Using Adventure Education to Promote Leadership Development

Tammy Schilling, Glenn Beer, & Lanie DornierLA GEAR UP

Louisiana Tech UniversityNCCEP 2009

Timeline• 2002

– Initial RFP for Summer Learning Camps– Four proposals selected

• Louisiana Tech University (4 weeks)• University of Louisiana at Monroe• East Feliciana School District• Northwestern State University

• 473 total campers in summer 2003• 2003

– New RFP for Summer Learning Camps– Proposals selected

• Louisiana Tech University (8 weeks)• Northwestern State University

• 660 total campers summer 2004

Timeline• 2004

– New RFP for SLCs distributed– Reviewers suggest that Louisiana tech serve as model program– Statewide management responsibility awarded to Louisiana Tech– Explorers Clubs and Professional Development Project for Counselors added as

integral components of SLCs– 1st Annual Explorers Club State Conference and Leadership Summit held at

Louisiana Tech University in April 2004 with 215 participants– Camps held at

• McNeese State University• Southeastern State University• University of Louisiana at Monroe• Louisiana Tech University

• 809 Campers attended camps in 2005

Summer Camp AttendanceSeven Year Total: 6,629 students!

ACADEMIC-ACADEMIC-YEARYEAR

EXPLORERS

CLUBS

SUMMERSUMMER

LEARNINGCAMPS

PDPROJECTS

FOR COUNSELOR

S

Academics Academics Behavior & LeadershipBehavior & Leadership

College Preparation & Career ExplorationCollege Preparation & Career ExplorationService to School & CommunityService to School & Community

Annual Conferenc

e

The ABCs

Essential Elements-the ABCs• Academics

– Focused Tutoring– Math/science Enrichment Explorations

• Engineering, Multimedia, Physical Science, Nature of Science

• Behavior/Leadership Training– Code of Conduct– Leadership Training– Explorers Club Meetings

Essential Elements-the ABCs• College Prep and Career Exploration

– EPAS testing– Explorers Club meetings– Pathfinder Training– Exposure to Various Areas of Study

• Service to School and Community– Action plans for AY through Explorers Club meetings

Statewide Management• Louisiana College Access and Mentoring Programs for Success—LaCAMPS

established• Responsibilities Include

– Recruiting university partners– Recruiting participants and processing all camp applications– Coordinating transportation– Purchasing incentives (T-shirts, etc.) to take advantage of volume pricing– Providing liability, accident, and overnight sickness insurance coverage– Assigning students to camps– Providing training for all camp counselors working LA GEAR UP camps across the

state (includes first-aid and CPR)– Reduce per camper costs

Statewide Management• Prospective university partners are provided

– Template for Camp Schedule• 4-hour explorations each day are unique to each university site and

should highlight specific programs available at that university• Leadership Training• Tutoring• Explorers Club Meeting• Friday Field Trip• Sunday orientation dinner• Friday Graduation Dinner• Saturday Closing Ceremony

– Curriculum support for leadership training, tutoring, and Explorers Club meetings

– Pre- and post-tests

Professional Development Project for Counselors

• Academic planning utilizing EPAS • Participants are provided with and also create club activities designed to provide

ongoing leadership training for club members • Develop action plans allowing club members to be given opportunities to assume

leadership roles in the club, either as club officers or as chairs of various club initiatives

• PBS principles are discussed and incorporated into project developed action plans• Disseminate information to all LGU students through College Connection nights

sponsored by the Explorers Clubs • Career exploration is facilitated through the use of the Individual Career Portfolio,

the Career and Life Explorer, the Pathfinder workbook, and Louisiana e-Portal • Develop plan to empower club members to assume leadership roles in

implementing service projects within their school and community

Academic Year Explorers Clubs• PDPC participants serve as club sponsors• Participant and Student Action Plans, based on

the ABCs provide a framework for academic year activities

• Clubs are student-led and designed to provide a vehicle by which students can reach students and encourage the pursuit of postsecondary education

• Clubs facilitate the transition from middle to high school

• Extend the summer learning experience throughout the academic year

• Establishes expectations in academics, behavior and leadership, college preparation and career exploration, and service to school and community

The Annual Explorers Club Conference and Leadership Summit

• Bringing it all together!• Students present results of club

activities, learn about upcoming camp opportunities, scholarships, and other college prep information

