This article presents the keynote address given by Katherine J. Pinch at the 2008 Annual Symposium on Experiential Education Research (SEER). Pinch discusses the importance of evaluation research and argues that the realm of evaluation is where the margins of research and practice have the potential to intersect with the greatest ease. She…

This paper presents the opening remarks made by Michael Gass at the 2004 Symposium on Experiential Education Research. In his speech, Gass draws attention to several of the dynamics connecting research to the current value and livelihood of the experiential education field. He contends that these dynamics ultimately have a large effect on…

In a speech at the Symposium for Experiential Education Research 2003, Henderson discusses the importance of theory in building a body of knowledge. She says that to use information to create a body of knowledge, researchers must continue to develop and apply theory, and to address the emerging opportunities for evidence-based research and…

A passage is quoted in which the meaning of one's life is the reflecting of light (truth, wisdom) into the dark places of others' hearts and minds. Personal anecdotes illustrate that outdoor leaders and teachers can be reflectors to their students or clients or, conversely, can receive reflections from them. A message from the Hopi elders reminds…

Experiential learning is not linear, but is a cyclical interaction with clients. Engage clients by making them feel needed. Focus on what works for them instead of what does not. Help them develop the capacity to author their own beliefs and values. Most importantly, be guided by compassion for others. (Contains 32 references.) (TD)

A veteran adventure educator offers pearls of wisdom: identify those people who want/need to meet, and encourage them to do that; identify something that no one else wants to do, and do it well; failing forward with confidence regularly produces better results than confident discussion; play mitigates fear; a good idea doesn't care who has it; and…

Compassion, healing, and the emphasis on process that are hallmarks of experiential education give it a role in building more compassionate communities and encouraging systemic change for the better. Recommendations for fulfilling this role include creating time to reflect, living both within and beyond "tribe," practicing consciousness of…

Different aspects of courage are discussed through anecdotes: from the courage required in the outdoors, which most adventure educators have experienced, to observations that courage may be required when it is not anticipated, that it may also involve restraint, that expressing one's needs requires courage, and that courage is also the ability to…

McClellan Hall describes his life experiences and what motivates him: Native American traditions such as the leadership role of women, speaking to youth from a positive perspective, listening to the Creator and being humble, and reliance on family. His concluding story illustrates that we have the responsibility to take care of the planet and all…

Kurt Hahn valued the adventure ethic for the qualities of character it developed, but his particular concern was the development of personal and social responsibility and compassion. Samaritan service is the key element in institutions, such as the Round Square Conference Schools, founded or inspired by the mature Hahn. (JHZ)

Adapted from the keynote address presented at the Association of Experiential Education's (AEE) 1986 conference, this paper raises ethical dilemmas confronted by experiential educators and by the AEE as an organization, especially individualism versus community welfare. (NEC)

Examines gap between private and public life and the resulting decline in civic participation. Emphasizes role of experiential education in developing civic consciousness through collaboration with business and community and utilizing its unique characteristics. Stresses benefits to experiential education, including ways to transfer peak…

Reflects on the lessons of one life, a life lived to the fullest, to illustrate a philosophy of life experiences and learning. Discusses the importance of the quality of interpersonal relationships to student success, focusing on the theme of respecting children and taking them seriously. (SV)

Reflects on the actions of individuals who have sought to bring about justice and goodness in the face of overwhelming odds and at great personal risk. Notes evidence of the alienation of American students today, and suggests that schools expand the curriculum to involve students in real-life activities that foster moral understanding and action.…

The recipient of the 1992 Kurt Hahn Award proposes that the most prominent social problem today is alienation, which is related to the faulty relationships that the dominant society has to the land and to Native people. One road to healing involves assimilation of indigenous virtues such as honesty, respect, sharing, and strength. (LP)