the process was like my life. I realized that I am always pushing “things” to the limit and that never knowing when to say “enough’s enough” often has unwanted consequences such as stress. I realized that I do better and enjoy the process better when I don’t over think what it is that I am doing!

I decided to take these rocks back with me and rebuild them in my office. I set the rocks on the table in my office until one day I had time to rebuild them. A funny thing happened, however, when one of my employees sat down and built a rock sculpture with “my rocks.” My first reaction was disappointment which immediately turned into a smile as I realized that these rocks would be used to build over and over again and that each sculptor would have his or her own story. His rock sculpture fell the very next day and I noticed the look of disappointment on his face and reassured him that this was good and that now someone else would have an opportunity to re-build it and learn.

Today, that someone was me. I re-set them up as a reminder that no matter how strong we are, it is often the smallest things that keep us standing tall and sometimes the key to happiness is knowing when “enough is enough.”

Stories from the Playground

2011-04-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Stories From the Playground: An Introduction

Welcome to the first post in our blog series, Stories from the Playground a series of posts directly from the implementation of PA’s Peaceable Playgrounds model at several local schools. My name is Suze Runnells and I am a Youth Specialist, Trainer and Consultant and have been working with PA for about ten years. I found the following article in the New York Times, and have shared my thoughts and reflections on the article as well as some thoughts on how to make recess successful playtime.

What is the quality of the recess experience at your school? Are students thriving at recess? Do staff feel comfortable managing recess? I work with elementary schools supporting them in creating positive school-wide culture. Many school communities are struggling with unstructured playtime. Recess is a perfect time for students to be active, get fresh air and practice skills they are learning about how to play with one another: In other words, unstructured play is valuable and critical to youth development.

What is the recipe for a successful recess? Students and staff need to know what to expect and what is expected of them. The following ingredients are helpful in co-creating a positive recess time that promotes students to build autonomy.

Recess Guidelines: Clear and agreed upon norms of operation including how equipment is used, stored and cared for; which activities are to happen in which areas of the playground; grade specific guidelines; line up process, posted basic rules for games such as four square, consistent consequences for positive and negative behaviors, etc.
Full Value Contract: Commitment from community members to 4-6 positive ways to treat one another. Discussed and defined by community and publicly displayed. A great place to introduce and practice the Full Value Contract is in Physical Education class using Project Adventure’s Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education. Example: Play Fair, Play Kind, Play Safe, Let go and move on and Fun for All (adapted from the curriculum).
Skill Building for Staff and Students: Offer opportunities for staff and student development. Project Adventure’s Peaceable Playgrounds model offers training and consultation for staff to increase their skills in group management, leading cooperative games aimed at teaching students skills in how to play successfully together and guidance in creating opportunities for student leadership.

Click here for the New York Times article

Tag: Increasing Activity, Increasing Skills

2011-03-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Increasing participation and physical activity in a tag game, increases opportunities for learning social and emotional skills.

By Nate Folan

“Tag, you’re “it” and your goal is to get everyone out!” Or is it? Tag games, by their very nature are games of speed, agility, and elimination, unless you change the rules. Project Adventure has been changing the rules of education for 40 years. It’s no shocker that within the field of experiential education, the rules of tag have been adapted to increase participation, increase physical activity, and develop social emotional learning skills. Here are a few of the adaptations:

Consider the classic tag game Everybody’s It. In Everybody’s It, anyone can attempt to tag anyone else at anytime. Once a participant is tagged, they are “out,” unless you change the rules. Usually if someone is out during a tag game they either take a knee or sit right where they are or leave the area of play. Once providing opportunities to get back “in” increases participation, physical activity, and social interaction. A well known and simple rule change is that anyone who is still “in,” or moving around, may high ten frozen participants allowing them to get back in and attempt to tag others again. The high ten allows more participants to play the game for longer periods of time, while creating a social dynamic of helping others. And, in some cases, it allows some people the chance to help themselves. If there is no one left to tag, there is no game to play.

The competitor in each of us may challenge this. However, changing the rules, or perhaps perspective in this case, allows a competitor to see that trying to get more tags in a particular amount of time may be more fun and challenging than trying to eliminate everyone. It also provides choices for players who care less about the number of tags they get and care more for how many people they have helped or how few times they have been tagged. These choices create social and emotional learning opportunities for goal setting, helping others, and asking for help, to name a few.

High Ten is one way to change the rules of tag. Here are a few others:
• Ankle Biters – In many tag games, once a person is tagged, they simple take a knee where they were tagged. From there, an exciting addition to any tag game is to allow these tagged participants to tag other peoples from their knee. If tagged by an Ankle Biter, a player must take a knee, just like everyone else and may continue to participate as an Ankle Biter. Using this rule provides an opportunity to develop the skill of awareness.

• Pop-up Tag – Adding Ankle Biters provides an opportunity to add another participation increasing option called Pop-up or Pop-up Tag. Using this variation allows participants who are successful in making a tag from their knee to “pop up,” move again, and attempt to tag others. Another way to say this is, when an Ankle Biter tags someone, “they go down, you go up.” The learning opportunity here comes from the opportunity for someone to help themselves. It also creates the need for players who have not been tagged or have returned from being tagged to be more aware of all players.

• Tag ‘em – If Pop-up tag is a good variation, Tag ‘em is a great variation. It adds the elements of awareness and surprise. When a player is tagged, they again take a knee and remain where they were tagged. Instead of being able to help themselves this time, they must rely on their own observation skills and the helpful will of others. Tagged participants must be aware of who tagged them. They then track (with their eyes) this tagger until they get tagged. Once the person who tagged them gets tagged, they are able to get back in. In doing so this person may even surprise others because as some players are getting tagged, other players are randomly returning with little indication. From this participants learn to have greater awareness, expect the unexpected, and be quick on their feet.

• Add On – Simple right? Once someone has been tagged they add on or join the person who tagged them, by holding hands or linking elbows with the tagger. Now the two or more people who are linked together continue playing as a team attempting to tag other people or teams. To reiterate, if someone is tagged by another person or team they add on to who tag them and play continues. This participation increasing concept has been popularized and most notably associated with the tag game called Blob Tag (aka Tusker Tag). However, when using this variation in an “everybody’s it” game, such as Everybody’s It, Knee Tag, or Step Tag the game may simply be called Add On Tag. For fun though, we could go with the Blob Tag theme and have names like Every-Blob’s It, Blob Knee Tag or Blob Step Tag? Have you ever played any of these? No? Me neither, I can’t wait to try!

These rule changes, or should I say rule additions, are great for tag games such as Everybody’s It, Knee Tag, Step Tag, and Asteroids. They increase participation, increase physical activity, and create more social emotional learning opportunities. Play with these ideas and let us know how it goes.

Up in the air: Ropes course offers challenges

2011-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

MEAGAN THOMPSON/Times-News

Check out one of Project Adventure's recent installations. Many clients call seeking ideas on how to get the most out of their challenge courses.

This is a great example of the many different ways one can utilize this tool, both programmatically and fiscally. This college-owned facility is serving students, faculty, community members, military, and local school groups. They have gotten creative.

If this course really excites you, we are hosting three workshops here in 2011. See a full list of our workshop offerings at Project Adventure Workshops.

Click here to access the article

NY Times Article: Can Exercise Make Kids Smarket?

2011-02-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

I wrote the book Achieving Fitness, An Adventure Activity Guide because I knew that my three book series Adventure Curricula for Elementary, Middle School and High School were both excellent and lacking something. Many of the activities are not very vigorous or aerobic. They are great for teaching social and emotional skills, but I thought we could do more. In researching for Achieving Fitness, An Adventure Activity Guide, I learned a lot about the benefits of exercise and the brain, much of which is cited in the introduction to this book.

However, the data in this article does not appear in any of our publications. In this article, you will learn even more about what is physiologically happening to a child’s brain when he or she engages in aerobic activity. There is more than a chemistry change going on. There is more growth. In this case, size matters. So, if you are interested in the positive effects of aerobic exercise on a child’s brain, read on! If you are still defending your program, read on. This continues to support why active learning is so effective.

Jane Panicucci

Click Here to read the article

Project Adventure's Annual Christmas Tree Sale!

2010-11-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

Tis the season…for Christmas tree buying! Project Adventure will be holding their annual Christmas Tree Sale at Moraine Farm on Cabot Street in Beverly. The tree sale will take place Thursday and Friday, December 2, 3, 9, and 10 from 4 until 8 and Saturday and Sunday, December 4, 5, 11 and 12 from 9 until 4. Along with fresh cut Christmas trees, you will also find beautiful wreaths, bundles of holly and cute personalized ornaments for the tree. Hot cider and coffee will also be available. The Christmas tree sale will take place at Project Adventure’s headquarters on Moraine Farm at 719 Cabot Street in North Beverly. Project Adventure is a non-profit organization specializing in adventure-based, experiential learning and all proceeds from the Christmas tree sale will benefit youth programming.

2010-06-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

2010 Federal Carol M. White PEP Grant

Request for Proposals has been announced

Informational Teleconference
Thursday, June 24th @ 10 AM EST

The Carol M White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant provides funding to schools and agencies looking to meet state standards in physical education. The average award in 2009 was $400,000!

The Request for Proposals (RFP) is due on July 19th, so now is the time to get started! This year's RFP has quite a few changes from year's past, many of which we will highlight in the teleconference.

Attend our F R E E teleconference on

Thursday,June 24th 2010 10:00am E.S.T.

"Incorporating Adventure into your PEP Grant Application"

Participation is easy!
Just email registration@pa.org with your name and organization and we'll tell you how to dial in.

During and after the teleconference, all participants will receive:

Information from PEP specialists and grant writers
A PowerPoint summary of the teleconference
Access to our PEP Grant Writing Packet

Not sure if the PEP Grant is right for you?

Call us at 978-524-4554 or email info@pa.org to talk to our PEP Grant Specialists.

Support Kids With the Click of a Mouse!

2010-04-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

2010-03-18T08:42:00.001-07:00

2010 Federal Carol M. White PEP Grant

Informational Teleconference
Wednesday, March 24th 1pm EST

The Carol M White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant provides funding to schools and agencies looking to meet state standards in physical education. The average award in 2009 was $400,000!

The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be available on April 7th, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to get started.

Attend our F R E E teleconference on
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 1:00pm E.S.T.
"How to Prepare for PEP -
What You Need to Know to Be Ready"

Participation is easy!
Just email info@pa.org with your name and organization and we'll tell you how to dial in.

All participants will receive:

Information from PEP specialists and grant writers
A PowerPoint summary of the teleconference
Access to our PEP Grant Writing Packet

Not sure if the PEP Grant is right for you?
Call us at 978-524-4554 or email info@pa.org to talk to our PEP Grant Specialists.

Conference Fun!

2010-02-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Project Adventure takes part in a variety of conferences throughout the nation, like the state and national AHPERD (Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance) events. We participate in as many ways as we can, from sponsor, presenter, to exhibitor. Our goal: to offer support to professionals and students who use Adventure concepts and to get the word out to people new to the Adventure scene. So, if you are headed to a conference and think we should be there, tell us! We always love to hear from you. Don't forget to stop by and say hi!

Ryan and Bill practicing "Popper Tag" at the booth, MAHPERD 2010

Bill and Ryan at MAHPERD, 2010

(Do you know Bill Bates? Well you should! He is our leading consultant for PEP grant applicants and winners. Plus, he's just a swell guy.)

Renee Cavaluzzi, trainer extraordinaire, teaching a fitness workshop at a conference.

Have you taken a workshop from Renee? Leave a comment and let us know how it was!

Silver Bullets Combo Pack -- Limited Time Offer!

2010-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Silver Bullets: A Guide to Initiative Problems, Adventure Games & Trust Activities by Karl Rohnke & Project Adventure, Inc. has been a classic in the adventure field for more than 25 years. The 25th Anniversary, 2nd Edition with new activities and revised classics has just been released.

For a limited time, PA is offering an author-autographed copy of the original Silver Bullets containing over 160 timeless adaptable activities, along with a copy of the new 25th Anniversary, 2nd Edition.

The 2nd Edition of Silver Bullets brings time-tested wisdom to the problems, games and initiatives along with the inclusion of new activities that speak directly to contemporary adventurers. The activities have been implemented and proven to improve self-concept, enhance the ability of members to take risks, and strengthen the willingness of group members to cooperate and work well together.

A variety of audiences from teachers, counselors, therapists, camp directors and church leaders, to name a few, have effectively used the activities to bring people together, to build trust and enhance communication. From whatever age, these “Silver Bullets” can make a difference in your program and the people with whom you work.

To order, contact Project Adventure, Inc.

Phone: 800-468-8898, Ext #4556
Mail: 701 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Fax: 1-978-524-4600, Attn: Catalog Dept.
Email: catalog@pa.org
Online: www.pa.org

Project Adventure at Moraine Farm Christmas Tree Sale

2009-12-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

Project Adventure at Moraine Farm

Christmas Tree Sale

Wreaths - Greens - Bows - Refreshments

Saturday & Sunday

December 5 & 6, 12 & 13

From 10AM to 4PM

Project Adventure Corporate Office

701 Cabot St.(Rt.97) Beverly, MA 01915

Support Project Adventure’s Youth Programs!

Questions? Call Amanda M.

978-927-3708

Attend the AEE Annual International Conference!

2009-09-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

The AEE Annual International Conference is a time for unparalleled professional development and renewal. Join more than 900 experiential educators from around the world in unsurpassed networking, professional development, continuing education, and community building, with workshops, internationally recognized presenters, an exhibit hall, and world class entertainment.

