Adventure Programs Research Articles

Adventure education as a pathway to wellbeing: rethinking adventure through the lens of PERMA

ABSTRACT Adventure education (AE) has long been celebrated for its unique contributions to learning and personal growth. But the benefits of the AE experience may be broader than these outcomes and we are best positioned to uncover these benefits through employing new lenses in our analysis of AE. A qualitative study of the AE experience was completed at three sites: a backpacking expedition, a challenge course, and a multi-activity adventure programme. Data collection efforts resulted in 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews with 41 participants. This data was analyzed through the lens of PERMA, a framework for wellbeing from the field of positive psychology. Findings illustrate the character of the AE experience across the five dimensions of PERMA: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. These findings position AE as a pathway for the pursuit of wellbeing. The significance of this conception of AE is also discussed.

Access and Equity through the Greenbelt Venture Program

Summary This case study documents the development of the Greenbelt Venture program, a 10-week, youth leadership program providing youth from underserved neighborhoods in Staten Island, NY access to the local forest from the viewpoint of the educator. The case study discusses a unique pedagogical approach that centers equity and access to meet programmatic goals. The case study offers critical reflections on the development process and success metrics that enable the educators to overcome challenges and yield similar qualitative results as other comparable outdoor adventure programs despite the inner-city location. Information © CAB International 2024

Understanding older adults’ participation in outdoor adventure activities: a scoping review

ABSTRACT Outdoor adventure activities are increasingly popular among older adults. We conducted a scoping review to examine trends in the scholarly literature on this topic. Several interdisciplinary databases were searched, and studies were independently screened for eligibility during two rounds of review (title and abstract, and full text). Our review included 34 peer-reviewed articles with the full text available in English that substantially described outdoor adventure programming for older adults, and/or older adults’ experiences of, or attitudes towards outdoor adventure activities. Results of this scoping review suggest that participation in outdoor adventure activities can contribute significantly to the wellbeing of older adults. However, due to strict alignment to the ideals of successful aging present in many articles, the potential for an ‘authentic aging’ lens to explore the diverse experiences of aging is discussed. Further research should focus on recruiting more diverse participants and attempt to uncover potential barriers and facilitators (physical, economic, geographic, etc.) to participation.

Adventure activities as a means of counteracting stress in students

The most effective anti-stress measure for students of higher educational institutions is the use of organized health-improving physical activity. However, in the conditions of martial law, the opportunity for students to study in the usual mode is limited. Therefore, today the urgent problem is the study and analysis of new, most effective approaches to organizing active leisure. The goal is to generalize the foreign experience of organizing adventure events and evaluate the impact of adventure programs on the stress level of higher education students. Methods – analysis of foreign literature on adventure activities. The results. The best positive experience of organizing students' entertainment activities was studied. It is established that the concept of «adventure activity» concretizes the concept of «active leisure time», emphasizing the greater risk that occurs during its implementation and the need to make more physical and/or mental efforts. It was established that extreme activity has a more pronounced effect on students' perception of stress due to the opportunity to distract from everyday problems, as well as greater emotionality compared to other types of active leisure. Furthermore, it was determined that participation in short-term adventure programs increases students' resistance to stress, reduces the level of its perception and has a long-term positive effect that can last for 2 - 3 years. Conclusions. The expediency of using adventure programs in the practice of physical education and organization of students' active leisure time has been proven as a more effective means of increasing their resistance to stress and reducing its harmful effects. Prospects for further research. Further research will be aimed at developing a short-term adventure program that would ensure stress reduction in Ukrainian higher education students in the conditions of armed conflict in the country.

"Being Comfortable with the Uncomfortable": Adolescent Girls' Experiences of an Extended Outdoor Adventure Program

This study examined the impacts of long-term exposure of outdoor adventure programming for adolescent girls. This qualitative analysis shares the stories of the 8th-grade students at the French Broad River Academy for girls, which is a private middle school that consistently intertwines outdoor adventure programming (OAP) into their curricula. Students reflected on what OAP has meant to them during their 2.5 years at the school. Photo-elicitation methods were used to capture these experiences. Girls took pictures of their outdoor experiences over the course of their final semester, and then used these pictures as a prompt to tell their stories during focus group interviews. Emergent themes from the focus group interviews included: Relationship & Community, Perseverance & Resiliency, Enjoyment & Finding Beauty in Nature, Leadership & Confidence, and Individual Growth. We conclude that adolescent girls’ participation in OAP can build self-confidence, increasing their likelihood of a bright future.

