Ground Based Initiatives
Design Your Program
  1. Ground Based Initiatives
  2. Trust Sequence
  3. Low Ropes Course Elements
  4. Climbing Tower
  5. Adventure Course
  6. Power Poles
  7. High Ropes Course

Group Based Initiatives serve as the first part of the OWLS group experience and include:

  1. Introductory Activities - used to help the group become familiar with one another, get to know the OWLS staff and create the right environment for fun and learning. They include:
    • Icebreakers – get-to-know you games
    • Energizers – activities that get the blood flowing, laughs rolling and brains working
    • Ambulators – games played during moves from one part of the campus to another.

    2. Participants are encouraged to:
    • Discuss group and individual goals
    • Set norms for participation and safety
    • Understand the experiential methods used in the program
  2. Introductory ExercisesProblem Solving Initiatives - offer groups challenging activities while practicing leadership roles, communication techniques, and using available resources.
  3. Goal Setting Initiatives - require groups to set goals for themselves, encouraging participant-centered learning. 

 

Group Based Initiatives as Foundation

Through these initiatives, participants learn basic skills that allow them to move more effectively throughout the remaining OWLS program.

  1. The introductory games serve to establish effective relationships between group members as they move from being individuals to members of a team that know one another and are invested in each other.
  2. The problem solving activities help to explore abilities, characteristics and challenges – growing from a social network to a productive, functional team.
  3. The goal setting activities help move the participants from a group trying to please its leader to a body of leaders seeking to achieve set goals – taking responsibility for their own learning.