This year's Annual International conference will take place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada! The "joie de vivre" is palpable and contagious in this vibrant, culturally diverse and cosmopolitan city of two million inhabitants. Whether sipping a cappuccino at an outdoor café, gambling at the huge Casino de Montreal complex or exploring historic Old Montreal, you can't escape without experiencing the excitement and energy that pervade the entire city.

For more info: http://www.aee.org/conferences/annualIntlConf

To register: http://www.aee.org/conference/list

PE4life’s 3rd Annual PEP Grant Resource Conference

2009-08-28T06:04:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for resources to enhance and sustain your physical education program? Regardless if you are a new, current or hopeful PEP Grant Award recipient, or you are just looking to enhance your current program, PE4life can be your resource partner in this complicated process. PE4life is a one-stop-shop for professional development, program assessment, equipment consultation and much more! Don’t miss this opportunity to meet and network with experts who have been through the PEP implementation process, equipment vendors, and PE4life Academy Directors.

PE4life’s 3rd Annual PEP Grant Resource Conference
Overland Park, Kansas
October 4-5, 2009

Learn more at www.pe4life.org.

PA's Annual Spring Fundraiser Bigger and Better than Ever!

2009-06-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

PA staff and friends are looking forward to a evening of food, music, and libations -- and it's all for a good cause!

Savour, our annual Spring Fundraiser, promises to be an evening no one should miss. On the menu are culinary delights from Boston Area chefs and spirit-lifting rock 'n roll from the Fabulous Clams. All of this takes place at our beautiful campus overlooking Wenham Lake on Thursday, June 25th.

Proceeds support Project Adventure's teacher training programs and direct service educational programs for children and young adults. Tickets are still available, so invite all your friends!

PA Employees are Sparking their minds and Achieving Fitness!

2009-05-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."

John Quincy Adams

In an ongoing commitment to practice the very philosophy we teach at Project Adventure, the office and support staff has decided to get moving! For 15 minutes each day, staff are invited to engage in activities that increase heart rates and jump start minds. The activities happen in the afternoon, when we see ourselves "dragging" and in need of a pick-me-up.

How it works:

At a designated time in the afternoon, anyone who can leave their desk are invited to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
A variety of activities are encouraged so everyone can join in, whether it be a brisk walk or a group Adventure Activity.
15 minutes is all it takes! Everyone is on their honor and tracks their own time.

We view this effort as an opportunity to have fun, get moving, and improve health and wellness. Every person is different, and we are striving for a program that allows for individual progress, but at the same time encourages inclusiveness and group unity.

We continue to be inspired by Dr. John Ratey's book, Spark, which has made a definitive case for the relationship between exercise and increased brain activity. In the short time we have implemented this company-wide policy, the evidence is clear:

"After just a few minutes of activity, I get back to my desk and am buzzing with energy. I dive back in to emails and projects that, previously, I couldn't focus on. Who knew jumping around and laughing with my co-workers could help me get more work done!"

"What I've noticed, after just a week, is a heightened sense of clarity, an ability to prioritize and concentrate. No more black coffee!"

We all know what it's like to be buried in piles of work; some know it all too well. It is encouraging to know that taking a little time out for physical activity can actually help get through those piles of work!

Have a similar program? Tell us what is working for you! Looking to start one? It's easier than you think! Adventure activities can help you jump start your staff and we are happy to help. Email info@pa.org or call 978-524-4556 to hear more about the publications and equipment that inspire us!

Champions for Physical Education Partner to Answer the Call!

2009-04-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

PE4life, the nation’s leading advocate for quality health and wellness based physical education programs, and Project Adventure, Inc., (PA) an innovative teaching organization providing
leadership in the expansion of Adventure-based experimental programming, have signed a strategic Program Partnership that will impact the health and fitness of children and youth across the United States.

Find out more about this exciting new partnership here.

Nike Innovation Grants Program

2009-02-09T10:59:00.001-08:00

Nike - Jordan Fundamentals Grant ProgramThe Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program recognizes outstanding teaching and instructional creativity in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States that serve economically disadvantaged students. Innovation Grants, averaging $5,000, are available for individual teachers for projects that impact classroom innovation and improve instruction. Inspiration Grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 are available to teams of teachers to support scaling-up the implementation of successful approaches developed with Innovation Grants. Applicants should create and implement an educational approach that supports improved student academic achievement and/or social, emotional, and behavioral interventionsApplicants from all 50 States and the District of Columbia will be considered with priority given to communities where the Jordan Brand or Nike, Inc. has a significant presence. At least 50% of the school’s student population must be eligible for free or reduced school lunch at time of application. Deadline: March 30, 2009Please Note: The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) does not administer this funding opportunity.Contact Nike directly for more specific program and grant details:http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/features/fundamentals/overview.html

Southwest District Ahperd Conference, Phoenix, Jan 09

2009-01-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Southwestern District Ahperd was a great event! Renee Cavaluzzi presented two workshops:

Social and Emotional Learning through Adventure and Achieving Fitness. Both were well attended and a huge success! Project Adventure sponsored the AZ Past President's Dinner at the Cork and Cleaver Restaurant.

Attendees were excited to see Spark, by Dr. John Ratey as a book offering at the PA booth. Many educators had heard about this great book through their administrators. We sold out by early on day two!

Achieving Fitness Activity Guide and the Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education also sold out.

It was great to see old PA friends including Shelley Fey, from the Punahou School in Honolulu, all our friends from the Kyrene School District, Safford Unified School District, Jennifer Reeves of The University of Arizona, Drisha Leggitt of CA AHPERD to name just a few.

Thanks to Donna Moore of Payson Unified School District who put on a great conference!

We always love to spend time with our friends and partners from Flaghouse - John Ruggiero and Eileen Avato!

New Project Adventure Training Site in Lake Williamson Christian Center

2009-01-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Forgive me if I sound like a commercial plug here, but I am THRILLED
to announce that Lake Williamson Christian Center is now the first
mid-states training site for Project Adventure! I started attending PA
classes 3 years ago, working on my Masters Degree in Adventure Ed
through PA and Plymouth State University. I've often heard others in
my area say they'd love to take a PA course, but the travel costs were
prohibitive. So it has been my desire for some time to help bring PA
to the central states. Lake Williamson is only 1 hour from St. Louis,
4 hours from Chicago, and 4 hours from Indianapolis. We have food,
lodging (and a hot tub!) on-site.

PA is updating their website for details, but upcoming courses include:

Engaging Activities for Social and Emotional Learning, February 21-22, 2009
Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education, April 6-7, 2009
Achieving Fitness: An Adventure Approach, April 8-9, 2009
Adventure Programming, June 10-13, 2009
Adventures in Building Community and Diversity, September 24-26, 2009
Adventure Based Counseling, October 22-25, 2009

I hope some of you can take advantage of the Lake Williamson location!

Jeffery Gosnell, program director
Lake Williamson Christian Center &
Cedar Creek Retreat Center

Carol White PEP Grant Writing Tips Packet now available

2009-01-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

Use this grant writing packet to infuse adventure Carol White PEP Grant application! Contact us for more info or to join one of our three free telelconferences. info@pa.org

Free Phone Consultations
Bill Bates, Project Adventure consultant has himself written, and been funded for several PEP Grants. Bill will use his expertise to integrate Project Adventure into your application. You can reach Bill at bbates@pa.org or by calling 978-524-4658.

**Due to the high volume of calls and emails, we recommend that you first review the grant writing packet and participate in the teleconferences.

3) We are offering three PEP Grant Writing Teleconferences

PEP Teleconference 1 January 27, 2009 2:30 - 3:15pm E.S.T.
Topics: Overview of the RFP, highlights, mandatories and making your case!

PEP Teleconference 2 February 3, 2009 4:00 - 4:45pm E.S.T.
Topics: Questions so far, budgeting overview.

PEP Teleconference 3 February 12, 2009 1:00 - 1:45pm E.S.T.
Topics: Checking in: where are you now? Additional information and updates.

These teleconferences are offered at no cost to you.

All that you need to participate is a phone. You must register in advance by contacting Cara Meeker at cmeeker@pa.org. Call-in instructions will be emailed to you prior to each teleconference. You may register for one or all of them. These teleconferences are your opportunity to receive advice from Bill Bates of Project Adventure and Rosalie Mangino-Crandall of Insight Grants, LLC.

Houston Area Schools Challenge Course Data and Presentations

2009-01-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mary Constant of Fort Bend I.S.D. for sharing info on how challenge courses are presented within the Houston area schools as well as data collected from these programs.

Click here to access Mary's great info.

Carol White PEP Grants are NOW OPEN!

2009-01-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

Millions for dollars are available for Physical Education. Since 2006, applications including Project Adventure have made a compelling case for successful funding.

On Thursday, 1/22/09, PA will post a comprehensive PEP Grant writing packet at as well as host three PEP grant writing teleconferences - free of charge. Featured on the teleconference will be Rosalie Mangino Crandall of Insight Grants, LLC and Bill Bates, of Project Adventure. Both experts in writing, receiving and implementing PEP Grants.

To register for the teleconferences or receive more info on PEP, contact us at info@pa.org or call 978-524-4554.

Teleconference schedule:

PEP Teleconference 1 1/27/09 2:30 - 3:15 Eastern Time Overview of the RFP, highlights, mandatories and making your case!

PEP Teleconference 2 2/3/09 4:00 - 4:45 Eastern Time Questions so far, budgeting overview.

PEP Teleconference 3 2/12/09 1:00 - 1:45 Eastern Time Check in, where are you now, additional info.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/index.html

Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress (PEP)
is offered by the US Department of Education (ED)—Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS).

Adventures with Youth at Risk, Intro to BMTA now approved for Continuing Education Hours

2009-01-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Project Adventure's workshop, Adventures with Youth at Risk (Behavior Management through Adventure) has been approved for 24 Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. Collaborative of the NASW-MA and the Boston College and Simmons College Schools of Social Work Authorization Number D40400.

For more information on Behavior Management through Adventure training at your site or to attend on of our scheduled workshops, please contact PA at 978-524-4554 or info@pa.org. To see the schedule of dates for open-enrollment workshops, go to www.pa.org/workshops.

Jim Schoel Receives Honor from Northeast AEE

2009-01-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Jim Schoel. According to Northeast AEE, "We are happy to announce that we will be honoring Jim Schoel as our Josh Miner Dialogue Series Award recipient this year on Saturday night of the conference. He will be interviewed by Mark Murray. As a founder of Project Adventure, Jim developed his ideas at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in Massachusetts. He managed an alternative program in the Gloucester Public Schools for 12 years where he was able to practice and refine those ideas".

Jim has been an innovator and thought-leader in adventure education and PA for many years. Jim is currently a Senior Contract Trainer at Project Adventure and has returned to the Gloucester Public Schools as an educator in their alternative education programs.

Jim is co-author of Islands of Healing, Exploring Islands of Healing, and Gold Nuggets.

Join us in congratulating Jim!

Lemonade - A great activity by Mark Collard

2009-01-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

Kristen Okura, coordinator for PA's Master's Degree Cohort in Southern CA and Don Juan Avila Middle School Physical Educator, sent a request for this activity. I'm thinking this is a great way to break back into the blog world after a long holiday break!

Hope you enjoy it. This activity and others like it can be found in No Props book by Mark Collard and available from PA.
Lemonade
It’s charades with a chasey twist.

At a glance
One team faces another team miming an occupation. As soon as the first team correctly guesses their trade, they will chase the second team back to their safe area.

What you need
A large, flat and open space, with boundaries
Minimum of 12 trades-people
10 – 15 minutes

What to do
Mark two “safe” areas approximately 30 metres (approximately 98 feet) apart, and a line which represents the mid-point between the two areas. Then divide your group in half.

Ask the members of each team to stand side-by-side, and face the other team about three metres (nine-ten feet) apart. One team moves forward one step and calls out “It’s as easy as Lemonade” (there’s a beat to it). The other team responds by marching forward one step “Show us your trade if you’re not afraid.” Okay, we’re now through with the preliminaries.

Upon this taunt, the “lemonade” team will immediately start to mime or “charade” a pre-determined occupation or trade. This has been agreed to earlier in the game when you asked this team to huddle and discuss which one occupation they would all like to “be” for the first round. Trades such as carpenters, hair-dressers, nurses, judges, lumberjacks, etc are all good examples.

The observing team is now charged with a responsibility of guessing what the chosen occupation is. Anyone can guess at any time, so long as the guesses are loud and clear. As soon as the trades-people hear a correct answer, they will turn around and retreat to their safe area. Naturally, the guessers will spring into action and attempt to tag as many of the trades-people as possible. All successful tags oblige that trades-person to switch teams.

Note, lepidoptery is a fine occupation, but to be fair, no one is ever going to guess this. So in the interests of time, I suggest you coach your group to exercise a modicum of fair play. Otherwise, you’ll be there forever trying to guess what the heck people who work with winged-insects are called.

Also, you may ask why “lemonade.” I don’t have an answer – it just is!

Variations
Same deal, but each team charades a trade at the same time. First correct answer to identify the trade of an opposing team will spark the chase.

Join the Project Adventure Group on Facebook

2008-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Schedule an consultation at one of these events!

2008-12-04T09:59:00.001-08:00

Project Adventure specialists are traveling across the country and to Canada to attend several upcoming conferences and events.

