West AEE 2008 Conference Workshop Schedule (download here and print out)
Saturday, March 1
9:30am-10:50am Workshops: Round 1 (80 min)
1. How do we sustain our organizations, relationships – and our own passion for this work?
2. Seeking Your Intuition in the Forest
3. Environmental Activities for YOUR Habitat!
4. But I fit perfectly! One Look at What Happens When Foundations Review Your Proposal.
5. The Barest Bones and the Sweetest Fruit: An ecosystem approach to thinking and teaching
11:00am-12:20pm Workshops: Round 2 (80 min)
1. A van, a map, a plan: Taking learning on the road
2. “What is AEE, Where is AEE Headed, and How Can I be Involved?”
3. For People Who Eat: Putting Food back into Nutrition Education
4. “Sustainability through Inclusion”
5. Personal Ecology
1:30pm-2:50pm Workshops: Round 3 (80 min)
1. Belly Dancing
2. Who we are, what we stand for, and what we can do for you
3. AEE’s Accreditation Program – Why Accreditation?
4. Sustaining yourself: Connection to Humanity through a Buddhist perspective
5. Aspirations, A Personal Empowerment Roadmap
3:00pm-4:20pm Workshops: Round 4 (80 min)
1. Professional Level Decision Making for Climbing Instructors: Top Rope Anchor Construction
2. The People Connection: Human Ecology Activities for a Sustainable Planet
3. The Art of Facilitation – Dealing with Challenges as Gifts
4. When can we go again? Building outdoor adventure programs within existing youth development agencies.
5. Thinking, Feeling, Willing: The Key to Sustainable Education
Sunday, March 2
9:30am-10:50am Workshops: Round 5 (80 min)
1. “The Five Wilderness Medicine Protocols You Need to Have”
2. Sustaining Adventure Therapy in Private Practice
9:30am-12:30pm Workshops: Round 6 (3 hours)
1. Geocaching
2. Experiencing Revelation in Nature through Applied Ecopsychology.
3. Altering Existing Curricula to teach Sustainability- 6 Steps for Success.
11:00am-12:20pm Workshops: Round 7 (80 min)
1. “Blood, Bruises, Burns, and Broken Bones: Using Moulage to Enhance Scenario Based Trainings
2. Sew, Sow, Solar, Cycle!
1. Geocaching (ABP, SC. EBTD)
30% Lecture, 40% Interactive/Experiential, 30%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Beginner
Presenter: Kelly Bloom
A major component for sustainability for the
field of EE is creating opportunities for younger
generations to develop an affinity for natural
resources and the outdoors. Youth today are
more tuned in and turned on than ever before.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that GPS
technology and the geocaching can help bridge
the generational gap and help get people of all
ages outdoors.
Participants will explore how the GPS
technology and geocaching can help bridge the
generational gap and get people of all ages
outdoors. Participants will: learn about the
history of geocaching and its educational
potential; discover and brainstorm ways to
access technological resources; brainstorm
potential uses for GPS technology and
geocaching as experiential education tools and
activities; try it out for themselves!
2. The People Connection: Human Ecology
Activities for a Sustainable Planet (EE/NS)
10% Lecture, 90% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Helen de la Maza
In a sustainable world, people live in balance
with the Earth and its natural resources.
Environmental educators teach the importance
of each person leaving smaller ecological
footprints. Yet our efforts in conservation and
stewardship can be rendered less effective if
the number of footprints continues to grow.
The world's population has doubled in the past
40 years to 6.6 billion and is expected to grow
by another 50 percent by the middle of this
century. Growth trends in greenhouse gas
emissions, water use and habit loss have
followed the same upward curve as human
population growth over the past century. Thus,
an understanding of human ecology and roads
to sustainable communities would be
incomplete without an understanding of human
population trends.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will
explore innovative, interactive ways to teach
students about population growth trends,
natural resource use and a concept vital to
biology and environmental science -- carrying
capacity. Participants will explore the
relationships between population growth,
resource consumption, environmental health,
social well-being and sustainable communities.
The presenter will take the participants beyond
the treatment of these issues found in life
science and geography textbooks by leading
them in experiential activities that motivate
and promote critical thinking skills. Presented
strategies include cooperative group problem
solving and role-playing simulations that are
appropriate for the classroom, nature center or
youth group program.
3. Professional Climbing Instructors
Association: Who we are, what we stand for,
and what we can do for you. (ABP, PA)
70% Lecture, 30% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level – Open to All
Presenter: Alan Jolley
The PCIA's mission is to provide innovative
technical and educational content to all levels
of the instructional climbing community and to
teach best practices that improve the safety,
quality and delivery of technical climbing
instruction. This one hour question and answer
session is an opportunity for the PCIA to
introduce itself and for you to find out what we
can do for you and your program.