Adventure Awaits: Exploring Mindfulness Practices During Outdoor Adventures Trips

An argument can be made that integrating mindfulness practices (MPs) into Outdoor Adventure (OA) programming can help students develop and expand on a variety of social and emotional attributes, such as stress reduction, awareness of the present moment, relationship skills, and maintaining psychosocial equilibrium. However, there is a paucity of empirical inquiry that specifically aims to explore in-depth participant experience using MPs in OA programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceived benefits that MPs provided university students during OA trips. The term Mindful Lived-Outdoor Experience (MLOE) was conceptualized to define a participant’s experience during an OA trip with MPs included. The findings suggest MPs are a beneficial component in adventure programming. The MPs promoted opportunity for participants to reduce stress and socially engage during the OA activity.

Perceptions and Experiences After Participating in a Two-Year Outdoor Adventure Programme

Abstract Physical activity levels are alarmingly low and new strategies must be adopted to prevent this trend. This study focuses on examining the impact of an outdoor adventure education programme on adolescents. The participants were 75 adolescent students aged 12–14. The programme lasted two school years. Students participated in extracurricular schoolyard outdoor activities and outdoor adventure activities conducted during the two one-day and one four-day trips in both school years. A qualitative methodology was used with data collected using semi-structured interviews. At the end of each school year, 12 students were interviewed. Data analysis revealed that the programme promoted basic psychological needs. More specifically, adolescents reported that schoolyard activities and outdoor adventure activities promoted their satisfaction with autonomy, competence and relatedness. Interestingly, the programme gave girls the autonomy to choose activities that promoted their competence and interaction with peers in a better way than a typical PE lesson. Modifying existing curricula with innovative practices or planning new ones could improve the general quality of life.

“You Feel a Sense of Accomplishment”: Outdoor Adventure Experiences of Youths with Visual Impairments during a One-Week Sports Camp

There are many cognitive, physical, and social-emotional benefits for youths from participating in outdoor adventure activities. However, youths with visual impairments are not given the same opportunities to participate in outdoor adventure activities as their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the outdoor adventure experiences of youths with visual impairments participating in a week-long sports camp. Thirty-seven youths with visual impairment (ages 9-19 years) attending a one-week sports camp participated in this study. Participants engaged in a variety of outdoor adventure activities throughout the week of camp (e.g., sailing, hiking, rock climbing, biking, kayaking). Participants provided written accounts about their outdoor adventure experiences and were observed throughout the week during each activity to examine instructional strategies and task modifications. Additionally, 10 randomly chosen athletes, their one-on-one coaches, and five outdoor recreation specialists participated in focus group interviews. The data analysis revealed three major themes: (1) Benefits, (2) Support, and (3) Barriers. The subthemes of benefits were enjoyment, independence, and relationships; the subthemes of support were instructional strategies and task modifications; and subthemes for barriers were fear and anxiety, exclusion and low expectations, and lack of equipment. These findings support the inclusion of youths with visual impairments in all outdoor adventure programming with appropriate instruction and modification.

Improvement in Veterans' Openness to Seeking Professional Psychological Help After Participating in Therapeutic Adventure Trips

Despite high rates of mental illness among veterans, many do not receive sufficient mental health treatment. Thus, mental health interventions that do not look like treatment, but look more like outdoor recreation, may be helpful in addressing veterans' resistance to mental treatment and help-seeking. The present study sought to answer the question: Does participation in a therapeutic adventure program correlate with veterans' help-seeking for mental health concerns? If such correlations exist, which demographic or military service-related factors might help explain those patterns of change? Participants in the present study attended a peer-led therapeutic adventure trip that lasted at least 3 days and 2 nights. The 67 participants completed study measurements pre-trip, immediately post-trip, 1-month post-trip, 6 months post-trip, and 12 months post-trip. Using latent growth curve modeling, results showed that, on average, veterans who attended these trips increased their openness to seeking professional psychological help significantly from pre-trip to 1-year post-trip. Notably, the rate of increase for males was slower than for females. Results also showed significant variability in the starting point and the trajectory of seeking professional psychological help. The findings suggest that veterans show variability in their openness to seeking professional psychological help after therapeutic adventure participation and may vary significantly in how open they become over time. The present study provides evidence that veterans' participation in therapeutic adventure trips correlates with increased openness to seeking professional help, suggesting the intervention's possible role in improving veterans' help-seeking behaviors.

