Several scholars have advanced outdoor experiential education (OEE) research and practice through a social justice lens, but the field has yet to systematically support, center, and amplify the lived experiences of diverse participants and adopt aligned asset-based theoretical approaches that contribute to critically informed research in the field. In this conceptual paper, we draw on existing concepts, frameworks, and practices from other disciplines including education, evaluation, social work, ethnic studies, evaluation, psychology, and sociology to (re)conceptualize the “traditional” experiential education model into an integrated anti-oppressive, asset-based framework grounded in social justice, community cultural wealth, critical consciousness, transformative and collaborative inquiry, and ethical considerations. We articulate how this framework can anchor the design, facilitation, and research of OEE programming and offer guiding questions that researchers and practitioners can use in practice.
While summer camp provides many well-documented benefits for children and youth, understanding parents’ perspectives is vital because they decide whether to enroll their children. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, integrating the socio-ecological model and the recreation experience model to examine family experiences with summer camp from a parent’s perspective. A sample of 134 parents who registered a child for overnight camp in a small Mid-Atlantic state responded to a post-camp quantitative survey. Six parents participated in follow-up interviews several months later. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data revealed that parents and children influence each other’s camp experiences, and that those experiences directly shape whether parents choose to send their child to summer camp again. This model provides guidelines for practitioners to focus on camper experience and community connections when promoting camp, as well as providing a framework for future research.
National Park Service (NPS) workers live and work in some of America’s most beautiful and symbolically important places yet report unexpectedly low job satisfaction. Despite a favorable public perception, NPS workers face increased park visitation, reduced staffing, and diminished employee morale, which is exacerbated by systemic challenges such as structural barriers, bureaucracy, and a lack of diversity. This exploratory qualitative study examined the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of NPS workers, particularly regarding precarious work, which is characterized by instability and insecurity in terms of continuity and quantity of work. Findings highlight a troubling discrepancy between employees’ commitment to the NPS mission and the organizational barriers that undermine their job satisfaction. These insights suggest the need for reforms to enhance employee retention and provide better support to NPS personnel. The research underscores the importance of leadership addressing these issues to enhance the effectiveness of the NPS in preserving and protecting America’s cultural and natural resources.
Over a decade has passed since the last NOLS-specific study on learning outcomes and mechanisms from Outdoor Adventure Education courses. Society has changed in these years, and so has NOLS. The purpose of this article is to reexamine the most valued learning outcomes and mechanisms reported by NOLS alumni to extend an understanding of how OAE outcomes evolve amid societal change, with implications for instructors, program curriculum developers, and future research. Data for this study were taken from a larger retrospective survey. Intentionally laddered questions about the most valuable lessons, how this lesson was learned (i.e., the mechanism), and why the aforementioned mechanism was helpful to learning were collected via a survey of NOLS alumni. Leadership, resilience/perseverance, and teamwork were the most valued reported outcomes. Instructors, course challenges, and coursemates (peers) were reported as the most impactful mechanisms. Practitioners and researchers may use these findings to tailor course design and implementation and to further investigate differences in outcomes and mechanisms in OAE programs.
Current research on occupational burnout among summer camp staff is limited and features mixed findings. Yet, given that most camp staff are emerging adults, developmental features of this age suggest vulnerability to such burnout. Data were collected at an overnight summer camp in the Midwestern United States across three timepoints on burnout and two related factors, compassion satisfaction and well-being. Their levels over the summer and reported contributors to and alleviators of burnout were collected to better understand incidence and persistence of burnout and related factors among overnight camp staff. Data were analyzed using repeated measures and cross lagged regression analysis to determine whether initial and mid-summer burnout, compassion satisfaction, and well-being predicted mid-summer and end of summer burnout. Contributors to and alleviators of burnout were aggregated. Burnout and compassion satisfaction significantly increased, not well-being. Contributors and alleviators highlighted camp systems and relational factors. Structural and developmentally informed recommendations are made to reduce burnout among emerging adults employed as overnight camp staff.
