Development of Experiential Education Programs at ACE

ACE Adventure Center Leading Player In Growing
Experiential-Based Training And Development Field

By K.T. Davidson

"Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I may remember.
Involve me and I will understand."

~Chinese Proverb

The rules are simple. Take your group of seven or eight people, get in a circle touching toes with the people beside you, hold hands and lean back until everyone’s arms are out straight - easy. That is until the circle starts wobbling, resembling so much Jell-o. Waves of instability whirl back and forth around the circle, as one or another participant loses his or her balance. Faces are grimaced, straining for equilibrium where none is possible, until finally the ring self-destructs. The group picks themselves up and tries again - only to fail again.

They are not quitters - quite the contrary. They exude the “can-do” attitude typical of individuals who play - and work - in the outdoors. Most are pursuing some type of outdoor adventure education degree, looking to move into the growing field of experiential education (EE).

But gathered in the parking lot of ACE Adventure Center near Oak Hill, West Virginia, they struggle with a simple and seemingly impossible task.

What seemed simple with two people minutes ago has now become an impossible task. What type of vicious, no-win-situation game is this? Could there possibly be a solution to this problem?

“I’m not the sort to offer solutions, but I think a lot of you are not utilizing your creativity here,” says facilitator Frank Fry, an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. “Remember the rules,” he good-naturedly admonishes the participants. “Anything else is fair game.”

Group members stare mutely at each other, but soon wheels are turning. In just a few moments, one group has solved the problem. They laugh. They cheer. They slap high-fives.

And then they are hustled to the next activity. Dr. Fry is a man of action, and he quickly directs his students into another activity, whistling and gesturing like a coach for some strange sport that hasn’t been invented yet.

Around ACE’s 1,400 acres, other college students and professionals are taking part in the Association of Experiential Education’s (AEE) Mid-Atlantic Region Annual Conference. They have conquered ACE’s “Alpine Tower” ropes course, participated in a “Life Flight” evacuation drill, and attended seminars that range from team-building to therapeutic horse riding. There was even a session where the facilitator spoke on being a facilitator.

The theme of the conference - “Roots, Bridges and Transformation” - speaks to the evolution of the field. The philosophy of EE grew directly out of outdoor-related activities. But as it evolved further into a related group of college majors, schools became the focal point of EE activities. Programs such as therapeutic recreation, outdoor education, outdoor leadership, or parks and recreation have sprung up in a few locales. Other schools have strong physical education programs and/or outdoor clubs. Over the past few years, conferences have been held on college campuses to accommodate students involved in academic programs. But today, surrounded by West Virginia’s trees and hills - and draped by a startlingly blue spring sky - AEE has returned to its roots. “This is the kind of venue you want when you think of outdoor education,” said Dennis Call, AEE’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Chairman. “The most positive thing was the venue gave many opportunities for people to take advantage of. It was really nice to have a corporate production of the conference. There were some high-quality professionals in charge.

“It’s a phenomenal gathering of individuals whether on the regional or national level,” Call continued. “The synergy that exists when these people get to together… is just outstanding. It’s great to meet on a collaborative level, rather than a competitive level. When you borrow someone’s great idea here, it’s a compliment. There’s a desire in this profession to help others. You can’t surround yourself with better people than that.

“Experiential education is definitely expanding. Fifty percent of people attending conference are always newcomers,” Call added. “It’s being utilized on the corporate level, used with lots of learning disabilities, for kinesthetic learning.”

Of course, this conference is geared toward professionals and future professionals in the field. The practical applications for EE serve a wide variety of publics in a surprisingly broad range of categories. EE has long been a methodology for building discipline, character and self-esteem in at-risk youth. It has also been widely used as therapeutic tool for mentally and physically challenged individuals and individuals with substance-abuse problems.

But more and more it is becoming the training method of choice for corporate America. Human capital is often the most undervalued resource of a company, and in an increasingly competitive marketplace, training dollars have to deliver on multiple fronts.

“Experience-based training and development (EBTD) is an outgrowth of experiential education and is a learner-centered approach to human resource development and organizational change,” said ACE Co-Owner Jerry Cook. “ACE is known for its recreational offerings, but we do much more than that. We offer full-service delivery of EBTD programs, from the initial needs assessment through debriefing.”

