Going Beyond That Gut Instinct
During my time working in the outdoor education field prior to the pandemic, I discovered that although there was a diversity of post-secondary outdoor recreation pathways, Lakehead ORPT alumni tended to stay longer in the field. I also noticed that the Lakehead ORPT program received more positive feedback when I questioned alumni on whether they believed completing the program was advantageous to their career. As someone that eventually wanted to go back to school for outdoor education but felt overwhelmed with the number of outdoor recreation programs at different institutions to choose from, this helped me to make a choice in Lakehead’s outdoor rec program. When the outdoor education industry came to a grinding halt in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, I took this as an opportunity to go back to school and undertake degrees in outdoor recreation and education. In some ways it can be said that my gut instinct served me well between the confidence that I have gained in myself by returning to school, and the temporary partial halt of the outdoor education industry.
I believe that regardless of the type of source that you are using to gain outdoor education from, one should always compare that information to other sources to check for discrepancies. When we compare different regional accreditation resources, we can come to understand not only how our area compares to others but where we may need to improve.
Three outdoor education bodies that have influenced my work as an outdoor educator are:
1) Adventure Challenge Course Technology (ACCT): This is a global body that sets the accreditation procedures for static and dynamic climbing courses in the outdoor education industry. In Canada, accreditation is achieved through CUI or Adventureworks! through training, building, and local operating procedures.
2) Canadian Camping Association (CCA): This body is responsible for all the provincial camping bodies such as Ontario Camping Association (OCA) and British Columbia Camping Association (BCCA). These bodies set the accreditation standards for what a safe camp looks like and support camps through various initiatives that help them achieve their missions. The CCA also helps to further research in the summer camping industry in Canada. This body is equivalent to the American Camping Association (ACCA).
3) Paddle Canada & ORCKA: Both bodies are not-for-profits that have a focus on providing recreational paddling opportunities and education in an environment that focuses on safety and skills progression. These bodies set the precedence of the paddling industry in Canada and have a variety of stakeholders across the country that hold them accountable for their actions including summer camps, guiding companies, educational institutions, etc.
