Adventure Education
Besides school-based team-building activities, adventure education skill instruction, and day hikes, sixth grade crews participate in two adventure education voyages – a four-day backpacking trip in the fall and a four-day snowshoe/cabin trip in the winter. Sixth graders also participate in a formal “Closing Ceremony” at the end of the school year. Families are invited and encouraged to attend this event and witness students acknowledging each other and speaking about their own, personal growth throughout their years of Adventure Education at Renaissance.
Adventure Education is an educational paradigm based upon the theory that experience with challenges that require the student to step beyond the scope and comfort of his or her daily life provide a unique insight into the student’s internal self and offer valuable opportunities for growth and character development. In Adventure Education a variety of pursuits ranging from team building to rock climbing make up a specific content area and serve as a medium for student growth. With the aid of staff facilitation, the insight gained through Adventure Education activities can then be transferred and applied to the student’s everyday existence, providing tangible benefits such as increased self esteem, leadership qualities, perseverance, a sense of social and environmental stewardship, and a willingness to challenge oneself and take risks.
Adventure Education is a significant and unique component that differentiates Renaissance Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound School from other educational establishments of its kind. In maintaining an Adventure Education curriculum the Renaissance community affirms its intention of not only educating each student academically, but also preparing each student for the challenges of life outside the walls of a school. The curriculum and content area used by Renaissance Adventure Education has been derived directly from the framework and Core Values that have been tested and practiced for many years by Outward Bound. The knowledge and educational practices of Outward Bound have been adapted to meet the needs of an elementary school population but maintain the emphasis of challenge and experiential learning that are at the heart of Outward Bound. The Adventure Education curriculum uses a specific content area to challenge each student in a manner that will lead to increased self- knowledge and ultimately equip each student with the ability to lead a more engaging and rewarding life. |
The Adventure Education program progresses as a parallel process to the academic education of each student. The continual development of each student within the content area of Adventure Education is facilitated and tracked by the student’s teacher. Using the Adventure Education curriculum each teacher develops knowledge of their students’ personal strengths, perceived limitations, communication skills, and ability to work within a group. Assisting in this process is the Adventure Education team, the physical education teacher, and trained adult instructores and/or chaperones. Everyone involved in the program has an understanding of the basic philosophy of Adventure Education, the goals of the program, the framework of Gradual Release of Responsibility, the Core Values of Outward Bound, and the design principles of Adventure Education activities, which combined make up the foundation of Adventure Education
For more information about Renaissance's Adventure Education program check out wearecrew.org