Outdoor Education: Transforming Lives Through Adventure

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What if the key to transformative education isn't found in textbooks or standardized curriculum, but in the quality of relationships between teachers and students? Springfield College professors Angela Veach and Ted France challenge conventional wisdom about what constitutes meaningful learning as they share their expertise on adventure education.

Drawing from decades of combined experience, these educators reveal how Springfield College's unique 57-acre outdoor learning center serves as a laboratory for experiential education. Students don't just learn theory—they immediately apply concepts by facilitating real groups in authentic settings. This hands-on approach creates deeper learning connections that traditional classroom instruction simply cannot match.

Perhaps most surprising is their redefinition of "adventure" itself. As Professor France explains, adventure isn't limited to high-risk activities like rock climbing or whitewater rafting; rather, it's "any activity where the outcome is uncertain." This perspective makes adventure accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability or comfort with traditional outdoor pursuits. The program's foundational principle of "challenge by choice" ensures participants engage at their comfort level while still being valued members of the group.

The professors outline a three-step process that creates transformative educational experiences: first building empathy, then helping students set high expectations, and finally becoming advocates who open doors to new opportunities. This relationship-centered approach is essential in the field of education. As Professor France notes, "It's the high-quality relationship that's developed between a significant adult role model and youth that matter."

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Springfield.edu/graduate