Do you have questions you want to ask about your program?
Are you interested in learning how to get a challenge course installed?

Call - 1-978-524-4554 or email info@pa.org and schedule a time to meet with the specialist on site at any of these events!

Or make an advance appointment with a PA specialist at any of these upcoming conferences:

Southwestern District Ahperd/Az Ahperd, Pheonix, Jan. 21-24

Alternatives to Expulsion, Suspension and Dropping Out of School, San Antonio, Jan. 28-31

Toronto Camps Conference, Ontario Canada, Jan. 28 – 30 Angel Krimm will be in the Flaghouse Booth demonstrating our new props and activity guide - Creating Respectful Camp Communities!

19th Annual Association for Challenge Course Technology Conference, Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, Houston

Eastern District Ahperd Conference, Lancaster, PA Feb. 4 –7

American Camping Association Conference, Orlando, Feb. 17-20 Angel Krimm will be in the Flaghouse Booth premiering our newest pack bag and activity guide - Creating Respectful Camp Communities.

New Jersey Ahperd Conference, Longbranch, Feb. 22-24 Jane Panicucci, Keynote Speaker!

DuPage County PE, Health Institute, Naperville IL, Feb. 27

Research and Evaluation for Adventure Programs, Atlanta, March 13-20

American Camping Association Tri-State Conference, Atlantic City, March 17-20

California Ahperd, Santa Clara, March 19-22, Meet Dr. John Ratey, author of SPARK - The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain - in the Project Adventure booth

National AHPERD Conference, Tampa, March 31-April 4,

Count Me In - Great Activities for Large Groups by Mark Collard

2008-11-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

The newest book from Project Adventure - Count Me In by Mark Collard.

Keep 30, 40 or 100 people engaged and having fun!

Try this activity with your group - Superiority.

Purchase this book today!

Achieving Fitness of the Body and the Mind - A New Model

2008-11-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Strategies - a special theme supplement published by the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, features an article by leading author and expert on infusing adventure, active learning and social and emotional learning into a health-related fitness program - Jane Panicucci.

Panicucci, author of Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education (k-12) and Achieving Fitness is also the Vice President and COO of Project Adventure, Inc. Known world-wide for her engaging presentations, wisdom on team development and a respected school leadership and change management coach, Panicucci's insight into self-efficacy, motivation and tools for engaging all students.

If you don't subscribe to Strategies, you can access the article at www.naspeinfo.org or receiving a copy by emailing info@pa.org and request in subject line: Strategies article please. We'll send you an electronic copy.

Project Adventure Annual Christmas Tree Sale

2008-11-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Christmas Tree harvest at Moraine Farm in Beverly MA.

Come to the antique barn off Route 97 (Cabot Street) in Beverly and pick out your tree from a large selection of fresh cuts. Or go out into the field and cut your own. Also, a wide assortment of our extremely popular wreaths (both decorated and undecorated) in sizes from door size to big enough for the side of your own barn!

Enjoy a tractor drawn hay ride, freshly baked cookies, hot chocolate and mulled cider. And bring your camera for the perfect holiday shots.

Price range: $20+ according to size
Cut your own tree: $75 - limited selection

Tractor Drawn Hay Rides
Wreaths - Greens - Bows - Refreshments

Saturday & Sunday,
December 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 2008
The Antique Barn
735 Cabot St. Beverly (Rt.97)
From 10AM to 4PM

Support Project Adventure’s Youth Programs
Questions? Call Amanda Mazzaglia 978-927-3708
www.pa.org

Available Saturday & Sunday,
December 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 2008
The Antique Barn
735 Cabot St. Beverly (Rt.97)
From 10AM to 4PM

Support Project Adventure’s Youth Programs
Questions? Call Amanda Mazzaglia 978-927-3708
www.pa.org

Gavin 7th & 8th Graders Build Community - Adventure Style

2008-11-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

by Jeff Frigon, Project Adventure Youth and College Programs Specialist

Galvin Middle School Unit CF came to the Project Adventure Challenge Course at Moraine Farm, a group of 7th and 8th graders looking to welcome new students and build community.

Many of the students had experience with adventure from camps and other schools, but as a school, Galvin was new to adventure. The teachers did a great job priming the students for their day at Project Adventure, and everyone arrived prepared for a day outside and knowing what to expect.

The kids had fun playing, learning together and co-creating Full Value Contracts to be used throughout the day and to bring home with them to school. Laughter, belay commands, and sunshine mixed in the late-season air to make for a great day for all of us!

As coordinator for the day, I stood in the middle of the ropes course and spun around, seeing group after group in all the various moments of their day: belaying, climbing, playing, debriefing, reassuring a nervous climber, celebrating their successes and working through their challenges.

On their walk back to the busses, the teachers were already talking about how to bring the learnings from today back to their classrooms and how to make next year even better.

A day as rewarding for me as facilitator as it was for the client, Galvin Middle School!

Project Adventure offers a wide range of field trip programs for schools, agencies and camps. Programming is offered at Moraine Farm in Beverly MA or at your site - 7 days per week. Our Youth and College Trainers are amoung the best in their field and participate in extensive professional development and challenge course training.

Sample pricing, guidelines and program samples are available - also long term contracts.

To bring your class, group or camp program to the Challenge Course at Moraine Farm, contact Jeff or PA at info@pa.org or 978-524-4558. We are booking now for November and Spring, Summer 2009.

California Master's Degree Cohort Starts with Portable Adventure

2008-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

The first session of the California / Project Adventure Master's Degree Cohort began Friday night in Aliso Viejo, California. Kristen Okura, Physical Educator at Don Juan Avila Middle School is the coordinator of the six workshop series.

The first workshop, Portable Adventure, started on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with pizza and paperwork. Then PA trainer Topaz Murphy Terry jumped right in with activities and teaching the core components of adventure facilitation.

On Saturday morning when I checked back in with the group at mid morning, they were discussing the first 8 activities they had already learned!

One of the discussions I had the benefit of sitting in on was "Boundaries". Topaz talked about a new twist on using cones or boundary ropes or verbal prompts to remind students were the boundaries are. She talked about using "in the action" and "out of the action" to describe to prompt students.

"Are you in the action?" "What does it feel like to be in the action?" "What did it feel like when you were out of where the action is happening?".

She talked about using with a group of fifth graders who quickly learned that being "out of where the action happening" became boring, lonely and not so much fun. Their desire to be "in the action" or within the boundaries became predicated on their own experiences and learning...and not on Topaz repeatedly saying, "Susie, remember to stay in the boundaries".

A large discussion began and the group talked about ways to apply this new language and places where it really wouldn't be applicable.

We did a brief check in on the next workshops coming up. Participants talked about how these workshops are so relevant to the actual work they are doing. And how the projects, that they will work on with the Plymouth State advisor, Jamie Hanon, will be truly meaningful to their day-to-day teaching.

At this point, regretfully, it was time for me to pack up and head out. But I was delighted to hear the group talking about how they were going to communicate between workshops, possibly begin a study group, share and discuss projects and more.

If you are interested in learning how you can start or participate in a Master's in Education with a focus on Adventure through Plymouth State University and Project Adventure in your area ... email bwonson@pa.org or call 978-524-4619.

Oh, the things Project Adventure teachers will do

2008-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Mark Michaud, a Project Adventure teacher from Newtown Middle School in CT has a hand in creating a trebuchet...a midieval military device for tossing heavy loads. Michaud and others used the device to offer up the opportunity to community members to toss pumpkins for charity.

And of course, like any good PA educator, Michaud and students combined math, physics and history with active learning to create, test and now figure out a real life application for thier trebuchet.

Photos and full article!

Independent School Adventure Network (ISAN) Institute

2008-11-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

The 4th Annual Independent School Adventure Education Network (ISAN) Institute will be held January 21-24, 2009 at the Lawrenceville School (New Jersey).

ISAN was founded in 2005 and is sponsored by Project Adventure, Inc. The goal of ISAN is to provide a place for independent school administrators and staff who share a common vision and commitment to the use of active, experiential and outdoor education methodology to "talk shop" and learn from each other.

The founding schools of the ISAN Institute are: Albuquerque Academy, The Lawrenceville School, Phillips Andover Academy, The Westminster Schools, and the Westtown School.

Each year the ISAN is hosted by a different member school providing an opportunity to see programs and programming up close. Also, presentations by industry experts as well as sharing of program strengths and challenges are part of the agenda. And of course, networking and fun.

"I gained more from this ISAN three days than from years of other larger conferences. I came away charged, filled iwth appropriate facts and details, and renewed in my belief that what we are doing really matters, both in our own lives and in the lives of our students". Jim Brady, Assitant Head, Santa Barbara Middle School

To find out more info or to register go to www.isaninfo.com

Project Adventure Fans and Friends - Sign up now

2008-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Be on of the first to sign up on the newest blog feature - Project Adventure Fans and Friends...scroll all the way to the VERY bottom of the blog...and sign up!

Achieving Fitness of the Body and the Mind, Jane Panicucci

2008-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Strategies Magazine, published by NASPE features Achieving Fitness of Body and Mind by Jane Panicucci.

Panicucci is available for professional development, district wide in-service and keynote sessions. As the thought-leader in the value of social/emotional competency and physical activity in schools, Panicucci's message is founded in solid research. All members of the educational community, from administrators to practitioners, will leave with a fresh understanding the impact physical activity on the brain's ability to learn.

Panicucci serves as the Treasurer for the National Afterschool Association, is a coach for administrators seeking to bring about culture and climate change within their schools, is a former physical educator and Outward Bound course leader. Jane has held positions as corporate consultant, Director of Training and Consulting and is currently the Vice President at Project Adventure, Inc.

Call 978-524-4619 or email info@pa.org for more info.

Will Smith, Oprah and Adventure

2008-11-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

I watched the Oprah show in awe yesterday as Will Smith discussed turning 40 and what that means for transforming his life to a place of service for others. What does this have to do with adventure teaching and counseling?

Will talked about the power of groups. How groups, when performing well, can actually manage the emotional and physical safety of their community (he was using his family dynamics as an example and he and his wife's parenting philosophy). He talked about how the power of being inside the group or pushed out of the group can be a powerful tool. He was very vague, but passionate...and had clearly thought a lot about this concept of the group...and the ability to harness the power of it for good. Of course, the advertising breaks kept interrupting his thought process and momentum (he even voiced frustration when the "going to commercial music" started saying "No, not again").

He reminded me so much of so many people who experience Project Adventure for the first time. When they begin to really understand that the Full Value Contract is more than rules. That is a living, breathing agreement for guiding and transforming the community. When they experience "Challenge by Choice"(c) and see that it is not a tool for opting out, but actually a tool for empowerment. For taking risks in a safe and supported environment. When they experience communication, reflection and feedback through the "Adventure Group Process" - and for the first time in their lives understand the difference between open, honest and valuing communication and criticism.

What Will Smith was describing was the power of the Project Adventure's methodology. He was talking about what PA has been seeing and experiencing for over 37 years as a non-profit organization.

Will, if you are looking to put a name to what you are describing, it is called "adventure education". If you are looking to learn more about how a non-profit, comprised of believers, educators, counselors, administrators and researchers have been developing curriculum, training professionals, working with youth on leadership, and striving to transform the life's of vulnerable and at-risk youth through the use of this methodology - please contact us. ( info@pa.org or 805-556-0895.

Staff Development Feedback - Wouldn't you like to hear these comments?

2008-11-05T12:57:00.000-08:00

Any school administrator will tell you that it is no easy task to strike a balance when providing professional development for staff. Finding a program that your faculty sees as a good use of thier time, is meaningful and relevant and will actually help them grow as professionals....is not easy.

Recently, Senior PA Consultant Bart Crawford conducted a professional development session at the International School in Greenwich CT. Here is some feedback on the program:

"...able to be out of our comfort zones in non-threatening ways".
"Building relationships with respect and communication".
"Over the past few years we have been through a lot and we needed this opportunity to help us move forward".
"There were definitely activities today that I can use in my classes".
"It was helpful to reflect on who we are as learners".
"This workshop was more relevant and useful than previous 'group building' sessions".
"We need to have more experiences like this".
"I feel relaxed and stress free...and grateful for not having to sit all day".
"This was the most relaxing and fun staff development day I've had in 7 years".
"It was a pleasure to be in a workshop with a facilitator who has clear goals, is well prepared and leads the group comfortably".

Learning in the Great Outdoors at Wilderness School in Daly City, CA

2008-11-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

The San Mateo County's homepage featured an article in The Daily Journal on the field trip the South San Francisco-based Baden Continuation High School took to the Wilderness School's White Hawk Ropes Course on San Bruno Mountain.

As I read the article, I was taken with the uniqueness of this program run by the Wilderness School. You see, as part of this one semester program offered through Jefferson Union High School District, 10th through 12th graders can learn to be facilitators on the White Hawk Challenge course and work with students and groups from other schools and agencies.

Long time Project Adventure friend and experiential education advocate, Reno Taini, created The Wilderness School program by bringing the concept of project-based learning and wilderness education to life. The programs cornerstone is the concept of "learning", "doing", "reflecting" and then "internalizing" learning. In existence since 1967, the curriculum and outcomes of The Wilderness School are as relevant today as they were then.

To learn how your educators and counselors can bring components of a program similar to The Wilderness School to your school or agency, contact Project Adventure - the leading in advancing active learning since 1971.
Email bwonson@pa.org or 805-556-0895.

