Experiential Learning

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential education programs provide participants with the opportunity to embark on an educational adventure in learning through experience. Experiential education courses are designed to develop each student's understanding of the skills needed to solve problems and the opportunity to practice those skills. Guided by trained instructors, participants confront challenging situations and learn how to use individual and group skills to successfully reach their goals. These experiences foster the development of self-reliance, confidence, self-esteem, time management and communication skills. The willingness to challenge oneself physically and emotionally is also an integral component of outdoor programs.

Experiential learning builds a core support group of new and old friends, promotes taking responsibility for oneself and assists with the transference of new interpersonal skills, ideas and philosophies to the school setting. Participants are motivated by the successes that emerge from the challenges that are inherent in experiential learning. This successful attitude transfers directly to the student's academic self-confidence.

How Does Experiential Learning Complement the Classroom?

Experiential learning provides participants with exciting and challenging educational programs that successfully complement and support curricular and team goals. A participant who has experienced the benefits of a Boojum experiential learning program returns to the classroom, family setting, or workplace with a stronger feeling of self-confidence in his or her problem-solving capabilities. Boojum programs foster a "can do" attitude. Our programs provide individuals with opportunities for self-discovery, confidence building, and the improvement of interpersonal skills through trust and team-building activities. The experiential process cultivates leadership, confidence, trust, listening and observation skills.

Participants Learn About Themselves

Outdoor experiential education is about people experiencing a natural, yet often unfamiliar, environment. This new environment awakens the senses and creates a heightened awareness of one's surroundings, providing an ideal opportunity for learning. Success is measured through refinement of core values such as honesty, integrity, care for self and others, being a vital part of a community and the development of a service ethic. Programs are character revealing in addition to being character building. Participants learn more about who they want to be and that their actions must support their goals. Experiential education programs provide opportunities for individual strengths and insights to become visible, allowing individuals and groups to appreciate meaningful differences and commonalties among people, cultures and societies. Many participants report that their Boojum programs were not just rewarding and memorable experiences, but life changing events.

Participants Learn How To Work With Others

Participants improve social skills by working and living together in unfamiliar environments. Programs seek to broaden participants' awareness of the natural environment, improve communication and problem-solving skills, and examine new coping strategies. In a group setting participants learn how to collectively assess situations, develop problem-solving strategies, delegate responsibilities and measure outcomes. The goal of the learning process is the shared sense of accomplishment wrought by succeeding at challenging activities that require the group to work as a team.