Despite the saturation of academic literature espousing the benefits of outdoor recreation (OR) and the potential downsides of smartphone usage, there is a dearth of research regarding the impact of smartphone use on OR experiences. This paper presents an experiment conducted to determine if smartphone use on OR trips affect participants’ psychological, social, educational, and physical outcomes. Sixty-eight participants on overnight university-led OR backpacking trips were split between a treatment group encouraging participants to leave smartphones behind and giving them guidance on appropriate versus inappropriate smartphone use in the backcountry and a control group receiving no smartphone guidance. Results revealed no significant relationship between smartphone usage and measured OR outcomes at the construct level; however, the treatment group self-reported making more friends than the control group. These results carry important implications for OR practitioners regarding how to make policy decisions regarding participant smartphone use on outdoor trips.
Outdoor experiences and contexts are widely assumed to support pro-environmental behavior, yet research has struggled to explain how behavioral change works. Existing studies often emphasize isolated mechanisms, resulting in limited understanding of how cognitive, affective, social, and place-based processes may interact. This study addresses this gap by exploring how pro-environmental behavior may be fostered within skill-based paddle leadership training. In collaboration with the Swedish Canoe Federation, a weekend leader course grounded in three research-informed strategies was developed: place-based guidance, social cohesion, and individual capacity building. Post-course interviews and post-season focus groups were used to study the effects of the course, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show that participants expanded their environmental understanding, pedagogical capability, and sense of social belonging, with these effects dynamically reinforcing motivation and readiness to act. Participants also encountered contextual and social obstacles. We propose a conceptual model illustrating how preconditions, pedagogical strategies, and processes interact to support pro-environmental behavior in outdoor leadership contexts.
Much of the knowledge concerning women and immersive wilderness recreation has been drawn from the perspective of a younger demographic of female adventurers. Research tends to reflect upon experiences catalyzing empowerment or is framed as gendered terrain that discourages participation. This study addresses the paucity of data concerning the lived-body experiences of women age 50 and over, particularly those who have spent a lifetime recreating in wilderness since the 1970s outdoor recreation boom. A retrospective attitudinal study was conducted with 22 post-menopausal women, investigating their history of wilderness engagement, motivations for recreating in wilderness, and constraints to participation. Results provide additional insight into the intersection that a lifetime of immersive wilderness experiences instills upon female agency from the perspective of a less-studied demographic. Findings not only affirm the well-documented benefits that wilderness instills but also suggest a generational asymmetry of perceived fears and constraints.
This study examined the effectiveness of My View, a pre-program screening tool designed to enable youth voice and support youth care and support needs within youth-serving settings like summer camp. Supported by the Mental, Emotional, and Social Health “plus” (MESH(+)) conceptual framework and the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) diagnostic model, we explored: RQ1: To what extent was My View useful for identifying youth representing “high level risks”?, and RQ2: Did utilization of My View allow campers to feel seen, heard, and connected to the camp experience? Using a mixed data design, surveys were administered to youth ages 7–17 before (N = 1935) and after (N = 802) camp. My View effectively captured participant experiences, assessed behavioral risks, enhanced youth voice and engagement, and provided pre-camp support. Findings highlight the value of pre-program screening tools in improving health care practices, supporting well-being, and enhancing staff readiness.
Leave No Trace (LNT) trains recreation users to minimize their environmental impacts. Recent work indicates gender may shape this outcome among rock climbers. While rock climbing presents unique LNT issues, this community has also been receptive to LNT education efforts. This study explores how early formative experiences influence LNT knowledge through qualitative interviews with women who climb. Respondents highlighted childhood camps, being equal participants in family trips, and guided outdoor recreation experiences in developing LNT knowledge. Climbing gyms also represented an introduction into LNT for those with limited childhood outdoor experiences. Furthermore, narratives reflected an ecofeminist care ethic by validating other living beings in nature and identifying community-based solutions to impacts. The study provides land managers and recreation organizations evidence of LNT efficacy while recognizing nature as a living part of the recreation experience and therefore deserving care.