What I have learned is that Project Adventure can be used in my future - a student's reflection

2008-11-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hamilton Wenham High School is where PA began. And continues. This reflection, written by a student, is included on page 12 of the November 2008 - Hamilton Wenham Regional High School Syllabus.

"Project adventure has challenged me to put more trust in my
classmates and to deal with my large fear of heights. I find it difficult to
function any more than ten feet off the ground, so relying on others to
keep me from falling was not high on my agenda list. Project adventure
forced me into these circumstances and made me have to believe in my
own abilities and other people around me.

I learned that I can cooperate with other people well, when I give
up on being the leader, but do not put aside my own recommendations.
I must strike a balance between being bossy and holding back my own
ideas.

To my classmates, I would like to be known as a good listener and
to appear in control of myself. I want my classmates to think of me as a
reliable and focused person who can try their best, even if my best is not
up to their standards. I influence that image by putting a lot of effort
into every initiative we do, so I do not slow them down, being seen as a
participator rather then a slacker.

What I have learned is that project adventure can be used in my
future. Cooperating with a group of people that I am not close with is a
social skill used in the workplace. Teams are often put together to
accomplish a goal together that they would not be able to accomplish by
themselves. Getting across the wire on the "lifeline" with others is not
far different than a meeting of employees balancing a company’s budget.
Both require a high level of participation and cooperation".

Santa Fe Mountain Center Receives AEE Award

2008-11-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Project Adventure congratulates Sky Gray and her great team at Santa Fe Mountain Center!

The Santa Fe Mountain Center (SFMC) has been selected as the Association for Experiential Education’s (AEE) organizational member of the year. According to a press release, Dr. Nina Roberts, assistant professor of Recreation, Tourism and Parks at San Francisco State University, wrote in here nomination letter: “They have touched the lives of thousands of people, young and old, giving many of their clients something to hope for during times of uncertainty and despair. Even the healthiest participants – across the program spectrum – credit SFMC for providing them with new ways of thinking and being in the world. The SFMC exemplified social justice and constantly strives for social change by Mountain Center will soon be celebrating 30-years as one of this nation’s premiere experiential education programs.”

To see the full press release go to http://nhcv.blogspot.com/2008/11/santa-fe-mountain-center-receives.html.

The leadership of Project Adventure is proud to have worked on several committees with the leadership of Santa Fe Mountain Center, and to have consulted on curriculum and training for the SFMC staff. Congratulations to Sky and team for all your hard work, dedication and commitment not only to experietial education and programming but to the community and people you serve!

Regards, your friends at PA.

Climbing Walls for Pennridge Middle School

2008-11-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

From The Intelligencer - www.phillyblurbs.com - Nov. 3, 2008

Students soon will be climbing the walls
By THERESA HEGEL The Intelligencer

Some kids dress up as Spider-Man for Halloween.
But Pennridge middle-schoolers will soon have the chance to become Spidey. Or at least to climb across a wall like the Web-slinging superhero.

The school board approved a $13,500 contract with Massachusetts-based nonprofit Project Adventure for design, installation and training on 40-foot-long climbing walls at the district's three middle schools. The district will spend less than $10,000 to buy the needed materials.
The walls are short, with students' feet never more than 3 feet above the ground, but students can climb across their length, not just their height.

Climbing walls and other challenge-course activities reflects a shift in physical education philosophy, said Arlene Zielinski, assistant superintendent for programs. She added that the walls should go up in December or January.

When she was in school, “Phys-ed was seen as ground for training future athletes and if you weren't among them you just kind of had to go along anyway,” she said.
Though Pennridge still features team sports as part of its gym curriculum, now there is also an emphasis on wellness and fitness.

“This creates more of a balance,” Zielinski said.

The climbing walls, which can improve coordination, problem solving and teamwork in addition to building upper body strength, tend to be motivational for students who aren't necessarily top athletes, she said.

“When success is defined as personal, individual progress ... all children can do that,” she said.

Pennridge received a federal grant to install climbing walls at its elementary schools several years ago and has had great success integrating them into the physical education program, Zielinski said.

There has also been some interest in purchasing a taller climbing wall for the high school, but Zielinski said such walls pose some problems* because they require harnesses and other gear and fewer students can use them at one time.

Project Adventure, a 37-year-old international organization, provides schools and other agencies with the tools to implement various experiential programs, according to its Web site.

Theresa Hegel can be reached at 215-538-6381 or thegel@phillyBurbs.com.

*research shows that with properly trained staff, inspection and maintenance by a qualified vendor, climbing elements that utilize harnesses, helmets and appropriate safety equipment actually result in less injuries than low challenge course elements. (PA comment)

Master's in Education - Adventure Focus - California locations

2008-10-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Kristen Okura of Don Juan Avila Middle School in Ailiso Viejo CA and Chip Candy, NASPE Teacher of the Year from NJ, have been advocating for a series of workshops for California PE Educators that will support the achievement of the Plymouth State University / Project Adventure Master's in Education with an Adventure Focus.

Starting in November, a series of weekend Project Adventure workshops will be held in Ailiso Viejo. Each workshop is eligible for 2 or 4 graduate credits through PSU (part of the NH state university system). Workshops will be lead by Project Adventure instructors.

And, the good news is, you don't have to be interested in graduate credit to take the workshops. You can select one workshop or if you register for five or more, you receive a 10% discount on all workshops. The workshop tuition includes all books and materials. Payment for credits is through PSU ($135 per credit). Workshop tuition ranges from $290 - $ 400 and is payable directly to Project Adventure. Advance registration is required.

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, or to inquire about holding a series of workshops in your area, contact bwonson@pa.org or call 805-556-0895 or 978-524-4619.

Click here for more info on the Master's Degree Program or PA's California Workshop Series.

Research and Evaluation of Adventure Programs - 5th Annual

2008-10-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

What are the goals of REAP?

To advance scientific, evidence-based research in adventure programming in educational and therapeutic settings.

To connect research with practice and practitioners with researchers.

To explore how evidence-based research can influence program quality and public policy.

Don't miss it!

The Annual REAP Symposium March 18-20, 2009 Atlanta, GA, USA
5th REAP Symposium
Introduction Letter from Paul Limoges, Chief Executive Officer, Association for Experiential Education and Dick Prouty, President, Project Adventure, Inc.
REAP Symposium Flyer
REAP Symposium Call for Proposals (Word doc ) (pdf )

For questions, contact Alison Rheingold, Coordinator @
alisonrheingold@gmail.com

Project Adventure Workshop Photos!

2008-10-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

What do you do in a PA workshop? Adventure Programming looks like this:
all.things.zietz.: UPDATE: Pics from Project Adventure Workshop

Reflections from a workshop partictipant

2008-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Of course, Project Adventure trainings are about learning skills, methods and tools for using in your work. But the by-product which is often over looked - or that isn't thought about in advance is the learning about your self.

One recent participants comments remind me of that extremely meaningful and relevant benefit of the unique format of Project Adventure's open-enrollment workshops.

all.things.zietz.: I have returned

Putting learning into action!

2008-10-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

"I’ve been teaching history for 10 years. The skills I’ve learned through my Project Adventure trainings have been the highlight of my teaching career!"

Mike Brady, Indian River Middle School, Chesapeake VA

Mike became re-engaged with Project Adventure in 2007 when he wanted to pursue his Master’s Degree. After eight years of teaching middle school history, Mike was considering getting his Master’s in counseling. After doing some research, he realized that school counseling wasn’t exactly the direction he was seeking.

A brainstorming exercise reminded him of an experience he had working at a camp where he used adventure-based methods. Mike realized, "Wow, why don’t I pursue something along the lines of Project Adventure".

Mike recalls that his research led him to the Project Adventure/Plymouth State University Master’s in Education program. The combination of PA workshops and PSU classes "are in line with my passion."

As team leader, Mike has been able to introduce his fellow teachers to the core concepts of Project Adventure including the Full Value Contract, Challenge by Choice© and intentionally-designed activities.

He recalled an incident where the benefit of Project Adventure’s methods was demonstrated. A teacher left the class room briefly. Upon his return, the teacher noticed that someone had written a derogatory term on the board. Of course, no one would come clean on who had written the word. Using the PA Adventure Group Process that Mike learned in his Adventure with Youth at Risk workshop and passed on to his fellow teachers, the students were empowered to maintain a safe learning environment while helping their peer to take ownership of negative behavior. During this process, the young woman admitted that she was the one who had written on the board. Her peers decided on a consequence, which she agreed to (In School Suspension) and served.

This intervention was successful for all students, including the young woman, because the ground work was done in advance through the use of the Full Value Contract and active learning including adventure activities. These methods increase social and emotional competency, develop an emotionally safe learning environment, and challenge students to become responsible and accountable for their own behaviors.

Mike is hoping to build on this success. He is proposing a nine-week Project Adventure based course. Students, some who will elect to participate and some who maybe identified, will increase social and emotional skills, increase pro-social behaviors and ultimately increase academic success.

To learn more about how you can bring Project Adventure into your school or program, email bwonson@pa.org or call 1-978-524-4619.

Creating Respectful Communities - Alley Pond Adventure - 10.2.08

2008-10-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

The theme of using adventure education as a tool for creating respectful communities in schools and agencies was embraced by over 100 administrators, educators, counselors and policeman under clear blue skies on Oct. 2 at Alley Pond Adventure Park.

Opening remarks from C. Warren "Pete" Moses, Chief Executive Director of The Children's Aid Society, set the tone for the interactive event sponsored by Project Adventure's Metro NYC Advisory Board. Moses recalled how his own experiences shaped his belief in the power of adventure as a tool for helping to increase social and emotional competency in children, youth and adults.

Jane Panicucci, the leading expert in incorporating active learning and adventure into curriuclum and culture in schools and agencies delivered a keynote on how self-efficacy is increased through the use of adventure. Leading the group through activities to experientially highlight the key points of her message, Panicucci helped participants then connect how increased self-efficacy supports increased ability to learn new behaviors and change norms, culture and climate.

Participants broke into groups lead by local practitioners who incorporate the core concepts of Project Adventure into their work.

Presenters included: Colleen Morey, Greenwich Public Schools, Director of PE, Health and Consumer Science; Rick Levine, Principal, NYC Public Schools; Vince Canziani, Director, Wagon Road Camp and Jane Panicucci, Vice President, Project Adventure.

Following a networking lunch, participants who so desired were able to experience Alley Pond's outstanding challenge course which was designed and installed by Project Adventure.

Feedback on the day from participants was overwhelming positive.

Adventure Success from Washington State

2008-10-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hello from the great northwest. I just wanted to update you on how things are going out here in Washington State. I am using Project Adventure stuff in all my classes and I am a true believer.

If you use the stuff it works. There are so many team building, community building activities along with the Full Value Contract that it has all but cut any discipline problems we had. I truly don’t know where the discipline referrals are at our school.

Also, I just put our Junior Varsity volleyball through some of the team building activities and they just went and beat the local powerhouse. They didn’t touch a volleyball on Monday and went and won on Tuesday with a new found teamwork and togetherness. The girls were giddy and excited and their coach was pleased at their cohesiveness. Anyway, I just thought I would pass on a little success story from our neck of the woods.

Brian Hagbo
Physical Education Instructor
Ellensburg High School

Project Adventure California Workshop Series

2008-10-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Earn Graduate Credit!

Earn a Master's in Education!

Learn to implement a portable adventure program!

Weekend Schedule!

Meaning and Relevant Content!

Active Learning!

All in Southern California!

Workshop Schedule

Nov. 14, 15 & 16 Portable Adventure

Dec. 6 & 7 Adventure Curriculum for PE

Jan. 10 & 11 Engaging Activities for Social and Emotional Learning

Jan. 24 & 25 Debriefing Tools

Feb. 28 & March 1 Achieving Fitness

March 20, 21 & 22 Adventures in Building Community and Diversity

Workshops are being held at Don Juan Avila Middle School, 26278 Wood Canyon, Aliso Viejo CA

Workshops are offered in an abbreviated format. 3 day workshops begin on Friday with registration at 5:30 p.m. and start at 6:00 p.m. Saturday hours are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sunday hours are 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 2 day workshops begin Saturday with registration at 7:30 a.m. and start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

If you are interested in earning a Master's In Education with an Adventure focus, please contact Plymouth State University to begin the enrollment process asap ( 603-535-3220 or forgrad@mail.plymouth.edu). Tell them you are considering the Project Adventure CA Workshop Series.

Good wishes, Lisa Faulkingham Hunt

2008-09-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today, Project Adventure says good bye to a long term trainer and consultant, Lisa Faulkingham Hunt.

Lisa's career at PA has spanned nearly 10 years and her influence has ranged from Youth and College Program Facilitator, working on our Association of Experiential Education Accreditation, co-author of our Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education k-12 series and co-author of Achieving Fitness Activity Guide. Most recently, Lisa has lead our Physical Education Core Team.

We wish her well. With Lisa's permission, we've included her reflections on her time at PA.

"I love the moments on the Challenge Course when decisions are made – the big “go for it” dives of the pamper pole, or the screaming dismount onto the zip wire. But what I love even more are the quiet decisions that people make, not so dramatic but full of growth and thought, toward the next right thing. The quiet decision to leave the comfort of the tree and walk out one step onto the Catwalk; as if it were just simply their time to do it. It has become my time to make that quiet decision to leave the comfort of my Project Adventure family, and I am able to make this critical next move because of what you have taught me.

