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A CRROBS course is based on the education pedagogy of 60 years of Outward Bound experience and uses many principles of Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound developed at Harvard University in its design. All students participate in group discussions, readings, and activities and Outward Bound courses create an environment for students to learn through personal experience. The pedagogical foundation is one that demands personal reflection, group communications, cultural sensitivity, mental expansion and physical commitment.
CRROBS courses strive to create an environment that helps students learn from wilderness activities through three components, which are integral parts of the entire course:
•Technical Skills
(How do you do the activity?)
•Scientific Learning
(What environmental/biological aspects surround the activity?)
•Personal Development
(What personal characteristics does the activity promote?)
In each phase of the course it is important to set students up for success. For students to be successful they need to develop the skills necessary to be a leader, to live in the wilderness, to understand another culture, and to work as a team. Much of what students learn will be from experience, but much needs to be taught, often formally. For example, not all students can “discover” leadership skills necessary to lead a group if they have not been taught the skills inherent in solid leadership. |
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Thorough presentation of technical skills will insure the highest safety. Personal development will naturally be an ongoing focus of all course phases. The importance of group communication and personal contribution should be established the moment the course starts so that students can immediately take ownership for the course.
The closing ceremony, which brings the experience to a formal and positive ending, is an essential part of understanding and incorporating what has been learned into the individual student’s lives. The ceremony would have each student discuss what he or she learned from his or her experiences and how they plan to transfer his or her skills and knowledge into the various settings which await his or her return.
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Logistics and Philosophy of Solo
Sharply contrasting the fast pace and bombardment of new stimuli that the students will have experienced up until this point of their course, the solo exercise is designed to allow students to make an introspective evaluation of their personal progress on their course and in life. The solo is not a survival exercise per se; the focus is more meditative, and the seemingly secluded environment allows students to be free of distractions. Students are frequently asked to write a letter to themselves and/or to the group to help organize their thoughts and feelings related to what is a very impacting personal experience. A vital area focused on by the instructors throughout the duration of the course is “processing the experience,” as Outward Bound philosophies focus on personal development, connecting metaphors to the activities and incorporating new knowledge and experience into the daily routines of the participants. Students are equipped with a whistle, water, a lamp, food rations, pen and paper, a sleeping bag and their tarp; they would not have their cell phone (if at all on course), their favorite novel, or a knife. Students are assigned small adjacent plots, putting them just out of sight of their fellow course mates. In case of a situation where the student would need the assistance of an instructor, they would blow their whistle to summon their instructor. The exercise’s duration is in proportion to the length of their course i.e. 15 to 30 day courses have an 18-24 hour solo, and 60, 70 and 85 day courses have a 48-72 hour solo. The solo experience leaves a lasting impression on the students; for many it is the first time they will experience this type and duration of seclusion in a natural (or even unnatural) environment. Certainly, it’s vital in the process of personal development.
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