Many overnight camps use Counselor-in-Training (CIT) programs to prepare adolescent campers for the counselor role. Although research has investigated the effectiveness of individual CIT programs, studies have not compared the experiences of previous CIT participants (CITs) to the experiences of new, non-CIT counselors across camp types. We recruited 314 camp counselors (130 previous CITS and 185 non-CITs) from camps across the United States and Canada for an online survey with items assessing their self-efficacy, organizational cohesion, and experiences as first-year counselors. Although we did not find a significant effect of the completion of a CIT program on any of the primary variables, individual and camp factors such as job fit, satisfaction with training, and comfort talking to administrators were significantly associated with self-efficacy and organizational cohesion. More between-camps and longitudinal research is needed to more deeply understand the impacts of training, overall climate, and the efficacy of CIT programs.
The purpose of this study was to identify how culturally determined factors affect hiking experiences. Over 600 hikers completed questionnaires on trails in three areas: two in Germany and one in the United States. Respondents rated the importance of 22 attributes, as well as their overall satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Comparison of importance scores revealed many similarities; respondents from both countries highly valued beautiful landscapes and views, followed by relaxation. However, there were also significant differences which can be explained by individualism and uncertainty avoidance, two of the main dimensions of culture from Geert Hofstede’s framework. Confirming predictions based on intercultural theory, Americans attached higher importance to solitude and connection to place, while Germans had a much stronger preference for restaurants along the trail. Most prominently, perceived health benefits of the hike had the biggest influence on Americans’ satisfaction, whereas for Germans it was a feeling of relaxation.
Character often remains ambiguous, particularly within cross-cultural youth programs, underscoring the necessity for extensive context-specific research on the concept of character. This study explores character values across eight cultural-geographic locations, collecting data through an online survey from educators of Outward Bound schools in 17 countries (n=105). Participants chose up to five character qualities that they believed are most important to be nurtured in adolescents. Three subscales of moral, civic, and performance character were measured by adding the frequencies of their indicators. Descriptive statistics and Fisher exact test were applied to analyze the data, revealing a significant association between moral character and cultural-geographic groups (p=.022); no such association was found in performance and civic character. Findings contribute to a cross-cultural understanding of character and offer initial insights to educators and program designers in considering cultural context when addressing character development in educational settings.
The outdoor recreation and tourism industry is thriving, with many states boasting a nature-based economy that relies on a skilled workforce in parks, tourism, and recreation management (PTRM). The US National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has developed competencies linked to career success. However, there is limited research on how the NACE competencies align with preparing students for PTRM careers. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory study through interviews with PTRM students and with PTRM professionals to better understand the importance and efficacy of these competencies. Results indicate that certain competencies (e.g., communication, teamwork) are particularly important for PTRM careers and specific high impact practices (e.g., capstone projects, internships) can contribute to these competencies in degree programs. The paper concludes with recommendations for how the NACE competencies can be integrated into courses and degrees to better align with the skills needed in PTRM careers.
This study examines cultural risks in led outdoor activity programs, highlighting how cultural perceptions and system design factors interact to influence safety context. Using Hofstede’s dimensions and social identity factors (e.g., ability, gender, ethnicity, social class), the analysis reveals how a Western paradigm can misalign with participants’ and local cultural norms. The authors adapted the NET-HARMS risk assessment method (Dallat et al., 2017) to examine cultural perceptions in program design, planning, and delivery through a mock scenario. The analysis achieved acceptable validity and revealed a significant increase in identified risks when culture was considered in risk assessment, indicating culture’s significant role in overall risk management. Contextualizing these findings within the Mangatepopo Canyon tragedy and safety science, this paper offers a pathway to more culturally relevant and ultimately safer LOA programs. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.
This "practices" paper explores the complexity of appropriate challenge within Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE). Drawing from personal experience and recent scholarly discourse, the authors join an ongoing conversation that questions the assumption that certain challenges presented in OAE activities are universally beneficial and appropriate for all participants. Through an exploration of the comfort zone model and challenge by choice, the authors encourage ongoing personal and organizational review of their application in OAE and highlight the need for reflection and conversation regarding a more nuanced understanding of participant needs and experiences. Ultimately, the paper advocates for continued thoughtful and intentional approaches to designing OAE programs, recognizing the diverse backgrounds and challenges participants bring with them. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering individual preferences, abilities, and lived experiences when designing outdoor programs and suggest that rigid adherence to these models may inadvertently limit the effectiveness and inclusivity of OAE initiatives. The reader is left with a list of questions and considerations, inviting them to reflect upon the use of challenge in their own work and the training of newer OAE facilitators.
