What is the Project Adventure Curriculum at VHS?
Project Adventure is a non-traditional physical education curriculum which is an experiential based learning process. It focuses on cooperation, encourages students to take risks, accept challenges and solve problems. Through group work, students learn to trust and support each other. The goal of our project adventure unit is to develop a positive self-concept by being part of the experience.
When do students take the Project Adventure Curriculum?
Students have the Project Adventure curriculum during their freshman physical education classes.
What exactly is involved?
Games
Students begin the curriculum with different non-competitive games and activities that promote teamwork and cooperation within the group. Students must be comfortable with each other to move on to the next phase.
Trust Activities
Trust-building activities give the group an opportunity to place their physical and emotional safety in the hands of others by trying a graduated series of activities that involve physical and often emotional risks.
Group Initiatives
Group initiatives are problem solving activities that help the group work together, communicate, and solve different problems. They emphasize verbal, listening, and physical skills in the group decision making process and allow for different people with different skills the opportunity to lead the group.
Low Elements
Low elements are individual or group-oriented challenges that are located on or near the ground.These elements do not require any special safety systems other than the diligent spotting of group members. The emphasis is on full participation, trusting others, and creative thinking.
High Elements
High elements are considered to many to be the most memorable part of a challenge experience because of the anxiety and exhilaration participants feel. High elements are installed on a pole twenty to thirty feet off the ground requiring a be-lay system for safety. After tackling the high elements, students often come away with a clearer understanding of their capabilities and a new willingness to take on challenges.
Challenge By Choice
The Voorhees Physical Education Department practices Challenge by Choice during the Project Adventure Curriculum. Challenge by choice is a basic concept that says each individual has the right to make his or her own decisions regarding the level of challenge they choose to accept.
Challenge by choice offers participants:
A chance to try difficult or frightening challenges in a supportive and caring atmosphere.
The opportunity to “back off” when they feel they need to.
Respect for individual ideas and choices.
Is Project Adventure Safe?
The overall accidental injury rate for ad-venture programs is remarkably low. According to the Project Adventure 20 year safety study the accident rates per 1 million hours of program exposure are 6.22 injuries. When compared to a sport such as basket-ball which has an injury level of 2,650 per million hours of exposure and soccer which has an injury level of 4,500 injuries per mil-lion hours of exposure, this is a very safe activity.
Project Adventure is a very safe and enjoyable curriculum and student safety is the number one focus of our educators. The teachers who do the project adventure curriculum have many hours of training and stay current on the issues that go on in the adventure industry.
The Project Adventure 20 year safety study can be found at: www.projectadventureinc.blogspot.com