It is a simple task to reflect on the highlights of my experience working at Project Adventure. The images, the people, the moments and the sounds come to mind quickly. The opportunities that have been presented to me are ones I don’t expect to find anywhere else. It is simple too to reflect on the relationships, who you all are, and how you have impacted me and my work, because all of the relationships are so dear and special to me, and they are right there, right up close in my thoughts. Lists of moments that I’m proud of come easily too, as do the memories of making mistakes in my leadership that you’ve allowed me to take as learning opportunities.

But you’ve taught me that my responsibility is to step into my stretch zone, so to write about the highlights, the relationships, the memories, the accomplishments, the pride isn’t going to cut it.

You’ve taught me to set goals, to revisit them often and to say them out loud. So, my goal is to reflect on, and share with you, moments when I felt the mission being lived. Moments that really have nothing to do with me.

Project Adventure seeks to develop responsible individuals, productive organizations and sustainable communities. Where have I seen that? What happened?

A second grader at the Arch School in Greenwich, Connecticut is waiting for a program to start. Bart (fellow trainer) and I are present, but behind the curtain of the stage. The girl observes two boys arguing over which one gets to play with a HulaHoop. She approaches them and gently reminds them that they agreed to Be Gentle, Be Kind and Be Safe, and encourages them toward a gentle solution. Not because a teacher was watching. Not because someone suggested that she intervene. She was empowered to use a tool that had been taught to her, that she demonstrated a complete understanding of. This is the young girl who would later ask if Bart and I were “named after Bart and Lisa Simpson.”

Cindy Simpson and I spent about ten days in Rutland, Vermont doing some BMTA (Behavior Management through Adventure) training in 2000. We went back several months later to observe and support their program. A teacher started the day in the gym with a game of Giants, Wizards and Elves. “They are learning, through playing this game day after day, that they can communicate. They can solve problems. They can have fun and laugh. I remind them of this throughout the day,” their teacher tells me. I watch the game. Each side decides quickly which characters they will represent, but with all voices heard. Students are eager to efficiently solve the problem so they can continue the joy of play. They give and take; they strategize. And I saw that over and over again in that classroom. This teacher went on to say that “it doesn’t mean much if I tell them to go and work it out. I have to remind them they have the skills and the tools to work it out. That kind of thing has never happened in this school, or for these kids before.”

Greg Cowen is a teacher from Putnam, CT, one of the early recipients of the PEP grant. Putnam has accessed almost every resource that Project Adventure has to offer. Greg has emerged as the Challenge Course Manager and over the years he has taken 15 Project Adventure Workshops. A combination of Greg’s intelligence and excitement, his trainers over the years and the resources that the school has received have come together to make a truly sustainable program. Each grade level has a Full Value Contract and a thoughtful PE program that reflects the best of what we have to offer made even better by the outstanding work of the teachers in this district. Greg recently completed his third Advanced Skills and Standards workshop and what I saw was a person who has developed over seven years and who has brought an entire program behind him. He will continue his ASAS every couple of years, he will certainly stay in touch with us, but he has what it takes now, it’s just a part of him. I said to him this summer “Greg, I have nothing left to teach you,” and as a client who has soaked up our mission, he has so much to teach us.

And most significantly for me now, I feel proud of Project Adventure’s mission to “bring the adventure home” because I have brought Adventure into my home and to my son, and you all taught me how. The best parts of me as a mother have come from my experience with you. You have taught me:

That we each will act out in different ways when we are in our panic zones, or have been pushed too fast into our stretch zones.

That sometimes we just need to curl up in our comfort zone.

That we will thrive when we understand our behavioral guidelines and that we can contribute to them.

That “good job” can be the end of a conversation, and “how was that?” can be an invitation to share and explore feelings.

The value of a check-in at the beginning of the day and reflection at the end of the day.

The best games are simple, provide opportunity for creativity and can include everyone.(My son and his cousins played “race the acorns down the playground slide” for an hour last weekend, and eventually had all the other kids on the playground involved)

That bursts of physical activity are a natural and critical part of every day.

That in the end my job is to maintain a safe environment and to support the growth of those in my care.

That is not only what you have taught me, but what you have provided that for me while I have been in your care. I am very excited for the opportunities that are ahead for each of you, and the organization that is the sum of you. I leave Project Adventure very humbly, and I will take the lessons you have taught me wherever I go.

And to Lisa, we say "Peace Out". Your friends and colleagues!

Project Adventure's 20 Year Safety Study

2008-09-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand once again, Project Adventure's 20 year safety study is the most comprehensive of its kind and the most referred to the industry. To download your own copy, click here.

Project Adventure Welcomes Back the Cambridge School of Weston

2008-09-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Cambridge School of Weston has been bringing students to the Challenge Course at Moraine Farm since 2005.

The faculty of this school originally came to Project Adventure for a staff development day, and had a great program. The teachers immediately saw the connection for student learning based upon their experience.

The culture of the school is one of emphasis on the individual’s strengths and talents. Because of this, one of the goals was to help students reach out to students they might not usually interact with, and to learn the positive side of working as a community.

At the end of the first program, the teachers felt very hopeful that PA would have a positive influence on their school community. Based on their history with PA and the excitement with which students look forward to the program, it appears their goals are being met.

To learn how your school, agency or group can benefit from an adventure program - call 978-524-4554 today or email... info@pa.org

Achieving Fitness of the Body and the Mind, by Jane Panicucci

2008-09-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

A new article by Jane Panicucci that will help you make the case for increasing physical activity in your program!

Panicucci, M.Ed., Harvard University, is currently Vice President of Project Adventure and author of Achieving Fitness: An Adventure Activity Guide and the Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education series. Panicucci is also the leading expert on the integration of adventure in Physical Education programs and schools. As a public school educator in the mid 80's, Jane designed an Adventure curriculum that is still going strong. She is an international keynote speaker addressing the issue of adventure play and effective teaching to support positive change.

To learn how to bring Panicucci to your school, program or conference, contact bwonson@pa.org or call 978-524-4619.

The Best Deal Around - Free Membership in the National Alternative Education Association

2008-09-10T15:24:00.001-07:00

The National Alternative Education Association is an all-volunteer organization with members nation wide. With a focus on providing tools, standards, support and professional development to its membership and beyond, membership in NAEA is free! Simply go to the NAEA website and sign up.

You'll join a growing group of professionals who are committed to providing high-quality, standards based education to vulnerable, at-risk and disengaged children and youth.

In conjunction with University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, the NAEA hosts an annual conference. Now in its 15th year, the conference, "Alternatives to Expulsion, Suspension and Dropping Out of School" features a tract for administrators, gang issues and immigration. The conference is being held in San Antonio, TX January 28-31, 2009.

Connect with educators, curriculum coordinators, school resource officers, and administrators from across the US. Join today.

Project Adventure Workshop Listing 2008-2009

2008-09-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Project Adventure's 2008-2009 Workshop catalog including workshop descriptions and dates is now available on line.

For assistance in selecting a workshop, call 1-978-524-4554 or info@pa.org. And remember, any of these workshops can be customized and delivered at your site for your staff.

Lockport High School Starts the Year with Climbing Wall Training!

2008-09-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

Lockport High School was one of the many schools around the country that used their Carol White PEP Grant funds to infuse adventure into their physical education program.

Project Adventure's PEP Grant Implementation Specialists, Bill Bates and Wayne Berger worked closely with grant coordinator Pat Seidel to develop a challenge course installation that meets Lockport's goals for improving PE in the district.

This week, Darryl Essensa, a PA trainer and former Physical Educator, is working with physical educators from Lockport in an intensive training which combines our Adventure Programming and Technical Skills Intensive - customized to meet their specific goals.

The educators are learning practical skills for using the challenge course equipment effectively including:

Standard operating procedures and safety guidelines.
Understand the applications for equipment including harnesses, helmets, carabiners, and belay devices and belay set-ups.
And knot-tying skills, belay team skills
Challenge course take up and set down procedures and equipment retrieval.

The educators are also learning the soft skills required for effectively using adventure in-line with curriculum standards for Physical Education including:

The core concepts of effective PA programming including Challenge by Choice (c), Full Value Contract and the Experiential Learning Cycle.
How to use sequencing, debriefing and facilitation skills to achieve desired outcomes.
They will experience the activities that they will be expecting students to participate in.
They will learn to infuse fun, positive and appropriate risk taking and trust into their classes and teaching methods.

At the end of the five day training, educators will be able to effectively implement Project Adventure into their Physical Education curriculum. The result will be students who are more engaged in physical activity and have learned tools for goal setting, appropriate risk taking and have a better idea of what they are capable of - not only physically, but mentally, academically and socially.

Interesting in bringing an adventure program to your school, agency or organization? Interested in learning more about how to apply for Carol White PEP Grant funding? Contact PA today!

http://www.pa.org/ bbates@pa.org 1-800-468-8898 x 4554

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Funding Program - for use for permanent facilities, playgrounds etc.

2008-09-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

It appears that challenge and ropes courses would be a good fit for this funding source. Schools and/or affliated parent groups can apply. They are interested in projects that have a facilities based focus and bring the community together.

Read on:

Lowe's Toolbox for Education K-12 Grant Program Opens Fall
2008 Cycle
Deadline: October 17, 2008
The Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program, an initiative of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation ( http://lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=AboutLowes/Community ), is dedicated to supporting parent-teacher groups at schools across the United States.
Any individual nonprofit public K-12 school or parent group associated with a nonprofit public K-12 school is eligible to apply.
Parent groups that are applying (PTO, PTA, etc.) must have an independent tax ID number and official 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. Groups without this status should apply through their school.
Pre-schools are not eligible at this time. Applicant schools must be more than two years old.
The grant program gives preference for funding requests that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and
outdoor) as well as landscaping/clean-up projects. Projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit are encouraged.
Up to $5,000 per school is available. In order to apply, the requested grant amount must be between $2,000 and $5,000. Lowe's will donate $5 million to schools and school parent teacher groups at more than 1,000 different schools during the school year.
The Fall 2008 deadline for submitting applications is October 17, 2008. However, if 1,500 applications are received before the application deadline, the application process will close.
See the Toolbox for Education Web site for application procedures and sample projects.
RFP Link:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15014675/toolboxfored

School District Implements Project Adventure to Support MCAS Turn Around

2008-08-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

North Andover, MA

Project Adventure is working closely with Kevin Hutchinson, Assistant Superintendent in North Andover, MA and his team of educators, parents and students to assess the culture and climate of the school environment.

A long time Project Adventure advocate, Hutchinson contacted PA to support the development of a positive school culture and climate and to assess the social and emotional landscape at North Andover.

The North Andover Citizen newspaper and Wicked Local Webnews detail the MCAS results and the leadership strategy to improve.

Project Adventure's Consulting Team is lead by Larry Childs and Jane Panicucci.

Achieving Fitness Symposium - Oct. 10, 2008 Marlborough MA

2008-08-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

"There is cutting edge research explaining the profound impact that physical activity has on the brain's ability to learn, and on an individual's ability to manage behavior. Yet, scientists struggle with how to make exercise fun. That is a terrible miss, and hte use of adventure and play is the simple solution." Jane Panicucci, Vice President PA

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Achieving Fitness-An Adventure Approach - Practitioner Symposium

October 10, 2008

8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Marlborough MA

A full day symposium exploring the following questions:

How can I infuse an existing fitness program with activities that engage everyone?

How can physical activities enhance my afterschool program, my academic classroom, or my

therapeutic/alternative school?

What are the social components of an effective program?

Can exercise make my students smarter?

Who should attend? Physical Educators, Recreation Therapists, Principals and Adminstrators,

Program Directors, Curriculum Coordinators, Therapeutic Treatment and Program Directors, Fitness Professionals, After School Professionals, Youth Development Specialists and anyone who is new to adventure or experienced but looking for new ideas.

Learn more and/or register here.

Project Adventure and Upcoming Conferences

2008-08-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce our 2008-2009 Conference Schedule. Conferences are a great place to meet PA trainers, consultants and implementation specialists. You can also preview our newest books or look at some of our classic titles.

Also, take advantage of a our attendance at a conference in your area to schedule a one-on-one consultation or have a customized training at your school or agency at a reduced rate (because you save on travel)!

Do you know about a conference, regional meeting or seminar where the audience would benefit from:

Engaging, exciting and active presentations?
Content that is brought to life though experiential and adventure methods?
Teambuilding and community building?
Keynote or plenary sessions that are engaging, fun and make connections between activity, cognition, behavior, health and wellness?

Let us know! Contact Beth Wonson (bwonson@pa.org) or call 805-556-0895!

We hope to see you at one of the great conferences below:

Colorado AHPERD 10/16 - 10/18/2008 Boulder, CO
Maine AHPERD 11/2 - 11/4/2008 Samoset ME
Vermont AHPERD 11/13 - 11/14/2008 Killington VT
Virginia AHPERD 11/7 - 11/9/2008 Reston VA
Association of Experiential Education 11/6 - 11/9/2008 Vancouver WA
Massachusetts AHPERD 11/17 - 11/18/2008 Worcester MA Jane Panicucci will be signing "Achieving Fitness" 11/18/2008 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Pennslyvania AHPERD 11/20 - 11/23/2008 Pittsburgh PA Pre-conference Achieving Fitness Session with Jane Panicucci.
New York State AHPERD 11/19 - 11/22/2008 Turning Stone NY
Independent School Adventure Network (ISAN) 1/21 - 1/24/2009 Lawrenceville NJ
Southwest District Ahperd 1/21 - 1/24/2009 Phoenix AZ
Annual Conference on Alternatives to Expulsion, Suspension, and Dropping out of School, 1/28-1/31/2009, San Antonio TX
Association for Challenge Course Technology Conference, 1/29-2/1/2009, Houston TX
Eastern District AHPERD, 2/4 - 2/7/2008, Lancaster PA
American Camping Association, National Conference, 2/17 - 2/20/2009, Orlando FL
New Jersey AHPERD, 2/22 - 2/24/2009 Jane Panicucci, Keynote Address
American Camping Association, Tri-State Conference, 3/17 - 3/20/2009, Atlantic City, NJ
National AAHPERD Conference, 3/31 - 4/4/2009, Tampa, FL - email us to receive an invitiation to our P*A*R*T*Y...to win prizes....play "Got-cha"...and join in all the AAHPERD/PA fun! (http://www.aahperd.com/ -subject line - AAHPERD signup!)