Effects of an Eight-Week Wilderness Adventure Program on Body Composition and Mental Health of Adolescents

Background: Little is known about the effects of outdoor behavioral healthcare on participants’ body composition or about the relationship between body changes and indicators of mental health. Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to compare body and mental health changes in adolescents in an 8-week adventure therapy program. Methodology/Approach: In this observational study, we analyzed pre- and posttest weight, body composition, and psychological dysfunction in male and female adolescent participants ( N = 112) in an adventure therapy program. Body composition variables were assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Psychological dysfunction was measured using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ). We also analyzed the relationship between body changes and changes in YOQ scores. Findings/Conclusions: Overall, from entry into the program (pre) to time of discharge (post), body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage significantly decreased ( ps ≤ .0014). Likewise, all YOQ variables significantly improved (scores reduced) over the course of the study ( ps ≤ .0003). Changes in body composition and YOQ score were not associated. Implications: Adolescent participation in adventure therapy is significantly associated with improvements in BMI, body weight and composition, and psychological dysfunction. However, changes in body composition and psychological dysfunction do not appear to be associated.

The Power of Campfire Spaces for Diversity Education: A Case Study Analysis of a Diversity-Focused Outdoor Adventure Program

Diversity interventions on college campuses provide engagement opportunities for students to interact across lines of difference. Despite these efforts, hate crimes, racial and cultural insensitivity, and a lack of engagement with diverse peers are prevalent. This qualitative case study used an embedded single-case design to explore a new type of intervention: diversity-focused outdoor adventure trips. These trips draw participants from diverse campus communities and create bridges across student populations who might not interact otherwise. Findings from this study suggest that students experience meaningful experiential learning about diversity on outdoor adventure trips. Students are then able to create connections with diverse peers that impact their views of the campus and diverse peers in their community. These findings have implications for extending campus diversity education beyond the traditional classroom or workshop environment and demonstrates the potential for outdoor recreation and education contexts to be opportunities for powerful personal connections among diverse participants. These connections among individuals illustrate the potential for outdoor recreation experiences to forge new bonds between across disparate communities.

Mental Health Outcomes of Peer-led Therapeutic Adventure for Military Veterans

Background: Skepticism of therapy and stigma are significant barriers for veterans with mental health issues. Therapeutic adventure shows promise in addressing veterans’ mental health needs while circumventing the stigma many veterans face in initiating treatment. Purpose: Given the small group model of therapeutic adventure programs, such programs may be ideal to provide social support for veterans and reduce mental health symptomology. The present study investigated: can a brief peer-led therapeutic adventure program modify veterans’ mental health symptoms? Methodology/Approach: The study's sample included 56 participants attending one Sierra Club Military Outdoors trip lasting at least three days and two nights and involving camping. Participants completed study measurements assessing depression, anxiety, stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, substance misuse symptoms, and suicidality at pre-trip, post-trip, one-month post trip, six-months post trip, and 12-months post trip. Six-month and 12-month post-trip data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings/Conclusions: Results indicated significant reduction in mental health symptomology from pre-trip to post-trip, but showed few longer-term changes in mental health symptomology. Implications: The present study's findings are consistent with research suggesting improvements in overall psychological well-being immediately following a nature-based intervention and suggest the need for on-going, community-based interventions to support optimally military veterans’ mental health.

Hiking in the shadow of Mt Doom: how outdoor adventure programs can impact locus of control in university students

ABSTRACT Locus of Control (LOC) is measured by a brief survey designed to determine an ‘internal’ or ‘external’ locus. Internal LOC signifies ownership of the consequences of one’s actions. Individuals with a more internal LOC tend to have higher determents of positive mental health. This study investigated the impact on the LOC of university students after a 25-day program focused on adventure-based eco-tourism where the participants hiked, camped, white water rafted and took part in other adventure-based activities. We found the results further support previous studies that determined adventure programs enhanced internality measured quantitatively through Locus of Control. Qualitative responses indicated greater self-reliance due to enhanced belief in ability.

Outdoor Adventure Programs for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Review and Agenda for Future Research.

Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience myriad symptoms that affect functioning and quality of life (QOL). Although there are a growing number of nonpharmacologic interventions designed to improve symptom severity and interference and maximize QOL, these particular treatments are limited by barriers to accessibility and, at times, a poor patient-intervention fit. Thus, it is important to consider alternative or supplemental nonpharmacologic treatments for people with MS. Outdoor adventure programs-group-based outdoor adventures aimed at enhancing QOL and fostering personal growth-could be one such alternative or supplemental approach. This topical review provides an overview of outdoor adventure programs; explores the current literature on these types of programs for the general population and medical populations; examines how outdoor adventure programs could enhance mood, functioning, and QOL for individuals with MS; and suggests future directions for research on outdoor adventure programs tailored to persons with MS.