ACE has extensive support facilities, including a wide selection of lodging options, from campsite to deluxe cabins with cable, plus indoor conference facilities, a pub and a restaurant.

Co-Owner Lee Fuqua noted that training is nothing new to ACE. “We’ve been training our own people in safety, technical skills and customer service since we went into business 20 years ago,” he said. “We host several college groups annually and as many as 250 different groups a year, and each one of them wants something just a little bit different.”

ACE conducts a variety of technical training courses throughout the year, including five-day intensive instructor certification in top-rope climbing, he added.

“We also offer a wealth of affordable training and development opportunities for businesses in the Mountain State,” said Ernie Kincaid, another of ACE’s co-owners. “We have the facilities and the capabilities to put on just about any type of program any group could want - and they’ll have fun doing it.”

Corporate uses of EBTD programs include employee incentives, client promotions and healthy lifestyle programs. However, many corporate clients seek structured recreational activities designed to address common issues in the workplace, such as team-building, conflict resolution, confidence and esteem-building, problem-solving and improving communication.

Outdoor challenges provide a cooperative, non-threatening environment - outside the rigors and relationships of the office - where participants can build cohesion and camaraderie, and gain personal insight in situations where their actions will have a direct consequence on the team’s outcome.

Regardless of the level of outdoor thrill - from the tame to the wild - EBTD provides a fun alternative to windowless classrooms and canned training seminars, especially when prime whitewater rafting, climbing, hiking, biking and equestrian facilities are part of the equation.

AEE Mid-Atlantic Secretary Alexandra (Alex) Miller has a special appreciation for the setting and the spirit of the AEE conference. A corporate Training & Development Consultant by trade, she is frequently confined to the classroom or boardroom. Regardless of setting, Alex brings an experiential perspective and high energy into any session she facilitates (as the ‘victim’ in the helo-evacuation drill, she was roped to a backboard for the better part of an hour). The result of her energy and invitation into an experience can lead to engaged participants who want to be there. “Those who are engaged stand a much greater chance of taking something valuable from the session,” she said.

“The way I prefer to do it is to move the chairs out of the way and do an ‘initiative’ - a game that teaches. The initiative can create a ‘microcosm’ of the group and a safe way of talking about issues and characteristics that are not so focused on individuals – we can start talking about a line of rope or a ball or a hula-hoop, then later transfer what was learned to the corporate setting.” she said.

Sometimes Miller will lay out circles of twine on the floor and play a type of “musical chairs.” The games can get a bit intense at times, she admitted with a laugh. “People start elbowing or they feel like they have to hop between the circles. This natural reaction tells me that people show up to these initiatives with the same passion and vigor as they do in their everyday lives,” she noted diplomatically.

The trick, and the lesson, is to keep ancient history from stifling new and creative ways to go about things, and that’s where a skilled facilitator can make all the difference.

As for the weekend, “This has been a great conference and I loved the location - it was a perfect venue,” said Miller. “Someone once told me windows are a distraction…?”

More seriously, she added, “AEE Conferences are a valuable rejuvenation for folks who give absolutely 100 percent throughout the year. Some people are working with adjudicated or troubled youth or adults. There are people using EE to work out some very serious issues in companies.”

AEE Membership Manager Christine Day said the organization is currently made up of close to 1,400 members in 30 countries, with the majority in the U.S. and Canada. Nearly 1,000 people attended eight AEE regional conferences this year. This year’s national annual will be in St. Paul, Minn.

Anyone with an interest can become a member, but AEE also has an accredited member program. Applicants are reviewed to document their commitment to the field and their belief in professional standards. That group currently has 44 accredited members.

“A big thing to mention is that most of the work done is by volunteer leaders,” said Day. “We have a staff of seven. The members feel strongly about what they do and they volunteer for the organization.”

More information is available at www.aee.org and at www.AceRaft.com.

K.T. Davidson has worked as a professional journalist and public relations practitioner for the past 15 years, and takes on occasional free-lance assignments. A West Virginia native and longtime outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys writing about - and photographing - the people and places that make the Mountain State special.

Kenneth T. Davidson II