Welcome to High 5
High 5 Adventure Learning Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering individuals through adventure-based experiential learning. Since its founding in 2000, High 5 has become a trusted partner to schools, educators, leaders, and organizations across the country using experiential learning, adventure training, challenge courses, and leadership training to empower thousands of young people and adults. High 5’s adventure experiences are an effective tool for improving the way we live, learn, work, and lead together by providing an environment of discovery, challenge and fun. If you have any questions about our offerings, we’d love to hear from you!.
Current Events
We're Building a Challenge Course in Quincy, MA
Communicating with Courage: Navigating Challenging Dialogue® for Leaders
A High 5 Leadership Workshop Hosted by ACA New England
Communication and Trust are Essential, Even When You Disagree
Navigating Challenging Dialogue® Essentials
Signature Offerings
Spotlight Offerings
Edge of Leadership
A New Book by Ryan McCormick
Guiding Educators and Students on a Journey of Meaningful Connection, Empowering Skill and Collective Leadership
Start your journey of exploring where the rules of traditional instruction begin to soften, replaced by a dynamic environment where curiosity leads action and mistakes are simply milestones.
With the Edge of Leadership Framework, you aren’t just teaching a curriculum—you are cultivating an ecosystem. You’ll find that the “perfect” lesson plan matters less than the authentic moment of discovery. Guiding Educators and Students on a Journey of Meaningful Connection, Empowering Skill and Collective Leadership.
What People Are Saying about Edge of Leadership
Ryan McCormick has authored a Guidebook for the ages. Out of his lived understanding of experiential learning, his critical connections to adventure content and context and his unwavering commitment to those he has teamed with, he guides his readers down remarkable paths. The longer I linger with Ryan McCormick’s writing, the more I am impressed with the beauty of his constructions defining what true teaching and leadership means for all students and their worlds tomorrow.
"This book is wildly hopeful from both a teacher and human perspective. [The author's] philosophy and personality shine through on every page - no one else could have written this. [He] directly address the importance of actually caring about the students - the innocent, inexperienced human beings that we have the honor of helping shape and educate so that they can shape and educate. THIS is the way. The academics can only come once the types of communities [he] described exist. It does NOT otherwise work."
Reset: Reflection and Community for Mid-Career Educators
A Professional Learning 2-Part Series
Designed for educators who work directly with students, this small-cohort experience unfolds across two full-day retreats grounded in adventure-based learning, facilitated dialogue, and structured reflection.
Educators from the same district explore topics that are universally relevant and often not addressed in Professional Development settings.
When in Doubt ... Give Them Your Heart
Stories about Connecting, Empowering & Leading
Jim Grout’s new book, When in Doubt … Give Them Your Heart demonstrates that leadership rooted in connection is leadership that lasts. Individuals and teams transform, not because of some magical formula or trendy leadership theory, but because someone chose to listen, to believe in another, to take a risk, and to lead by example. That’s the heart of this work.
What People Are Saying about When in Doubt
In "When in Doubt, Give Them Your Heart", Jim Grout has given readers the remarkable opportunity to explore one’s own life, and decisions made along the way regarding work environments, especially those that require teamwork and leadership. Jim’s own stories are courageous and deeply reflective. He also provides a plethora of group experiences for your use as a leader or participant that you can explore and try out. This book is a hidden treasure waiting for your discovery.
We’ve all seen the impact engaged and connected teachers have on student growth. For educational leaders looking to impact student learning, building community and maintaining connections is mission-critical work. Imagine a whole district where the focus is on building and maintaining educators’ energy and excitement for creatively supporting student learning. Jim Grout’s "When in Doubt... Give them your Heart" is a book every superintendent, principal, district administrator and teaching team can use to elicit practical and thoughtful reflection on what it means to be a leader and how, especially when answers are not certain, recognizing our shared humanity will lead us to solutions.
You'll Be In Good Company
Organizations we've proudly served
