The mission of the Avid4 Adventure Outdoor Education School Intensive Program is to introduce students to non-competitive active outdoor lifestyles using experiences that provide personal development (physical, social, and emotional), environmental understanding and stewardship, memorable adventures, and teambuilding, while addressing the needs of schools.
What is it?
The 1-Day Outdoor Intensive is a daylong outdoor education, off-campus immersion program that serves both public and independent schools. Avid4 staff will meet your classes at the school in the morning and get them ready to head out for the day. Students will then take school busses to a local reservoir and their day of adventure will begin. Students will meet their instructors for the day, participate in ice-breakers, and then begin their rotation through four activity elements: kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking or climbing wall (location dependent), and teambuilding initiatives. Students will spend up to an hour at each of the different activities.
Finally, this program is extremely unique in that it is largely student-directed. Once the students have awareness of safety procedures and risks involved, they are given a role-play problem or situation that they need to solve as a group. The activities are the means to working together as a group, thinking outside the box, and overcoming various obstacles en route to group success. Teachers and administrators have been amazed how well their students are able to work together and learn so much about each other in such a short period of time.
- Deliver a program theme consistent with the goals of each individual school served.
- Provide activities that develop students' judgment, personal responsibility, self-esteem and confidence.
- Enable students to develop friendships and interact with each other in new, exciting ways.
- Create a group setting that provides teambuilding and new opportunities for social development.
- Enhance environmental understanding and stewardship.
- Increase physical and outdoor skills.
- Introduce students to non-competitive active outdoor lifestyle pursuits.
Program Logistics
Four target "stations" will be designated by the school faculty and administration in consultation with the Outdoor Intensive staff. Every attempt will be made to deliver these specific stations, but if weather dictates another element may be substituted that will deliver the same or similar curriculum objectives. All durations and activities are age appropriate and stations will have a range of challenge levels that will accommodate a broad age and ability spectrum.
Outdoor recreation activities such as these involve some level of risk. Parents and students will be accurately informed about the nature of the proposed activities and will review and sign an Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks & Release and Indemnity Agreement, which includes the parent's consent to allow their student to participate. Students will receive an overall and activity-specific safety orientation that encourages understanding and personal responsibility. All educators have extensive instructional and youth experience, as well as current certifications in first aid and CPR. All of these elements are discussed in further detail in Avid4 Adventure's extensive Risk Management Plan that is available for school or parents review. If you would like to review the plan, please send an email to info@avid4.com or call us at 720-249-2412.
What Students Should Bring
Avid 4 adventure will provide all necessary outdoor and safety equipment. Students should come to school wearing their bathing suits underneath other clothes. Although students will not be swimming, they will be canoeing and kayaking which potentially could get the children splashed or wet. Therefore, it is easiest if students are dressed prepared for this as opposed to having to change once we are already on site. In addition, on the day that your student participates, he/she should bring:
- Sack lunch and a snack packed in a bag with your child's name on the outside.
- Clothing appropriate for the weather to be outside all day. This should include rain gear (poncho, rain jacket, etc.) if there is any chance of rain, and a warm layer.
- Extra set of clothing and shoes packed in a day pack or bag
- Sunscreen
- 2 non-breakable full water bottles
- Closed-toe sneakers or sandals that can get wet
Volunteers or Visitors are Welcome
Avid4 Adventure utilizes parent volunteers to assist with group management and logistics during the Intensive. This provides a great opportunity to support the Intensive and to experience it personally. We will make best efforts to place you with your child's group if this is what you wish, but we cannot guarantee that this will be the case. Alternatively, if you simply want to come by and check out the action without committing to volunteer, friends and family are always more than welcome at our programs. If you would like to volunteer, please send an email to info@avid4.com with:
- Your name
- Your school's name
- The day you can volunteer or visit
- The time you can volunteer or visit
Schedule
Each class or grade level (depending on size of the school) will spend one full day at the Outdoor Education Intensive. Parents will be notified as to exactly which day their kids will participate. Grades or classes will be divided into groups of approximately 12 students. Each element will be concluded by a group debriefing. Here's a SAMPLE schedule (times at your school will correspond with your school day):
| 8:30- 9:00 | Grade divided into small groups; Small group introductions; Teambuilding game |
| 9:00- 9:30 | Bus to local reservoir |
| 9:30- 9:45 | Meet the instructors and ice-breaker initiatives |
| 9:45- 10:45 | 1st Activity |
| 10:45- 11:00 | Snack |
| 11:00- 11:45 | 2nd Activity |
| 11:45-12:15 | Lunch |
| 12:15-1:00 | 3rd Activity |
| 1:00- 1:45 | 4th Activity |
| 1:45-2:15 | Bus back to school |
At the helm of Avid4 Adventure is David Secunda, 20+ year veteran of the outdoor industry. He obtained his degree in Outdoor Education while working with Outward Bound and Outdoor Leadership Training Seminars, then went on to become the Director of Outdoor Education for the University of Colorado, running one of the five largest programs in the country (over 200 courses each year with a staff of 50). Following this, he founded the Outdoor Network, still today the definitive professional journal in the industry, before moving on to become the Executive Director of the Outdoor Industry Association, the industry trade association for the United States. He then founded Planet Outdoors, a leading online retailer of outdoor products, which was subsequently acquired by MVP, Inc.
Additionally, Secunda has played a leadership role with numerous non-profits in the outdoor sector. Specific roles have included:
- Leave No Trace, Chairman & Founding Board Member
- Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education, Founding Board Member
- Student Conservation Association, Board Member
- American Hiking Society, Board Member
- American Mountain Guide Association, Accreditation Team Member
- National Outdoor Safety Managers Conference, Founding Committee
Questions
For questions or additional information please feel free to contact David Secunda, Avid4 Adventure Program Director, at 720-249-2412 or david@avid4.com. In addition, we would be happy to put you in touch with principals or administrators at other schools that have participated in this program.