In the fall of 2019 I obtained my Level 2 Challenge Course Instructor Certificate. It's something I have been longing for since I was 16, and saw a ropes course for the first time. I have spent a lot of time facilitating this incredibly unique program. I was certified as a Level 1 Challenge Course Instructor several years ago near Hamilton, Ontario. I was working at the YMCA of London's Outdoor Education Centre, Spencer Lodge while I was attending Fanshawe College's Recreation and Leisure Services Program. In 2016 I secured funding for a low ropes challenge course to be built at Blue Lake Camp. It quickly became a popular choice among campers, and teachers who would bring their classes to camp for their annual overnight field trips. In 2019 I secured more funding to build a High Ropes Course at Blue Lake. It was to be installed May of 2020. Sadly, due to Covid- 19 and the installation company being in Ontario the project had to be put on hold. The high ropes course is now scheduled to be installed this spring, and will be open for business in May of 2021.
In order to operate a High Ropes Course, you must have received ACCT certified training and been successful in completing your Level 2 Challenge Course Instructor Certification. This means having hundreds of facilitation hours previous to being eligible to get accepted into the program. I have more than 600 hours facilitation experience and 80 hours of certification training. I am the only person in the Kootenay's who has obtained this level of recognition.
Experiential learning has the potential to transform your office. When facilitated properly, challenge courses are an incredible tool to help to get your team storming and preforming. This type of programming provides the means to build morale and get your employees to work together with a new understanding of teamwork and camaraderie. These programs get your team out of the workplace and into an unfamiliar setting to challenge them to work together to solve problems. It’s a whole new way of thinking about professional development because it gets at the heart of the human experience by asking your coworkers to understand themselves and their peers — and then to use that insight to solve problems, discover strengths and weaknesses and take new interpersonal skills back into the workplace to apply them to your business. Done properly, team-building on a challenge course can be a turning point in your workplace.
Experiential learning does not just have to happen on a ropes course. There are teachable moments in every day. I take pride in my ability to recognize these moments and create the space and time necessary for my team to storm through them.
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