This May 2008, Outdoor Leadership Lab will offer the three following courses:
- Rock Climbing Instructor
The purpose of this course is to prepare individuals to instruct top rope (single pitch) climbing and rappelling on artificial and natural rock faces. Emphasis is on preparing instructors to effectively manage a group of novice climbers at a single pitch climbing site. Technical, educational, and group management skills will be taught as well as simplified methods in climbing instruction, belaying techniques, descending techniques, knots, equipment, natural and artificial anchors, basic rescues, and overall site safety. Ministry applications will be woven throughout. This course is designed for adventure program staff in Camps and Conference Centers, Schools and Colleges, Therapeutic Homes, and other church/Christian organizations.
- Facilitation and Adventure Recreation
Adventure recreation is a course that is designed to prepare someone to effectively lead participants through a progression of experiences from gaming to low ropes course Adventure Recreation, the use of games and initiatives, stands alone as a powerful form of adventure but can also be used to enhance every form of adventure programming. This course deals specifically with how to make all of these experiences purposeful and transferable. Designed to build group unity, trust and communication, you'll start with activities created to "break the ice" and progress all the way to low and high challenge course elements. Applying Christian truths in and through the activities is a fundamental goal of the course. Likewise, a similar goal of the course is to improve one's ability to facilitate, since facilitation is key to effective and meaningful adventure programming. Participants will also look at appropriate sequencing, briefing and debriefing, and participant readiness. Participants will have the opportunity to explore, practice and learn techniques all related to facilitation. These type of adventure recreation experiences are fundamental to all other outdoor adventure experiences and can be incorporated into many types of adventure programs, from hiking to climbing.
- Expedition Skills (formerly OLL's backpacking class)
This course is designed to teach fundamental technical skills that are essential to planning and running multi-day outdoor adventure experience using land and water mediums. It will also discuss creative and effective methods to make outdoor adventure experience a tool for spiritual development.
Students will engage in intensive field-based outdoor skills modules such as trip planning, cooking and ration planning, route-finding and navigation, including map and compass use, Leave No Trace, safety, campsite selection, risk management and some basic expedition behavior/group dynamics.
This course takes place in the Pisgah National Forest and on the beautiful Jocassee River