Forest educators as bearers and implementers of deep ecology ideas

Abstract People think very little about the consequences of consumer and ecological manners. Responsibility for raising children to sustainable behaviour is transmitted to educational institutions that bear the full weight of this burden. Non-teaching experts such as foresters enter the educational process. These specialists are called “forest educators”. At the 14th European Forest Pedagogics Congress 2019 in Latvia, 167 forest educators from Europe met, and 52 of them were willing to participate in a qualitative research survey. This paper aimed to identify why foresters, as people without pedagogical education and despite the unfavourable funding, become educators. The following questions guided this research: What leads them to start organizing educational and adventure programmes for children and the public? Is their intrinsic motivation based on an unconscious level to implement ideas of Deep Ecology? Philosophy of Arne Naess and semi-structured interviews with forest educators in the form of the Pyramid Model of Wengraf, through which qualitative data were obtained, methodologically approached this paper. Interviews with foresters revealed their values, needs, motivation, dominant psychological-ethical moments and prosocial behaviour that brings inner satisfaction and pedagogical activity as an added value of their profession. Forest educators have a unique philosophical system related to nature and the environment. They subconsciously follow and develop the ideas of Deep Ecology through the methods of Forest Pedagogy. The paper presents the way of involving forest educators into the distance and online teaching due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as the topic for further research in this area.

Building resilience through trail running: women’s perspectives

ABSTRACT Access to and benefits from leisure programmes are influenced by both personal and social factors. Within the context of leisure, understanding the gendered experience is important with regards to how adventure experiences are constructed, and how outcomes are measured and interpreted. The purpose of the current study was to determine if trail running develops and supports resilience in women, similar to other outdoor adventure programs. Participants indicated that they gained a sense of empowerment, bravery and tenacity through trail running, and reported a gain in transferable outcomes such as resilience, perspective and mental health supports that improved daily function. Resilience is an important factor for many client populations that seek leisure-based therapeutic interventions, such as within the field of therapeutic recreation. Insight into the nuances of how it is developed and supported in individuals is key when it comes to fostering resilience with clients.

A South African exploration into outdoor adventure education and adolescent psychosocial development

This study explored the psychosocial outcomes of an outdoor adventure program for adolescents. A purposive sample of 144 Grade 10 learners participated in the Journey outdoor adventure education (OAE) programme (female = 48.6%, black = 27.5%; mean age =16.5 years; SD = 3.45 years). Applying a pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design, the adolescents completed self-report measures (including the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire, Emotional Literacy Questionnaire, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale) at three points in time: pre- and post-Journey, and four months later. Results following ANOVA analysis indicated increases in the adolescents’ self-reports of life effectiveness and resilience (but not of emotional literacy) on completion of the programme. Findings suggest that a strength-based OAE would enhance psychosocial outcomes of adolescent school learners.

Wilderness Adventure Program May Help Combat Perceptions of Stigma Among Veterans

Operational stress injuries (OSIs) are an increasing concern for military personnel, particularly those returning from conflict zones. Over the last decade, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has seen...

The Use of Polyamide Slaklines in Evaluating the Moving Speed in the Dynamic Balance and the Effort Capacity During the Education through Adventure Programs

Our study�s goal was to underline the differences between the girls� and the boys� representative in terms of age, in what concerns the moving speed and the effort perception during the dynamic balance when walking on the slackline throughout the activities specific for the Development through Education and Adventure (DEA). The results have shown the fact that the boys have a better speed movement on the slackline rather than the girls, allowing us to conclude that the boys� dynamic balance is superior to the girls� balance on both studied age categories. Perceiving the physical effort through heart rate is different according to age category when walking on the slackline for the groups of the study.

Cultural interchange in adventure education: exploring the interaction of participants and institutional cultures

ABSTRACT This study explores the interaction of participants and institutional cultures in adventure education (AE) through the qualitative method of educational criticism and connoisseurship. Three AE programmes were included in this study: a backpacking expedition (11 participants), a challenge course (29 participants), and a multi-activity adventure programme (21 participants). Through 183 hours of observation and 74 interviews, the thematic categories of cultural rigidity and cultural flexibility were identified. The AE institution exhibits cultural rigidity through guideline enforcement, jargon propagation, and value instillment, which results in participant adaptation. Conversely, the AE institution exhibits cultural flexibility through language accommodation, norm development, and goal setting, which results in participants’ ability to sustain selfhood. The implications of these findings include reaffirming the importance of attending to participant experiences in AE and the contention that striking a cultural balance in AE can promote productive cultural interchange as an aim of AE.