This study aimed to determine the effects of adventure camps on Japanese adolescents' body image. A questionnaire survey containing three body image scales was administered to 64 adventure camp participants and 100 nonparticipants. The study results revealed significant differences and marginally significant differences regarding two of the three factors (understanding of physical condition and expression via the body) of the Body Sense Scale among adolescents. Significant differences were also found for four of the eight factors (athletics and sports, health, endurance, and physical self-esteem) of the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire. No significant difference was found regarding the Social Physique Anxiety Scale. This suggests that adventure camps could be effective in improving Japanese adolescents' subjective body sensation and physical self-concept.
This exploratory and introductory research examined accessibility through an interdisciplinary lens, combining communications studies, graphic design, and outdoor education. This work focused on examining challenges with visual accessibility on printed trail maps, with a specific focus on users with color vision deficiency and low vision. In this research, low vision is defined as those who are visually impaired or hard of seeing but not those who are blind or with a full lack of sight. While outdoor education frequently discusses accessibility in many forms, there is a gap in the research that specifically addresses the impact of color blindness and low vision accessibility for trail maps. This project integrated the fields of outdoor education with communication design by focusing on the typography, scale, contrast, color, and other design elements of printed trail maps. Throughout the initial phase of the research, a literature review was utilized to develop a set of accessibility principles or best practices for map design. These principles were then developed into an evaluation criteria that was utilized to evaluate seven print trail maps through a document analysis process. This evaluation showed that, in large part, trail maps provide accessibility challenges for low vision or color vision deficient users through small font size, low contrast color choices, inconsistent font types, and other design elements. Maps that were shown to be more accessible utilized pastel background colors, dashed lines and highlight colors to showcase trails, and consistent naming practices that increased both functionality and readability for all map users. As this research is exploratory and introductory, a potential outcome is to contribute to the field by suggesting a set of principles that publishers could adopt to make their maps more inclusive and accessible.
This research examines the evolution of outdoor recreation (friluftsliv) in public discourse in Norway between 1965–2000. How was friluftsliv defined in Norway in this period, which actors launched definitions and which definitions gained hegemony? The article is based on a literature study within the new cultural history research tradition, which merges hermeneutics with historical narratives and discourse analysis. The article reveals that defining friluftsliv posed challenges due to its empirical ambiguity, resulting in a comprehensive definition emerging in 1972–73 encompassing various activities within natural environments. Nils Faarlund and the Norwegian Alpine Center, with associates, in the article referred to as “the Faarlund sphere,” from 1967 advocated for eco-conscious friluftsliv, framing it as a means for societal “re-greening” and separating friluftsliv from sport and tourism. Their idea of friluftsliv as nature-friendly travel, with simple equipment, devoid of competition, ultimately became hegemonic. This hegemonic notion gained significant influence, also in the authorities’ understanding of friluftsliv. This perspective garnered both support and criticism in academia, with some emphasizing its unique Norwegian character while others highlighting its shared features with other countries. This seems to be the basis for an ongoing contest for discursive influence and power over the concept of friluftsliv in Norway today.
Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) programs are important developmental contexts for youth. Researchers have long sought to understand the lasting impacts of programs and what moments are linked to these impacts. However, little research has examined the types of events that occur during OAE programs are most impactful to a participant's identity. This study utilizes the Narrative Identity Framework to understand what events are most salient to NOLS alumni and what meaning participants make from these events. The authors collected 107 written turning point narratives and analyzed them qualitatively. Findings suggest that OAE programs contain a variety of events that are important for identity development. These events are most commonly associated with aspects of challenge, support, skill development, solo time, leadership experiences, and the immersive natural environment. These events impacted participants' understanding of who they were and who they wanted to become.