Scituate High School and Project Adventure - Getting Kids Motivated About Moving

2008-08-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

"We are going with more life long skills than team sports type things" is the quote by Greg Rainer, Health and Wellness Chair at Scituate High School in Scituate, MA. As part of a tax override vote, the school has been able to replace a climbing wall that had been installed by novices with a professionally installed Project Adventure Climbing Wall.

In an article by Brian Nanos of the Wicked Local Website, PA Installer and Challenge Course Inspection Coordinator Alex Kramer is pictured providing an orientation to Rainer of the new climbing wall. In September, Physical Educators and other staff will receive training from Project Adventure on the appropriate use of the elements.

Assistant Superintendent, Jim Kelleher refers to the PA climbing wall and training as tools for continued improvement of curriculum in the district.

Interested in installing a climbing wall in your school or agency? Contact PA today! 978-524-4554 or info@pa.org.

Casa Mia Ranch - Behavior Management through Adventure in the Southwest

2008-08-20T15:51:00.001-07:00

Casa Mia Ranch, located in Silver City, NM, uses Project Adventure's licensed model, Behavior Management through Adventure, as a tool for helping vulnerable and at-risk youth realize their full potential and break through perceived barriers to become successful and contributing members of society.

According to the Casa Mia Ranch website, BMTA and experiential ed are implemented to:

"encourage people to learn new things about themselves and offer engaging opportunities for the practice of fundamental life skills".

Through action oriented, hands-on educational methods, the ranch seeks to instill the knowledge that:

Each of us has the potential to influence our world.
We can take responsibility for our own actions.
Most behavioral limitations are self-imposed.
Planning, teamwork, and determination can over-come great obstacles.

To read evaluation data from other BMTA sites, click here.

To learn how you can use the tools and methods of this researched model, BMTA, contact Beth Wonson, bwonson@pa.org , 978-524-4619.

Setting Students Up for High School Success - Using Project Adventure Activities

2008-08-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

Goal setting, diversity, conflict resolution and team building....,

200 high school students from the Mansfield Public Schools, including 60 incoming freshman, spend two days out of their summer setting themselves up for success by attending the Annual Leadership Summit.

Activities include not only PA activities with problem-solving on the challenge course, but also writing "goal letters" to identify what they want to strive for and achieve during their high school years.

Share the tools you use for goal setting and achievement with students!
Or contact PA to get some great ideas. 978-524-4558. info@pa.org

To see the full article, click here.

Team Adventure and the Covington Century

2008-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

The 20th Annual Covington Century Bike Ride was a huge success with over
1,100 cyclists attending the 30 to 100 mile ride!

Leading the cyclists for the first time ever in the history of the ride, was "Team Adventure", 30
youth and staff from Project Adventure Kids (PAK). All proceeds from the ride benefited PAK.

Dick Prouty, Executive Director of Project Adventure (pictured from left to right), and Aaron Nicholson, Assistant Director of Project Adventure Kids , Jonathon Belt (former student, current college student and part time PA Kids staff person), Kim Boykin (program director) and Tom Shumaker (staff person) rode with the "Team Adventure".

In the past 19 years, the kids have always just worked
the rest stops at the ride. To be on the first cycle team at PAK, the kids
had to earn the right through positive behavior. Many of these teens have spent their
entire lives in foster care and had not ever ridden a bicycle.

The Atlanta and Covington cycle teams pulled together to teach these kids a healthy
hobby that the kids can carry with them into their adult lives. Thanks to
the many cycle volunteers, the kids received new bicycles and cycling
clothes. They even got a cycling coach who taught them the rules of the road
and took them on practice rides.

Being in foster care, you are always riding in group vans, so that made the thrill for the kids of riding a bicycle on the road that much more exciting. It was a great day not just for the kids
riding in their first ride but also for all of the 1,100+ cyclists who realized they were riding to make a difference in these kid's lives!

Students Prepare for High School on Prairie View Hospital's Challenge Course in Newton, KS

2008-08-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Teachers and administrators from Hutchinson High School in Kansas work to make the transition into high school as seamless as possible for students. According to an article on Hutchinson News On-line, a group on incoming freshman spent two weeks preparing for the challenges of high school through environmental programs, outdoor education and challenge course activities.

Prairie View Process Solutions is a Project Adventure partner offering direct-service challenge course programs and professional development services in the use of Project Adventure's Behavior Management through Adventure program in and around Kansas.

Assistant Principal Patterson is quoted as saying, "We are trying to build positive student/teacher relationships". And believes that this gives students an early chance for success.

One teacher is quoted as saying the challenge course program was "especially" effective for teambuilding. Hutchinson High School staff and administration are hoping to grow the program in future years.

Outdoor Education makes front page news!

2008-08-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

The lawmakers, policy makers and newspapers are finally catching onto what Project Adventure, The Association for Experiential Education, The American Camping Association and thousands of educators, counselors, teachers and more have known for years.....

Good mental health, physical health and time in the out-of-doors...all go hand in hand.

See the headline news article in USA Today

There is even hope for $500million over five years to be included for outdoor education in the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind.

It is exciting. And great news. The best programs, of course, will be ready with solid, standards-based curriculum, data collection and evaluation. Remember, Project Adventure's curriuclum consulting team can help you get there!

Challenge Course Management

2008-07-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Reflects by Angel Krimm, PA trainer and former challenge course program manager.

Over the course of the past 3 years, I have seen a dramatic increase in the attendance at the Adventure Program Management workshop. Perhaps it is due to field staff becoming seasoned professionals, or due to the awareness that program managers need to know more that just how to perform technical maneuvers on the challenge course.

The workshop held at Moraine Farm this July was no exception - with 12 participants spanning experience levels of brand new to over 20 years in the Challenge Course industry, and representing just about every client base we serve - PE departments at schools, therapeutic agencies, a camp and conference center, and a military training program.

Together we explored topics of risk management, including staff hiring and retention, medical forms and liability releases, intentional programming (yes, the intentionality that an organization puts towards their program does impact safety!), new regulations and industry standards,and understanding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and how to write Local Operating Procedures (LOPs) among other topics such as marketing and grant support of programs.

Most of PA's trainings are extremely active and experiential...an immersion approach to learning. And although this workshop differs by being content heavy, we kept it light with a few games to aid in the learning. We are experiential educators after all!

The overall consensus throughout and at the end of the workshop is that the information is valuable (though somewhat overwhelming), and participants have a clear sense of the next steps for their organization. Some head home with the intention of getting that Local Operating Procedure manual finished, while others were thinking of ways to get the word out in the community about the great work they are doing. And for one client, regulations really got him thinking as he discovered his home state is considering adopting regulations for zip wires.

The book used extensively through out this workshop is the book that we refer to internally as "Bob's Book"... The Guide for Challenge Course Operations, by Bob Ryan.

If your Challenge Course staff is wishing to pursue ACCT's Challenge Course Manager certification, this workshop, in addition to the related field hours and additional training, and having obtained Practitioner Certification Level II will get them there.

October 24-26, 2008, Covington, GA

January 22-24, 2009, Beverly, MA

March 6-8, 2009, Covington, GA

July 13-15, 2009, Beverly, MA

October 23-25, 2009, Covington, GA

A Must Read - SPARK by John J. Ratey, MD

2008-07-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Jane Panicucci, creator of PA's Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education, k-12 and Achieving Fitness, says, "This is a great read! Ratey illuminates the many connections between adventure, cognition and fitness".

A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.

Discussing the "New PE", Ratey talks about how Naperville, IL's physical educators, Phil Lawler and Paul Zientarski say, "In our department we create the brain cells. It's up to the other teachers to fill them up".

Zientarski goes on to talk about how the public, when asked about what skills they want student to leave high school with say communication, small group work, problem solving and risk taking. "Where does that happen?" Zientarski asks on page 25 of SPARK, "Science class? I don't thinks so."

Sound like adventure? Since 2005, Physical Educators in Naperville have been trained using PA Adventure Curriuclum for PE.

And don't think SPARK is only valuable for physical education and fitness. Ratey, also author of "Driven to Distraction", "Shadow Syndromes", and "A User's Guide to the Brain" delves into the connection between physical activity, fitness and anxiety, depression, stress, attention deficit, addiction, hormonal changes and aging - making this a must read for special educators, counselors or anyone who is striving for tools to transform their ability to connect with, teach and support students, clients and participants.

Now available through Project Adventure, order your copy of SPARK by calling 1-978-524-4556 or email catalog@pa.org.

304 pages, 2008. $25.00

Mentoring, leadership and positive youth development

2008-07-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Since 2003, a youth center in Ciero, NY has used Project Adventure activities and programming as the catalyst for getting teens to positively mentor and build relationships with younger youth.

This is not the first such program or likely to be the last. Bill Bates, formerly Director of Physical Education, Health and Wellness at Cambridge Public Schools outside of Boston, MA (and now a full-time PA consultant) began a great program of community dialogue nights where youth used PA's methodology to create and facilitate community based discussion on topics of importance to them.

In the Bronx, NYC, Global Enterprise Academy uses PA methodology in the Adventure Leaders program. And Greenwich CT Public Schools had used the PA methodology in their Peaceable Playground program, Urban/Suburban exchange programs where youth from diverse communities learn about each other, and in their dialogue night model which grew from the one Bates implemented in Cambridge.

Adventure Happens at the Alternative Learning Enviornments Conference - Hot Springs, Arkansas

2008-07-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

Deb Walter, 2007 NASPE National Teacher of the Year from Rogers, Arkansas spoke at the ALE conference recently in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Deb introduced her fellow alternative educators to the tools, tricks and great activities she uses in her classes.

To bring the excitement and fun of advenure to your conference, professional development program, school or agency...contact Beth Wonson (bwonson@pa.org ).

Combating Decreasing Physical Activity in Youth by Developing Intrinsic Motivation

2008-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

According* to Journal of the American Medical Association article issued on July 16, 2008, the measured physical activity decreased significantly in youth between the ages of 9 and 15 years.

We know all too well that this trend of decreasing physical activity only further increases the negative impact of bad health (both mental and physical) of youth to be successful in school. Further more, the researchers forecast that this trend indicates a lifetime of bad health for these youth.

Providing more minutes within the school schedule for physical activity is certainly a necessity. And it is great to see that more and more states are mandating and embracing more time per day and week.

But, as any physical educator will tell you, just because time is schedule, equipment is purchased and students are required to participate, does not mean they will:

Challenge themselves.
Stretch past their perceived boundaries.
Increase their enjoyment
Experience success.
Seek opportunities for physical activity on their own.
Continue physical activity into young adulthood and adulthood.

In other words, intrinsic motivation!

In essence, the question I hear over and over again from educators is ...how do we engage kids who don't participate or who have previously been unsuccessful with physical activities.

At Project Adventure, we've been struggling with that question as well. We know from our 37 years of history that students who have difficulty engaging in traditional programs and activities LOVE adventure. That they challenge themselves, build confidence, they accomplish things they never dreamt possible. We know that peer support inherent in adventure programming supports students to be successful and continue showing up.

We knew that if we could shape fitness activities into an adventure-based framework...we'd have a winner. And that's what we've done with Achieving Fitness.

Now we are professing that you only need Achieving Fitness to solve all the problems of inactivity, but we do know is that physical educators and fitness professionals who have tried Achieving Fitness agree that it is a great first step to getting youth involved in traditional fitness activities in a meaningful and long-lasting way.

Reflections from a physical educator who took part in PA's Achieving Fitness workshop:

"I think the two most important things I learned as a result of attending were: how to apply adventure theory to what I teach, and how to change my teaching to promote intrinsic motivation.

Embarrassingly, I had believed that intrinsic motivation belonged only to the highest caliber athlete or scholar. However, in our discussion of the characteristics of intrinsic motivation:

creates challenge,
provokes curiosity,
allows for choice,
promotes creativity.

I realized that I see moments of intrinsic motivation every day in my classes, but just not all the time. Also from having been a teacher for a number of years and also from having been a mom and watching my son, I mused over the idea that intrinsically motivated students are rarely behavior problems in the gym and so why not try to teach using activities that would be intrinsically motivating.

The problem I still see is that of differentiated instruction. For every student that comes into the gym who has had a multitude of physical experiences, another comes in shyly, and who participates marginally. A common attitude among lower elementary students is that they show signs of low self esteem around sport activities with which they have little experience.

My assumption was that they were coming into the gym feeling like it was the right place to be if you didn’t know how to play a sport. Rather, they often come in with the idea that everyone else will be better than them and there is the occasional student who just “freezes up” about trying something they may not be very good at. I liked how the Project Adventure activities for fitness would get kids moving no matter what their ability level because they wouldn’t have preconceived notions about the activity".

