Vertical Playpen

Perry Cohen (Founder and Executive Director of The Venture Out Project) joins Phil to discuss; His introduction to High 5 and Adventure Education Facilitation values and thoughts How The Venture Out Project began and its impact How to build a community Improving career access in the outdoor industry Learn more about The Venture Out Project - https://www.ventureoutproject.com/ Connect with Perry -...

Chris Damboise (High 5's Director of Training) discusses the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for work at height and the use of full body harnesses as it relates to ropes courses. You will also hear what steps High 5 is taking with regards to training our participants and clients in the use of full body harnesses. Additional information can be found following the l...

What professional development opportunities can enhance your work as an adventure educator? In this episode, Phil, Lisa, Chris and Rich (High 5 Trainers) discuss professional development ideas that may not be directly tied to the adventure educator profession yet have aided us in improving our abilities to do our jobs. Music and Sound effects - epidemicsound.com High 5's  Annual Symposium  is a gr...

As facilitators, we often find ourselves planning and leading activities to engage our participants and help them achieve their goals. However, do we need to share the names of these activities with our participants? While it's important to provide clear instructions and objectives for each activity, the name of the activity itself is not always necessary. So, what is the purpose of activity names...

In this episode Phil and Lisa discuss two topics related to professionalism: the misconception that wearing sunglasses can make someone appear less capable as a facilitator and the complexities of clothing and professionalism. We challenge the assumption about sunglasses and talk about how biases can shape perceptions of competence and authority. Tune in to challenge assumptions and navigate what...

In this episode, Phil delves into the problem of ego in trainers and educators, where this might come from and the impact it can have on their ability to teach effectively.  We also hear from High 5's Founding Director Jim Grout as he tells a story that highlights the problem that ego can have on those who teach. Phil then explores the idea that simply having years of experience or putting in long...

In this episode, Phil brings you insights from the recent Association for Challenge Course Technology conference. Here are his five key takeaways: People from all over the world attended the conference, and the connections made are incredibly valuable. Highlights from the 2 workshops that he presented. What Portland was like?....spoiler...we never really left the conference area! The importance of...

In this episode, we explore the art of balancing group dynamics and safety when belaying on a ropes course while also respecting the participants awareness of tasks that are purely for behavior management. Notes from Lisa Hunt.  This exchange happened somewhere back around 2001, and I wrote it up shortly thereafter with Ken's input: The question of how to engage the most number of students at a ti...

In this episode, we delve into some fundamentals of belaying. We cover the importance of maintaining a good belay stance, keeping both hands on the brake strand of the rope at all times, and enhancing your lowering techniques. Good belaying is the cornerstone of climbing safety, and a solid understanding of these basic principles can make a big difference in both your facilitator experience and yo...

How often do you get the opportunity to co-facilitate during your programs? This is the topic of discussion in this episode, with Phil joined by colleagues Anne-Louise, Ryan, Chris and Lisa. What started as a question about how we learned to facilitate turned into a discussion on the benefits of co-facilitating and how that has had such an impact on our abilities over the years. Music and Sound ef...

Here is part 2 of the conversation between Phil and Steve Woods. In this episode the following was discussed; - How long trainings should last - Thoughts on protecting the trainees - How to assess trainee competency - Facilitated programming vs commercialism - Measuring program success - The British belay technique with a catchy name. Learn more about Vertex - https://www.vertex-training.co.uk/ Jo...

What are the differences between being a trainer in the US vs the UK? This was a question submitted to me by one of our listeners, so we reached out to Steve Woods, the Technical Director at Vertex Instructor Training, which is based in England, to see what differences and what similarities there are between us. This is a 2 part episode and in this part we discuss -  - Training newer practitioners...

What are the pros and cons to repeating activities? How do you handle participants who have experienced the activities before? These questions (and more) and discussed in this episode and Phil, Lisa, Chris and Jim discuss activity repetition. Tinker Book - https://store.high5adventure.org/collections/books-digital-resources/products/tinker-building-purposeful-experiences-from-classic-adventure-act...

