Adventure-based learning is used by behavioral health providers to connect clients to therapeutic activities outside traditional settings. These approaches often aim to build internal and external assets that support positive youth development. Here we evaluate the impact of an experiential learning curriculum on youth development and identify…

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…

This paper provides an informed and critical understanding of the concept of self-esteem. It explores this psychological construct in relation to its use in adventure education and outdoor learning. Enhancing a participant's self-esteem is perceived to be fundamentally a good thing and is culturally linked to the Hahnian notion that implies…

Wilderness Experience Programs (WEPs) have been shown to enhance psychological well-being for numerous populations. However, among veteran populations, these studies have historically evaluated programs that are short-term experiences, usually less than 1 week. The current research sought to evaluate a WEP for post-9/11 combat veterans engaging in…

Nineteen adolescents (ages 13 to 17) attending a British special school for children with special educational needs and emotional/behavioral difficulties attended a four-day outdoor development program. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate outcomes in the three areas of group cohesion, tension/anxiety levels, and physical…

After consideration of program constraints and variability factors involved in designing a study to document the effects of Colorado Outward Bound, it was concluded that there should be three separate studies: (1) Study One, a small, tightly-controlled experiment, would have as its subjects inner-city youth from the Denver schools; (2) Study Two…

Researchers developed an instrument based on definitions of the variables of self-esteem, self-awareness, self-assertion, and acceptance of others to be used as outcome criteria to define and measure the outcomes of the Colorado Outward Bound School experience and to determine if the outcomes were caused by the program. The Outward Bound course…

As the final part of a three-part evaluation of Colorado Outward Bound summer programs, a control group and an experimental group were evaluated on the four outcome variables of self-esteem, self-awareness, self-assertion, and acceptance of others, and on school achievement the following year. Participants consisted of 34 paying students and 31…

Feeling the need for a concise summary of research conducted on Outward Bound Activities, the North Carolina Outward Bound School commissioned this annotated bibliography. Approximately 110 listings are included, each accompanied by a brief abstract identifying the principal features and findings of the work listed. The bibliography is divided…

A true experimental design with 60 male probationers, ages 13-16, was used to evaluate the viability of an Ontario-based 21-day wilderness adventure program as an alternative for adjudicated juveniles placed on probation. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group was subdivided into 3…

This meta-analysis examines the effects of adventure programs on diverse outcomes such as self-concept, locus of control, and leadership. Analysis of 1,728 effect sizes from 96 studies shows that effect sizes varied substantially and improved as the length of the program and ages of the participants increased. (SLD)

Created in 1974, the Connecticut Wilderness School is a successful program for breaking patterns of failure due to negative self-image and instilling positive values of confidence and responsibility in order to develop constructive attitudes and behaviors in young people aged 15 to 20 who have run into trouble with the law. The wilderness program…

High school sophomores participating in the second year of Project Adventure, an educational program expanded to include community service, experiential learning, and a rigorous physical education program, showed improvements in physical abililty and self-concept consistent with improvements shown by students in the program's first year.…

Project Adventure, an innovative educational program combining experiential learning in academics with a rigorous physical education curriculum at the high school level, was successful in its first year (1971-72). Project staff attempted to: develop and teach the physical education component; involve students and faculty in experiential dimensions…

Twenty abstracts represent papers on: an agenda for camping research, use of alternative learning environments in an outdoor setting for emotionally disturbed children and youth, effects of specialized camping program on coronary heart disease risk factors in children, efficacy of physical activity programs for overweight pre-adults at specialized…