• 215 attended first conference in 2005• The fourth annual event attracted

almost 500 students, teachers, administrators, and parents

Significant Positive Results

Dependent Variable

Campers Non-Campers

Difference Significance Effect Size

10th Grade GPA

2.8805 2.3962 .4843 P<.001 .127

11th Grade GPA

2.9383 2.5558 .3825 P<.001 .103

12th Grade GPA

3.0512 2.5712 .481 P<.001 .137

Comparison of 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade GPA Campers vs. Non-

Campers

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

GPAGrade 10

GPAGrade 11

GPAGrade 12

Grade Level

GP

A Campers

Non-campers

SLC Leadership Program• Students must attend Explorer I

camp at Louisiana Tech to learn about responsibilities related to Explorers Clubs

• Students attend two additional camps in subsequent years at other university sites

• In fourth year, students may apply to serve as Junior Counselors

• In Year 5, successful Junior Counselors may apply to serve as a regular paid camp counselor (20 so far with one serving as a LEAD Counselor!)

Evolution of Leadership Training• VisionTo make explicit the connection between leadership

training and participation in Explorers Clubs, giving students the ability to further develop leadership skills throughout the academic year

• General Organization– Overall focus for each year– Series of learning points – Activities to support

Year 1 ExampleFocus: Exploration of personal and interpersonal leadership

Sample learning points: - Increase self-awareness and appreciation of

personality diversity- Learn effective techniques for conflict resolution,

communication, and problem solvingActivities:

- Personality assessment and interpretation- Blue-Green Game

Current Leadership Training• Similar format – focus, learning points,

activities to support• Use of Adventure Education• Connection to Explorers Club

Year 1 ExampleFocus: Self- and Group-Awareness and Basic

Leadership Exploration

Sample learning points: - Increase self-awareness and appreciation of personality diversity- Becoming aware of the individual similarities and differences within a group and how individuals come together to make up a group and contribute to the group’s success

Adventure Education Activities

• Basic Elements

– Trust

– Communication

– Cooperation

– Fun

Other Facets• Full Value Contract (i.e., goals)

– Be here now (focus).– Be safe.– Be respectful.– Let go and move on – (choices for how you respond).

• Challenge by Choice

Year 1 Activities

Session IPersonality Assessment

Explorers Club: One Body (Jones, 1998)

Session II1. Hula Hut Relay (Hughes, 2003)

2. Stepping Stones (Rohnke & Butler, 1995)

3. Handprints (cut out only) (MacGregor, 2008)

Explorers Club: Use handprints to addressleadership skills or first two domains of Action Plan

Session III

• Personality Interpretation

• Footprints (Jones, 1999)

– What kind of footprint do you want to leave on your school or community?

“Here walked ___________________, a _________, ___________ leader best remembered by __________________________.”

Debriefing• The most important part of adventure education• Includes opportunity for:

– processing as individuals and as a group– providing analogies to real-world experiences

(ex. barriers and supports – college access)– encouraging transfer of leadership skills back to school

and community settings

Outcomes• Trust

– Trust people in my group/rely on others and I can help someone

– That you can trust some of the people that you be with/Don’t Know

– Trust Your Friends/You Get Help When You Need Help From Friends

Outcomes• Communication

– Teamwork and communication is very important– Communicate To Get Through Things/Doing Fun Activities– How To Talk Positive Between People/Have A Positive

Attitude

Outcomes

• Cooperation (teamwork)– When You Work Together You

Accomplish More– Teamwork/How To Work in

Groups/Trust/Believe In Others– Teamwork/Work Successful With

A Group/Everybody Got Along Just fine With One Another

– Working In A Group/Team work is the best way to get things Done/Listening & Telling

Outcomes• Self-esteem/self-awareness/confidence:

– How to be comfortable with myself and others.– To be brave enough to tell them when I was

uncomfortable– Different activities to trust someone and finding

my comfort zone

Outcomes

• Leadership Awareness– I believe that we learned more than we think we

learned. – To step down when needed– the most challenging (things) can be the best things– Sometime you have to do things even when you

don’t want to– To always think of yourself as a leader because

someone is always watching

More Information

• Tammy Schilling– tschill@latech.edu

• Lanie Dornier– ldornier@latech.edu

• Glenn Beer– gbeer@latech.edu

• Website– www.latech.edu/lagearup