What you can expect
On a day-to-day basis, students will not only be
physically challenged as we hike from one place to another, but
also intellectually challenged as we teach various skills of mountain
travel, environmental studies, first aid, and leadership. Each day
students will travel through the mountains both on and off trail.
The emphasis of this part of the day will be not covering ground
as much as honing wilderness travel skills. By the end of the expedition
students can expect to be competent and safe while traveling and
camping in a mountain environment. Once in "camp," students
will be responsible for setting up their own campsite, cooking their
meals, and all other basic wilderness living skills. Finally, students
can expect to travel and live in the wilderness and also to learn
in the field. Each day, either in the morning or evening, there
will be "classes" in which students learn a wide range
of technical and interpersonal skills described below. These classes
will be based on the "describe, demonstrate, do" model
of teaching in which students are actively involved in the teaching.
The students will also be responsible for teaching many of these
classes and for developing their wilderness teaching skills. Finally,
students can expect time to reflect on their experiences and become
close friends with the 9 other students on their course. All in
all, students can expect each day to be long-but diverse and fulfilling-in
Colorado's Rocky Mountains.
|
|
Technical Skills
|
One of the goals of Kieve West is to
develop young men and women into competent, safe and self-sufficient
outdoor travelers. We hope to develop not only stellar habits, but
also the knowledge of why these habits are the best ways to travel.
We will teach outdoor living skills such as cooking, nutrition, sanitation,
and fishing. There will also be a focus on mountain travel skills
such as map reading, route finding, and river crossing. The student's
Wilderness First Aid certification will give them a superb base of
first aid skills that we will practice in numerous emergency scenarios.
The rock climbing section of the trip will introduce the students
to other wilderness skills that are commonly used at Kieve. |
Interpersonal
Skills
|
The other main goal of Kieve West is
to foster strong leadership skills that will benefit these young men
and women throughout their lives. We will have many classes on "expedition
behavior" and other aspects of leadership and group dynamics.
Students will also take turns being leaders of the day for small (3-5
students) hiking groups. In this situation they will practice their
leadership skills and receive feedback from other students and instructors
in a formal setting. Students will also gain experience as outdoor
educators. Each student will be responsible for teaching one or two
30-minute classes on one aspect of our curriculum. They will receive
both support and oral feedback on their classes. Finally, students
will be asked to keep a leadership journal and do several readings
from a diverse selection of sources. This will allow students to reflect
on what they are doing and learning from day to day and read about
the experience of others who have ventured into the wilderness. |
Safety
|
Challenge is at the heart of the Kieve West experience,
and with this challenge comes risk. Kieve West instructors will
always be working to keep this risk in check-giving the students
a healthy amount of challenge, but never putting the students in
a situation in which they will be at great risk and therefore be
unable to truly appreciate their experiences. The technical and
interpersonal skills taught on Kieve West will further help students
to minimize risk for themselves and other students. Despite such
risk management, accidents can happen in the mountains. Both instructors
are certified Wilderness First Responders with over 80 hours of
Wilderness First Aid and CPR training. The students' WFA training
course will further allow them to help themselves and the instructors
in the event of an injury. The instructors also carry cell phones
and have access to both land and air rescue crews. Finally, non-prescription
drugs (including tobacco) and alcohol are not allowed on any part
of the Kieve West experience. A student found using such substances
will be immediately removed from the field and sent home at their
family's expense-a zero tolerance policy.
|
| Evaluation |
Evaluation is a critical part of any
learning experience. For this reason the students will receive both
oral and written feedback both during and after the trip. Halfway
through the backpacking section and at the end of the expedition,
students will be evaluated on their wilderness travel, outdoor living,
First Aid, and leadership skills. They will receive feedback in detailed
comments. These evaluations are meant solely to help the student improve
their own wilderness travel both during and after the Kieve West expedition. |