What are some of the elements that are important to consider when modifying activities for your participants? Guest Host Rich Keegan chats with his friend and past colleague Jeff Dutko to discuss this very topic. Jeff has worked for many years at the Gengras Center - find more information here - https://www.gengrascenter.org/ Music and Sound effects - epidemicsound.com Intro music - I've Found My...

Hiring staff for summer camp can be a constant struggle. New thoughts and strategies should be considered. Phil and Greg (formally of the Mayhew program) sit down to discuss their thoughts on; - Creating a culture that encourages staff retention - Training staff - Staff hiring pitfalls *This was originally recorded in the winter of 2019* Connect with Greg - gregorystoutzenberger@gmail.com  Learn m...

How do you end your program, training or workshop? The Training Team (Phil, Rich, Chris and Lisa) discuss how they end a program or workshop with a group. Saying goodbye, closing activities and when to reflect with the group. Donate here - https://high5adventure.org/donate/ Music and Sound effects - epidemicsound.com Intro music - I've Found My Way by Hallman Outro music - Hold My Hand by They Dre...

What do you do at the very start of your program, training or workshop? In this episode members of our training team (Phil, Rich, Chris and Lisa) discuss how they begin a program or workshop with a group. Activities that set the tone, strategies to connect with the group early on and coping with awkward silences. Priya Parker Ted Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppfONdsOkWI Donate here - htt...

Play brings us joy and is an essential component of experiential learning.   In this episode Phil discusses the 4 primary neurochemicals that elicit happiness; Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin and Oxytocin, as well as activities that you can use with your participants to help participants experience them. Disclaimer: Phil is not a neuroscientist. Donate here - https://high5adventure.org/donate/ Mus...

If you were not limited by time, what problem solving activity would you like to lead? Today's featured activity with no time constraints - The Pond Traverse The traverse is an activity featured in High 5's Edge of Leadership summer program that really embodies the concept of problem solving. Phil is joined by Anne Louise Wagner, and 2 past participants, Martha Lavigne from Keene High School and h...

Hanne joins Phil to discuss; - Her road to working at High 5 - Training philosophy and what she says at the start of a workshop - How ducks are cute Be sure to stick around to the end for a great fish joke. Kyoob - https://store.high5adventure.org/products/kyoob?_pos=1&_sid=15975c890&_ss=r Music and Sound effects - epidemicsound.com Intro/Outro song - Future is Now by FLYIN Bridge music - This is...

When you experience 40 years of adventure programming you accumulate many impactful moments with special individuals. In part 2 of our conversation with Doug, we hear about; - Creating ropes course elements and well known activities with Karl Rohnke - Polar dips in honor of beloved facilitators - Mountaineering experiences that test abilities to recognize risk and acknowledge struggle. Ubuntu Card...

There are so many opportunities within the 4 walls of the classroom for experiential learning. That is the overarching message behind this episode. Guest Host, Rich Keegan, sits down with Doug Cramphin, longtime facilitator and educator to discuss; - Bringing adventure and experiential education into the classroom - Using experiential education to teach about the civil war. Tinker Book - https://s...

When was the last time you attended a professional training? Recently, Tom Leahy (Leahy & Associates) joined us at High 5 for a Level 2 Training led by Phil and during the week they found time to discuss; - His start in the industry and those that inspired him. - An alternative perspective on comfort zones. - Advice for those wanting a career in adventure education. Connect with Tom - tom@leahy-in...

Facilitation has the possibility of opening doors to global travel and connections. In this episode, Steve Ockerbloom sits down with guest host Rich Keegan to discuss; - His memorable experiences facilitation around the world - Advice for professionals wanting to expand their facilitation work - His thoughts on the industry at large. Connect with Steve - info@creativehorizonstraining.com Music and...

How do we lead people of all generations more effectively? This is one of the questions Jerrod Murr tackles in his soon to be released new book - From 8 Track to Emoji - The Secret To Cross Generational Leadership In this episode Jerrod joins Phil to discuss; - How love and passion informs his work - What brought him into the experiential learning world - The genesis of the book and what we can le...