Let us know what you think?

(*Philip R. Nader; Robert H. Bradley; Renate M. Houts; Susan L. McRitchie; Marion O'BrienJAMA. 2008;300(3):295-305.)

Developing Respectful Communities in Schools and Agencies - NYC

2008-07-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Join Project Adventure's Metro New York City Advisory Board and The Children's Aid Society on October 2 at Alley Pond Adventure for a day of learning, sharing and experiencing!

Who should attend: Administrators, program directors, curriculum coordinators, educators, counselors and anyone who strives to support positive development of children and youth.

What to expect: Opening remarks of welcome from Dr. Irving Hamer, NYC Advisory Board and C. Warren "Pete" Moses, CEO of The Children's Aid Society.

Keynote address by Jane Panicucci, Vice President of PA and lead creator of PA's model for enhancing school culture and climate and PA's Coordinated School Health approach for increasing social and emotional competency, physical activity and health-related fitness.

A variety of concurrent sessions by greater NYC professionals who utilize the researched methodology and core components of PA's programming in their own environments to engage children and youth, help them move past their perceived limitations and enhance program outcomes.

Networking lunch and resource filled bookstore.

Demonstration and opportunity to participate on Alley Pond's state-of-art challenge course designed and installed by Project Adventure. The challenge course is one of many tools that can be used in a solid adventure education program.

Registration is limited to the 100. Preregistration is required.

Questions? 1-800-468-8898 x4638 or info@pa.org!

A Vision for Leadership - St. Martin's Episcopal School Implementation

2008-07-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jeffrey Pratt Beedy, the recently appointed Headmaster at St. Martin’s has a vision for the future that includes leadership. Leadership, according to Beedy, is “not just a title but is the ability to inspire others to a common goal….and emerges at every level of society.”

Leadership development tools at St. Martins include: superior academics, revamped athletic programming, cutting-edge curricular research in the Coatney Leadership Center and project-based leadership built around Project Adventure’s methodology.

Beedy was originally introduced to Project Adventure in 1997 while at Harvard University. He began using PA's researched methodology in his own, widely implemented program, Sports PLUS. The significant relationship between PA and Sports PLUS is the focus on developing life skills such as respect, teamwork, conflict resolution and leadership through activities with outcomes that transfer to the classroom, school, home and community.

Project Adventure’s role at St. Martin’s includes consulting, training and curriculum development. The anticipated outcomes are:

-Development of social-emotional leadership skills in all students and staff in defined and measurable ways by the year 2010-11.
-Development of a steering team for the program composed of staff and students who will be responsible for the overall implementation of the leadership program.
-Development of a k-12 unified leadership curricular plan that includes modules for physical education, athletic team coaching, counseling, classroom management, service learning and selected integrated academic projects.
-Installation of an indoor and outdoor challenge course for the physical education curriculum.
-Design and implementation of an evaluation plan for both process evaluation and professional research outcomes.

Dick Prouty, Executive Director for Project Adventure, Inc. is the lead consultant for the St. Martin’s project. Working closely with Prouty are Larry Childs, Senior School Specialist, Renee Cavaluzzi, Physical Education, Health and Fitness Trainer and Jane Panicucci, Chief Operating Officer. Consulting on the evaluation is Noe Medina of Education Policy Research.

For more information on bringing Project Adventure's researched methodolgy to your program, school, agency or organization, contact us today at info@pa.org or 1-978-524-4554.

Prince Edward County Public Schools - Creating Respectful School Communities

2008-07-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Project Adventure, Inc. (PA) is pleased to announce that Prince Edward County Public Schools (PECPS) in Farmville, VA has joined a growing list of schools and agencies nation-wide using PA’s researched methodology to enhance learning and behavioral outcomes for students.

Beginning with an all-day professional development session for Superintendent Patricia Watkin’s leadership team in July, PECPS will be embarking on a whole-school climate and culture change that will result in:

Common behavioral norms and expectations that foster greater individual accountability for behavior and academic achievement and create a positive learning environment at PECPS.

Experiential and adventure-based skills to help educators create lessons that engage all learners.

Enhanced relationships between students, educators, administration, families and community.

A continuum of programs that support student success within the PECPS campus and reduce out-of-school placements, dropping out and/or out-of-school suspension or expulsion.

Physical Education, Health and Fitness programming that focuses on social and emotional competency, motor skill development and health-related fitness for all students.

Training will begin at the start of the school year with on-going training and consultation throughout the year. Evaluation of the implementation will be conducted jointly between Project Adventure and Prince Edward County Public Schools.

Project Adventure, Inc. (www.pa.org) is a non-profit organization founded in 1971. Headquartered in Massachusetts and Georgia, PA has trained and consulted with schools and agencies across the US and worked internationally as well.

The core methodology, which PA has termed Adventure Education, has been the core theme of PA’s own residential and alternative school programs in Newton County Georgia since the early 1980s.

Rationale and Theory Behind Experiential Ed

2008-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

"Project Adventure has given me the rationale and theory behind experiential learning",
Ana Silva, Principal, Ramona Elementary, Ysleta ISD - a Raise Your Hand Texas Principal.

Ana was selected from 400 applicants to Raise Your Hand Texas, a bi-partisan group that funds educational leadership opportunities for education, to attend the Harvard Principal Institute. RYHT sent 35 people to the week long leadership institute. To see a full list of attendees funded by RYHT click on this link.

Didn't get to go to The Principal Center, but want to learn about the rationale and theory behind experiential learning? Read one of these greatadventure ed classics:

Adventure in the Classroom: Using Adventure to Strengthen Learning and Build a Community of Life-Long Learners By Mary Henton

A book for teachers, curriculum developers, administrators, kindergarten through college-age students and teachers of teachers. Explores the core concepts of adventure and how they can be used in the classroom. The premise is that adventure can enhance learning in all academic curricula-math, science, language, etc. Includes sample curriculum and 16 pages of activities.

J71435 $31.00 1996. 231pp. ISBN: 0-7872-2459-6

Islands of Healing: A Guide to Adventure Based Counseling

by Jim Schoel, Dick Prouty and Paul RadcliffeAudience: Counselors, teachers and therapists, can be adapted for almost any group work

Presents the theory and practice of Adventure Based Counseling which combines elements of experiential learning, outdoor education and group counseling techniques
Includes Theory: a discussion of the Adventure Wave, sequencing, briefing, goal setting, leading, debriefing and Practice: sample applications of ABC in schools, hospitals and treatment facilities and programs for court-referred youth. No activities.
J71429 $32.00

Journey Toward the Caring Classroom, Expanded Edition: Using Adventure to Create Community in the Classroom and Beyond By Laurie Frank

Journey Toward the Caring Classroom describes a learning environment that begins with the idea of a classroom as community. A foundational perspective of adventure and experiential education is basic to this curriculum that offers accessible activities, reflection opportunities, life skills and academic applications for a variety of age levels.
Groups develop and work through a developmental sequence that helps create a map for community building. Frank presents the issues, skills and activities pertinent to any given phase in the process and includes suggestions for how to facilitate the process and begin a program of your own.

ISBN# 1-885473-60-5J71526 $39.95

Leaving the Comfortable Bedchambers of Your Mind

2008-07-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Principal and leadership candidates from the state of Texas (and a group calling themselves Raise Your Hand Texas) share their comments, reflections and how they transferred their learning from the Harvard Principals day at Project Adventure in Beverly MA.

These are some comments by Cindy Mika:

"Today was a fabulous day spent at Project Adventure located in Beverly, MA. The name is apropos as it was truly an adventure. Yesterday with Bob Kegan we were continuously told to leave the "comfortable bedchambers of our minds" and today I can say I truly left that and every comfort zone I have.

I think that is what made it such a great day! I can truly say I learned to trust my teammates today as we were challenged to go up on the high wire with a belay team below to hold our rope if we fell off (when we fell off is more like it!).

The high challenge course I went on was one in which we went up with a partner, each of us standing on our own wire parallel to each other. As we traversed further from the pole using each other to steady ourselves, the wires slowly got wider apart! We definitely had to trust the guy we were up there with!

Over and over the different challenges we faced today challenged me mentally, emotionally, and physically. Today I experienced continuous improvement, trust, thinking outside the box, and much more.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to participate in this wonderful event! Thank you for the chance to fulfill a life's dream and study at Harvard".

Biking and Adventure - 20th Annual Covington Century

2008-07-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Join in the fun for a great cause - Project Adventure Kids!

Last year's ride drew of 800 participants!

And one of the best components is that the youth of Project Adventure Kids volunteer and work hard to accomodate the riders and make the event a success. Proceeds go toward supporting the academic, social and emotional development and independent living skills.

Project Adventure Kids, a divison of Project Adventure, Inc. is a non-profit organization located on a 130-acre campus in Covington that works as a residential program for displaced and homeless Georgia youth. Last year, it worked with over 950 kids. The program combines adventure, academics and counseling in a fundamental group environment that helps neglected and at risk youth overcome the barriers they encounter in life. Over 100 students are currently enrolled in a variety of community based and residential programs in Covington. These programs maintain an 83 percent success rate, which is 23 percent better than the national standard for these youth.

PRE REGISTER BY JULY 15 & You're automatically entered to win eyewear from Tifosi Optics. Approximate chance of winning, 1 in 15.

Metro Atlanta's Fastest & Flattest Charity Century!Mileage options of 30, 50, 80 & 100

Spaghetti Supper for all riders

An Atlanta summer classic gets a makeover - while the ride still benefits Project Adventure Kids, a foster home & school, it's now run by cyclists for cyclists.

Changes include:** Performance micro-fiber t-shirt** Pre-ride Packet Pick Up at Local Bike Shops** Up Front Preferred Parking for Donors to PA Kids** Team Pavilion near registration, for teams to gather & recruit** Bigger, shadier rest stops with P&J and porta-potties @ ea. stop
7am Registration, 8am Group Start with 1.5 mile

Lead Out by Project Adventure Kids Cycling Team, teamAdventure

Harvard Principals' Center Summer Institute at Project Adventure

2008-07-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

World-wide school leadership!

For the past 10 years, over 200 principals and principal candidates from across the world come to Project Adventure's headquarters to kick off their 7-day intensive experience. This year's first session of 150 participants joined us on July 1 to explore - The Art of Leadership.

Maurie, Principal of Opotiki College, a secondary school in Okpotki, New Zealand shares his reflections on his blog.

"Today we were up at 5.45 to get to the bus by 7.00 for the drive out to Project Adventure. We didn't get away until 8.30!!!! but what a great day. We worked in our discussion groups, got to know each other much better. The highlight was completing the high ropes activity with my partner Silvio who has led a remarkable life. It was awesome, also, to see other group members either completing the high ropes or assisting others to do so. Our facilitator there, Angel, did a great job and we now know a lot more about each other".

Maurie's site is full of great photos and more reflections! Enjoy.

Carol White PEP Grant 2008 Announcements

2008-07-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 Carol White PEP Grants. Project Adventure is again proud to be included in several winning applications.

Is your school, district or agency a PEP grant winner? Call us asap to get started.

Looking forward to the 2009 PEP Grant Application? Stay tuned for announcements on tips for preparing!

Dana Brooks - President-Elect - American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance -

2008-07-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Dana Brooks, President-Elect of AAHPERD. Dr. Brooks gave an address to the state and district AAHPERD Executive Directors and President Elects in Washington DC recently.

In addition to his vision for the future, his understanding of the collaboration and partnership as significant tools to achieve his vision, Dr. Brooks presented the attendees with his:

Ten "Commandments" for Living With People - as developed by his own long time mentor, Joe Gluck.

1. Speak to people: Nothing is as nice as a cheerful greeting.

2. Smile at people: It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.

3. Call people by name: The sweetest sound is one's own name.

4. Be friendly and helpful: If you want friends, be a friend.

5. Be cordial: Speak and act to prove everything you do is genuine pleasure.

6. Be geuinely interested in people: Just try and you can like almost everyone.

7. Be generous with praise: Be courteous with criticism.

8. Be considerate with others. There are often three sides to a controversy: yours, theirs and

the right side.

9. Be alert to give help: What we do for others lives and is immortal.

10.Add to all this good sense of humor, loads of patience and a dash of humility and you will be rewarded manifold.

Look Up Look Down

2008-07-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

by Michele Batz, Ph.D.

Here's a Project Adventure game that Physical Education teachers can incorporate into their curriculum without too much hassle are Look Up, Look Down,

How much money will it take to add these two games into your present stash of magic? A whomping $6.00. Most school budgets can afford this, right? So, do you want to hear more? I knew you would!

Let’s begin with the simple game of Look Up, Look Down. This game, I found, worked best as an ice breaker during the first two weeks of school, but also before a holiday break or for the last 4-5 minutes of class for a cooldown.

It's fun for your students as well as for yourself.

Here are the easy directions. Have the students form a big circle, standing with their arms held comfortably at their sides. On your command, they will look down, pause, and then look up. They will try to make eye contact with someone in the circle, looking across, diagonally, or to either side. If they don’t make eye contact they stay where they are, but if they do make eye contact, they get to celebrate by yelling or dancing, and can then make a second circle. The whole process starts over with your command. When you say Look Down, pause, then Look Up, both circles will do this at the same time. If they make eye contact in the second circle, they go back to the main circle again. So, you constantly have students running back and forth. It's great fun; you must try it!

Think outside the box and when you do, as a Physical Education teacher, your students take your lead and begin thinking more critically and efficiently.

