Challenge Course Program Development

Is your school or organization considering developing a challenge course program? Are you taking a leadership role on a challenge course? Physical educators, guidance staff, camp counselors, and other community or business organizations involved in challenge course programming will benefit from Plymouth State’s Challenge Course Program Development graduate certificate.

Offered in conjunction with High 5 Adventure Learning Center, the Challenge Course Program Development graduate certificate provides challenge course practitioners with the skills necessary to operate and manage a challenge course program at their school, community organization, or business. This certificate program prepares practitioners to become professionally certified in accordance with the standards set by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT).

At Plymouth State, you can take up to 12 credits before being admitted—so, you don’t need to apply in order to complete this graduate certificate program, however there are minimum requirements that must be met in order for your certificate to be awarded.

Required Courses – 12 credits
3

EE 5110 Adventure Basics

The Adventure Basics workshop is designed to model the delivery of a condensed but carefully sequenced challenge course curriculum. Participants will learn both the basic technical skills of operating a challenge course as well as the facilitation skills essential to sequencing a program to maximize outcomes with participants. Adventure Basics provides an important first step for both understanding the flow and interplay of a group experience and for learning the skills to run an effective challenge course education program.
2

EE 5150 Experiential Group Facilitation: Beyond Basics

This workshop offers educators and group facilitators from diverse settings an opportunity to gain practical skills in group facilitation and develop and refine their facilitation style. In a co-creative environment facilitators will explore the art of facilitation and practice their facilitation skills. Participants will leave with a variety of practical activities, strategies, and tools that will enhance their practice as a facilitator. Through hands on program design and implementation practice, reflection and input from peers, facilitators will gain new insights, resources and tap into their strengths as an educator. Participants will leave with practical tools to enhance their practice as facilitators.
2

EE 5120 Advanced Technical Challenge Course Skills Beyond Basics

Beyond Basics is an advanced workshop designed to help the adventure practitioner acquire the requisite skills to effectively facilitate a low and high challenge course program. Emphasis will be on developing a deeper understanding of challenge course systems and cultivating a critical eye for safety. Some of the specific skills covered in this workshop are as follows: knot-tying, proper use of equipment, belay techniques, leading edge climbing, and basic rescue procedures.
2

EE 5180 Managing an Adventure Program

Managing an Adventure Program is designed to help adventure professionals manage an adventure education program and its many facets and details. The course is intended for anyone who has primary responsibility for the management of a challenge course site and/or adventure education programs at their school, camp or business setting. In addition to helping the challenge course professional learn essential management skills; the workshop also focuses upon improving one's analysis and judgment capabilities.
2

EE 5130 Building Your Repertoire

Participants will complete 3 of the following one day workshops: Games for Any Space, No Props No Problem, Metaphors for Change, 10 Props, 100 Activities, or Teachable Moments; and complete a resource book of activities and facilitation tools that fit their professional practice. These workshops present a variety of experiential based activities focused on problem-solving, communication skills development, asset building and reflection. Participants should also gain an understanding of the foundations of experiential education and the philosophy of learning and community building through play.
1-3

ED 6900 Graduate Capstone Experience

A culminating, supervised project or practicum experience in a work environment or cooperating institution or agency. The purpose is to apply knowledge learned in previous coursework to the work environment or through an approved project. The candidate works with a field supervisor on site and presents their final product to PSU faculty. Students who anticipate working on their project for more than one term should register for the appropriate number of credits in each term so that they remain registered throughout the course of the project. Students should anticipate planning approximately 40 hours of work for each credit to be earned and the number of credits to be earned in total must be approved by their advisor and noted on their program contract. The candidate must submit a Graduate Capstone Project form with their registration and the Capstone Project must be approved by the advisor and Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies.

Elective Courses
1-3

EE 5910 Independent Study

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2

EE 5170 Introduction to Low Challenge Course Elements

The course is designed as an introductory experience intended to model a condensed but carefully sequenced challenge course curriculum. Participants will learn both the technical skills of operating a low challenge course as well as facilitator skills essential to the operation of an experiential education program. Introduction to Low Challenge Course Elements provides an important first step for both understanding the flow and interplay of a group experience and for learning the skills to run an effective adventure learning and challenge course program.
2

ED 5160 The Experiential Learning Cycle

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