Alex Clark: Outside Source 3: wilderness program research

“Outcomes and Personal Values Associated with Participation in an Inclusive Adventure Program: Transferring the Benefits to Everyday Life.” By Tom Holman, Leo McAvoy, Marni Goldenberg, David Klenosky (1997). The research behind this article was meant “to identify and understand the outcomes/consequences, values and trip attributes associated with participation in an inclusive adventure trip program experience, both for persons with disabilities and those without disabilities. In addition, the study seeks to better understand if and how participants are able to transfer outcomes gained on an adventure program back into their everyday life after a program experience.” Participants went through a wilderness program for roughly a week, experiencing nature in a group, reflecting, writing, exercising, and discussing. Individuals were asked to say what they got out of the trip, why certain outcomes were important to them, and what aspects of the trip contributed to the outcome. This raw verbal data was inputted into a system that found the following results: “participants were able to transfer outcomes to their work (41%), to outdoor skills (24%), to their family lives (24%), and to other activities (13%). Participants also indicated having positive reflections/memories of the trip (31%) as well as increased coping/transitioning skills (13%). Many participants (51%) had higher levels of motivation and increased self-confidence in their abilities. Participants expressed having a better understanding of people with disabilities/differences (44%) and being more respectful/trusting of others (51%) as a result of having participated in an inclusive wilderness adventure experience.” Overall the research showed quantifiable and understandable support for the positive effects of an outdoor adventure program. This research displays the extremely positive effects of nature and of all aspects of a nature and spirituality based program on all different types of people. This is simply more research in support of communitas, the relationship between spirituality and wilderness, and the importance these things can have for human beings.