For more great ice breakers and games that can be done with out any special equipment...check out No Props....by Mark Collard.

Jamaica High School visits Alley Pond Park

2008-06-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Jamaica High School students and staff spent a great day at the Alley Pond in Queens, NY. According to an article posted on NewsBlaze.com, Jamaica educator Rosemarie Slaymaker learned about the adventure program and challenge course, created by Project Adventure, Inc. for New York City Urban Park Rangers, while walking her dog in Alley Pond Park.

You can read about their day and see great photos. Also learn about how Jamaica High School looks forward to implementing Project Adventure programming in their Physical Education programs in the Fall.

If you'd like to learn more about the Alley Pond Park project, Project Adventure programming or how PA works with schools and agencies to create Respectful Communities, contact us at bwonson@pa.org or http://www.pa.org/.

And, for schools, agencies and community-based programs in the greater NYC area, SAVE THE DATE, Oct. 2 for a Creating Respectful Communities intro day at Alley Pond Park.

Cayuga Nature Center recovers from theft of challenge course equipement

2008-06-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca NY was victimized by theft of challenge course equipment this winter. Losing approximately $8,000 worth of rope and supplies, the Center is hosting a fundraising open-house this weekend, June 14-15, to raise funds to replace lost items.

For more information or directions, go to www.cayuganaturecenter.org

Jessica Steele, director of the center's TEAM Challenge has received her challenge course training in both Technical Skills Intensive and Advanced Skills and Standards through Project Adventure.

Essex Natural Heritage Commission Provides Funding to Project Adventure

2008-06-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

Project Adventure thanks the Essex County Heritage Commission for funding the roofing of the Tea House located on the Moraine Farm property.

The Tea House, located on the property that houses Project Adventure's corporate headquarters and training facility, was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

The funding supports maintaining the integrity of this unique building including re-roofing.

The Tea House overlooks sunken perennial gardens and a beautiful koi pond and is maintained by volunteers.

Weddings, corporate events, reunions and other meetings are held on the beautiful property. For more information contact info@pa.org.

Save the Date - Alley Pond Park, Queens NY - One Day Event

2008-06-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Creating Respectful Communities in Schools, Community Based Organizations and Agencies
Co-sponsored by Project Adventure, Inc. and PA's Metro New York City Advisory Board
When: October 2, 2008
Where: Alley Pond Park and Adventure Center, Queens, NY
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Who should attend: Anyone who works with children and youth, and/or manages a school, program or agency and will benefit from tools, strategies and researched practices for building social and emotional skills with the populations they serve.

Fee: $ 75 per person or $225 for 4 from same school or agency (includes lunch)
To indicate your interest or ask questions, email bwonson@pa.org or call 800-468-8898 x4619.
Registration materials will be available in July.

2008-06-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Project Adventure Summer Sale - Props, Books, Gear and Equipment from our website or products catalog!

Hurry - Sale Ends July 31, 2008

Place your order and receive these discounts:
Order - $250 or more $25 off
Order - $500 or more $75 off
Order - $1,000 or more $150 off and $100 off any training *
Order - $2,100 or more $250 off and a free workshop tuition**
Hurry! Orders must be received by 7/31/08.

How to receive your discount!
Phone orders: 1-800-468-8898 x 4556 : Mention Promo code: "Summer"
On-line orders: Type "Summer" after your name in the "Bill to" field.
Discounts will be applied once your order is processed. Web confirmations will not reflect the discount. A receipt will be mailed to you after your order ships.

Fax orders: 978-524-4505 Type "Summer" on the purchase order to receive discount.
Mail orders: Project Adventure, Inc. 701 Cabot Street, Beverly MA 01915
Type: "Summer" on purchase order to receive discount.
The details
13% shipping is calculated on discounted total.
Training vouchers will be sent via email and are valid through 3/30/09.
Discounts cannot be combined with other offers.

*$100 voucher can be used for either open enrollment training or towards a professional development session held at your site. Voucher can be used by any member of your organization. Voucher must be submitted with registration.
**Open enrollment workshop voucher is valid for open-enrollment workshops only. Meals and lodging are not included in discount.

Questions: catalog@pa.org or 1-800-468-8898 x 4556

Carol White PEP Grant Announcements Coming Soon

2008-06-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Did your school, district or organization write a Carol White PEP Grant? Rumor has it the announcements will be coming out soon. Be sure to check your email often. And, let us know that you submitted so we can notify you as soon as the list of winners is posted! Email us at info@pa.org and put PEP Grant Submission in the subject line and include your name, school or agency, address and phone in the body.

Here's what one winner says about PA!
“Project Adventure has been one of the best experiences for both my personal growth as a physical educator and the growth in my kids as future leaders. The program gave me infinite ways to encourage peaceful play with purposeful conflict. I also learned how to get kids to discover solutions through their own thoughts and experiences instead of telling them to repeat my own thoughts or conclusions based on my perceptions. Out of all the great things we were able to gain through the PEP Grant process, I would say Project Adventure would rate as one of the best purchases by far!”. Julia Vanelli, Brevard Public Schools, 2005 PEP Grant Recipient.

Twirlies

2008-06-01T09:20:00.001-07:00

Just like flying a PA Twirlie, implementing a successful adventure program takes:

Clear guidance, some instructions and advice.
A solid plan.
Competence – both in your staff and your vendor.
Taking off with confidence and zeal!

Any of you who have tried to fly a PA Twirlie know that you can just jump in and give it a try...using a trial and error approach. Or you can follow the instructional arrows and/or seek advice from those who've been successful before ...and take your Twirlie flying to next level in no time at all.

The same is true for implementing adventure into your program. Through the guidance and direction of Jane Panicucci, PA has moved from an organization that installs great challenge courses and trains people how to use them...to an organization that is dedicated to building quality, research based Adventure Programs. Programs that include:

Curriculum aligned with state and national standards.

Learning outcomes and objectives.

Assessment tools.

Coordinated approach toward PE, Fitness and Health education.

We encourage you to go beyond a challenge course or adventure prop (ie Twirlie) as a single isolated activity - to a meaningful and relevant program that is aligned with standards, achieves desired outcomes and can be evaluated and measured.

Twirlie Bull's-Eye (Estimated time: 30 minutes) Problem-solving and Goal-setting

Setup: Explain this task before handing out the twirlies, or you have lost the class for quite some time while they frivolously twirl away! Warn students about potential eye injuries and ask them to not twirl into the face of classmates. For the Bull's-eye activity you will need one or two targets (depending on class size) and a large boundary circle around the targets (boundary ropes work well). Experiment with the size of the outside boundary.

Framing: Explain that the class will be given a series of special practice activities, which will lead up to a final all-class goal.

Procedure:

1. Say to students, "The next few activities are warmups for a final goal-setting activity that you will be given. First, try and play 'twirlie catch' with a partner. See how many double catches the two of you can make - where you each catch your partner's twirly at the same time!" (This is a great opportunity for students to coach each other. Suggest this if it is not naturally occurring.)

2. Now say, "In foursomes, play a creative round of "twirlie golf." Pick targets that you all agree on, and count the number of strokes it takes you to reach the target."

3. When these warmups have been completed successfully, lead students into the final goal-setting activity. Ask them to stand around the boundary line. The class must agree upon the number of twirlies that they will successfully land in the bull's-eye. Emphasize that they have data to draw from - they know how they did during the practice rounds! The class should set their first goal prior to starting the activity.

4. Subsequent rounds should be held in order for the class to have opportunities to adjust their goal and to continue to improve their results.

Discussion:

Ask students:

Did the class reach its goal?

Was the goal realistic? Too hard? Too easy?

How did you set the goal? What information did you use?

What behaviors do you want the class to keep for the next goal-setting activity? What behaviors do you want to avoid?

This activity can be found on page 86 of the Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education - Middle School. Twirlies are available through Project Adventure and also come in the Middle School PE Pack Kit.

Year round adventure with Seabrook Middle School

2008-05-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Four years ago, Seabrook Middle School installed a low elements course in the woods on school grounds. Our challenge was to incorporate an adventure curriculum into the traditional curriculum offered in the physical education program. We began by introducing Full Value Contracts for students to identify and own behavior as responsible classmates. We post these contracts with names and handprints on the wall of the gym. Sometimes they are used as reminders during the school year.

We spend 4 weeks in the woods every fall working on cooperative challenges like the TP Shuffle, Whale Watch, Mohawk Walk, Nitro Crossing, and visiting island countries using the Nitro Crossing set up, or playing a strange game of basketball with rubber chickens, lizards, swing ropes and buckets. We ladder our curriculum by offering different challenges for different grade levels on the same elements. In this way, we are able to introduce elements and keep them fresh at the same time. We alternate our curriculum in the fall with lifetime sports like golf and field games like flag football. When weather sends us indoors we play cooperative games like Mat Ball and Castle Ball and participate in cooperative challenges such as the Human Knot or use Stepping Stones.

Our winter curriculum focuses on fitness using lifetime activities and stations, a traverse wall, and indoor game units like Table Tennis, Volleyball, and Basketball.

By the time spring rolls around, students (and PE teachers) are anxious to get outdoors again and play field games or head to the woods. We have found that students come back to the woods with a desire and earnestness to be successful in the challenges. The MultiVine, Wild Woosey, Tire Swing and Spider’s Web are big hits in the spring. Students are ready and willing to take on the responsibility of keeping their classmates safe and attaining a group goal. There are always struggles with middle school students: maturity and responsibility. But we see the excitement and pleasure that challenges bring to most students. The opportunity to guide students in appropriate ways to be leaders keeps us coming back to the elements year after year.

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Cindy Shoer is a Middle School PE teacher at Seabrook Middle School in Seabrook NH. Cindy has presented on the use of the core concepts of PA and alignment with standards for PE at PA's Practitioner's Seminars.

Two Days of Adventure by Michelle Batz, Ph.D.

2008-05-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Two Days of Adventure
By Michele Batz, Ph.D.

During the years that I have taught physical education in Wisconsin and Illinois, I have kept up with the trends – what's hot and how to keep students engaged in their classes.

Last winter through a grant program, Beach Park School District 3 gave me the opportunity to attend a two-day Project Adventure workshop at our school. When I read the introduction to the workshop, I was hooked.

As I entered our library and saw the array of equipment, my brain waves went into tilt mode; I knew I was in for an adventure. The instructors started off with a bang and quickly had us moving to the beat. All barriers were broken. It was so much fun, I felt like a little kid again. Having this carefree attitude makes me a better teacher. I learned how to bring classes together as a community, team building and thinking outside the box. I loved it!

Project Adventure, with its games, activities, and presentations, inspired me. I am thinking of enrolling in the master's program for adventure education or wellness. This program will have you and your students thinking outside the box, and your brain waves will never be the same. Everyone will be crying for more!

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Michelle Batz is an author and educator living and working in the Chicago area.

Batz was a participant in Portable Adventure workshop which was customized to meet the specific goals and objectives of the funding and the school district. This session was facilitated by Amy Kohut and Topaz Terry - two long-term PA facilitators. To learn how to bring this workshop to your site, email PA at info@pa.org.

Washington Township NJ Students Participate in PA Fitness Achievement Day

2008-05-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

CA freshmen must now pass 5 out of 6 fitness tests

2008-05-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

California public school students, like many across the country, have always been tested for fitness. However, starting this spring, California freshman must pass five out of six fitness tests or continue taking Physical Education classes until they do.

For the tests, in the areas of aerobic capacity, body fat measurements, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility, students can select from a range of options.

If they fail the tests, students must take sophmore physical education and then re-test. Continued failure means continued physical ed classes and continued testing. The results do not impact their ability to graduate.

Under California Education Code, students are required to be enrolled in 4 years of physical education, but are only required to pass 2 years of physical education to graduate.

Of course, many students, who enjoy fitness will easily be successful in this testing. And some students will work really hard to pass and avoid additional years of physical ed. And then some students will struggle, fail, struggle, fail and continue the cycle that has gotten them to their unfit levels.

Under Keith Johannes, former President of California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, a committee is exploring including social and emotional learning components into the fitness testing prep classes. This will impact students' decisions and commitment to being successful and to select and enjoy life-long health-related fitness...instead of being focused on avoiding additional years of physical education.

Earn a Master's of Education and Specialize in Experiential and Adventure Ed

2008-05-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

"The Project Adventure/Plymouth State University Masters Degree program has been the best educational experience that I've had. Practical, fun, user friendly, engaging, thought provoking, and exciting! I can't think of a better way to go for your post graduate work". Chip Candy, NASPE TOY 1995

Since 2003, Project Adventure and Plymouth State University have partnered to offer students the opportunity to earn a self-designed master's degree in adventure learning. The 34-credit self-designed Master of Education degree in Elementary, Secondary or K-12 Education with a focus in Adventure Learning allows students to complete three core master's courses and a practicum through PSU. The remaining credit requirements can be fulfilled by attending Project Adventure workshops and completing independent study projects.

Required Courses
Master's Core Component - 9 credits taken through PSU. The core courses can be taken online or transferred from an accredited institution.

Specialization Component - 22 credits (2-4 credits per Project Adventure workshop)
Capstone Experience - 3 credits (Practicum or Thesis approved by PSU)
Graduate credit for Project Adventure courses is available for $120 per credit, plus a $25 registration fee.
Project Adventure tuition, room and board fees are additional.

Students must apply for admission to the Master's program through Plymouth State University's College of Graduate Studies. For more information, contact Plymouth State University at forgrad@mail.plymouth.edu or 800-367-4723.