About High 5 Adventure Learning

What We've Done

Hinsdale School District	School for International Training
Bridgeport Public Schools	LaSalle School for Boys
The Rhode Island National Guard

Hinsdale School District, Hinsdale, NH
Adventure Education in the Classroom KIDS Consortium Project Antioch Place Based Learning Project Over the past two school years, High 5 Adventure Learning Center has been involved in working closely with teachers and students in Hinsdale’s elementary, middle and high schools. High 5’s initial involvement came from our former staff member, Kelly McMillan, who was a parent of a Hinsdale elementary student at the time and an active member of the community. She used some of her skills as an adventure educator during various school events and created interest and excitement among faculty, students and community members. They then inquired more about the power of adventure education for creating positive change in schools. Teachers and Guidance staff from Hinsdale have attended workshops such as Adventure Games and Initiatives and Adventures in Learning and brought these ideas back to their school. The School’s principal John Hartnett has had High 5 present regular teambuilding workshops for the teachers and students. The guidance staff has integrated adventure activities into their group work with students and the assistant principal helped Kelly develop an after school and peer mentoring program involving adventure games and initiatives and High 5’s challenge course. This work has lead to our involvement in two larger projects also happening at Hinsdale. As part of Antioch New England’s Co- Seed Place-Based Learning project, we have become part of the middle school team in working directly with students and teachers in their own classroom space. The goal of this project is to create a positive school community and healthy learning environment. Teachers are learning Adventure games and initiatives, reflection tools and group facilitation tactics to use in their classroom. Once trained, High 5 has then conducted mentoring sessions with these teachers in their own classrooms. As part of the KIDs Consortium service-learning project, High 5 is helping students and teachers create a working team to coordinate and implement projects such as the construction of low challenge course elements at the elementary school. Other upcoming projects include the implementation a semester long adventure education course at the high school, assisted by High 5 staff, the formation of a middle and high school leadership team who will be trained to co-lead adventure activities with elementary students and community members in Hinsdale. Return to Top
Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport,CT
In 2002 the Bridgeport Public Schools (Bridgeport, CT) received a Carol M. White Physical Education Grant, PEP, from the US Department of Education. This grant incorporates an Adventure Education Model into the Bridgeport Physical Education curriculum. There were three phases to the project; 1) equipping fifteen school with indoor low and high challenge course elements; 2) training teachers in delivering the adventure education curriculum and; 3) an evaluation of grant goals to be completed through a year-long study to investigate the effect of the curriculum on fitness, suspensions, attendance and developmental assets as defined by the Search Institute. Thirty-two physical education teachers were trained extensively in the adventure curriculum and in the fall of 2003, the curriculum was instituted in approximately 250 K-12 physical education classes. Several Bridgeport teachers and the project evaluator presented at the 2004 High 5 Practitioners Symposium in Brattleboro, Vermont. They shared many of their successes, failures and challenges over the past eighteen months. Perhaps one of the more gratifying comments was one by Jim Kuhn, PE teacher K-8: "I just wanted to tell you both that I did River Crossing for two days last week with every class that came in. Just as I was leaving school that second day, I was talking to a colleague about how things were going and I heard myself say that these past two days were probably the two best days that I ever had as a PE teacher in my 3 years so far. Its hard to really tell you how satisfying it was to witness the chaos, the risks, the failures, the small gains, the passionate discussions, the cooperation and team-building, and finally...the success of accomplishment. They loved it, I loved it. I think you guys are on to something here." For more information about this project contact High 5 and/or Alan Wallack, Director of Physical Education and Athletics, Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport, CT.
School for International Training, Brattleboro, Vermont
Each summer, the School for International Training brings young people from war torn countries to Brattleboro, Vermont for three weeks of leadership development and conflict resolution. During each three-week session, they come to High 5 for a day of teambuilding. The program has involved hundreds of young people over the years that have included Protestants and Catholics from Belfast, Ireland; Jews and Arabs from Israel and Palestine and Turkish and Greek Cypriots from Turkey and Greece. These young people, who if they were back on their home turf are on opposite sides of war and conflict, spend their day at High 5 entirely dependent upon one another to feel and be safe. In some instances, they literally hold one anotherÕs life in their hands as they manipulate the belay rope on various high challenge course elements. For a brief period of time each summer, working for world peace takes on new meaning under the guise of adventure education at High 5. Return to Top
The Rhode Island National Guard, Coventry, RI
The Rhode Island National Guard has developed a program for young people with funding from the National Drug Demand Reduction Act, that brings students 12-14 years of age to the Coventry Air National Guard Station in Coventry, RI. During their 5-day program, students take part in a leadership development & life skills program conducted by members of the RI National Guard. A large portion of the program is experientially based and utilizes the challenge course built by High 5 last spring. Over twenty-five National Guard members were trained as facilitators of the adventure program, which included games, initiatives and low and high challenge course activities. The National Guard also invited members of the Warwick, RI police department to participate in the training. Warwick police offers serve as additional facilitators for the National Guard program and have also brought the program back to their town of Warwick. In June of 2004, military personnel from throughout Rhode Island gathered for a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the challenge course, the training of National Guard members and to kickoff the summer program for young people. The program was made possible through the efforts of Master Sergeant Don Panarello and his staff. It was Sgt. PanarelloÕs persistent efforts over many months that made this unique program possible.
LaSalle School for Boys, Albany, NY
For over ten years the LaSalle School for Boys has been conducting an adventure education program for its students. Developed through the efforts of Brother James Martino and Astrid Pettersen, the program for middle school through high school students has been a key part of living skills program. The LaSalle School is dedicated to helping young people who have been in trouble and have had to leave their regular school setting. The goal at LaSalle is to provide a temporary educational setting that allows students to succeed socially and then transition back to the regular school. The adventure program at LaSalle is a valuable part of the educational experience for students. It began years ago with the training of various staff members and the purchase of a minimal amount of equipment (game bags, etc.) to initiate adventure education via the living skills program. The challenge course elements were installed in a very old gymnasium and the program began on a very small scale. Some years later, with the construction of a new physical education facility, the challenge course was greatly expanded and the LaSalle adventure program took on new life. LaSalle School is a good example of an adventure program that began with the efforts of a few dedicated people, started small and has expanded thoughtfully over time. In March 2004, LaSalle School will serve as the training site for an Indoor Adventure Basics Workshop. Return to Top