4. But I Fit Perfectly! One Look at What
Happens When Foundations Review Your
Proposal (PA)
60% Lecture, 40% Interactive/Experiential,
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Steve Hagler
This workshop will be similar to grant
workshops I conduct for grantseekers applying
to the Stewardship Council, though I will use
our foundation as the backdrop to the
discussion, the focus and lessons will be more
general and transferable to other foundations
and donors. The workshop will provide insight
and perspective to non-profit grantseekers
attempting to understand the fine between
finding and applying to a foundation whose
guidelines match those of your nonprofit/
program and getting your proposal into
the final review session, and ultimately funded.
Foundations are often black boxes -- we don’t
always know what happen to our proposals or
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West Regional Conference 2008 Page 8
whether or not our applications are
competitive. Moreover, many grantseekers
don’t recognize when they have made critical
mistake or miscue. Interestingly, many times
grantseekers misinterpret or misunderstand
how decisions are made for funding and the
many pitfalls that line the pathway to receiving
a grant. This workshop will provide some advice
and direction to those seeking funding from
foundations.
5. Sustaining Adventure Therapy in Private
Practice (TA)
50% Lecture, 20% Interactive/Experiential, 25%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Intermediate
Presenter: Christopher Old
Are you an adventure therapist working for an
organization but dreaming about working for
yourself? I was. Sustaining an Adventure
Therapy focus in a small private practice has
many challenges. This workshop will examine
ways to include Adventure Therapy in a private
practice. In addition, a collaborative model for
using short term Adventure Therapy
experiences to benefit clients will also be
discussed. Please bring your ideas and
questions.
6. The Art of Facilitation – Dealing with
Challenges as Gifts (FP)
50% Lecture, 25% Interactive/Experiential, 25%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Intermediate/Advanced
Presenter: Christian Itin
Have you ever found yourself perplexed and
lost in the facilitation of an experience? This
workshop will explore the art of facilitation as
an exchange of gifts between participant and
facilitator. Reframing and reconceptualizing
challenging situations presented by participants
as gifts and the possible solutions we offer as
gifts through a dynamic and continuous
transactive process are at the heart of this
workshop. Opportunity to play with this idea
through role-play and paired interaction will
facilitate this exploration.
7. Sew, Sow, Solar, Cycle! (SC)
60% Lecture, 20% Interactive/Experiential, 20%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Beginner
Presenters: Ryan Laine and Max Kee
Join a pair of forward thinking students from
California State University Chico as they
present an exciting new program to foster
sustainable lifestyles through applied learning.
Max and Ryan are designing a curriculum to
unify their community’s social resources with
Chico States outdoor education program and
equip students with sustainable insights and
skills.
Participants are encouraged to bring visions for
a sustainable education program and can
expect to enliven a passion for creating their
own local networks for similar programs.
8. Thinking, Feeling, Willing: The Key to
Sustainable Education (SC)
33% Lecture, 33% Interactive/Experiential, 33%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Advanced
Presenter: Ellie Capers
Workshop Description for Program: “Thinking,
Feeling, Willing: The Key to Sustainable
Education” Taking a look at the strengths of
experiential educational learning modalities
and Waldorf education. What do they have in
common and can they complement each other?
We’ll look at Kurt Hahn and Rudolf Steiner’s
educational ideas, as well as a 2005 survey
done of Waldorf school graduates. We’ll take a
look at how this relates to sustainable
education and end with a practical exercise.
9. Aspirations, A Personal Empowerment
Roadmap (SC)
50% Lecture, 50% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Mark Mikalat
When people are directed in their lives towards
what they truly want, everything in life is
easier. Students find it easier to perform well
academically, socially, and personally if they
know and understand why they are doing what
they are doing. When they can understand
their Aspiration and how to achieve it, they are
happier and more fulfilled.
The Aspirations Message™ is the foundation for
the workshop: Aspirations, A Personal
Empowerment Roadmap. This message is a
revolutionary life empowerment-training
program that is a product of Building
Aspirations. It is customized to meet the needs
of students, administrators and staff. The
Aspirations Message™ is a rock solid, 3-step
plan that empowers people to identify,
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West Regional Conference 2008 Page 9
implement and achieve that they want for
themselves and their lives.
10. “What is AEE, Where is AEE Headed, and
How Can I be Involved?” (LD)
80% Lecture, 20% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Beginner
Presenters: Christian Itin and Terry Nail
Interested in the future of AEE? The Board of
Directors, Staff and Region Leadership invite
you to a round table discussion aimed at
clarifying the organizational structure of the
Association, its direction in the near future and
ways in which you can be involved. The
workshop will focus on results of a year-long
study investigating what people value about
experiential education and how these results
may impact the Association’s work. We invite
you to join us to see what our future direction
is and learn how the structure of AEE will get
us there.
11. Belly Dancing (MBS)
20% Lecture, 80% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Holly Baade
Talk about Sustainability! Belly dance is the
oldest known, surviving dance form, estimated
at over 3, 000 years old Welcome to
Bellydance! The subtle and repetitive rhythms
of the music, increased breathing and dance
movements are calming to body and mind. Most
of all it is FUN! And can promote a healthy selfimage
and sense of community, especially
when learning in a class or group environment.
So open your heart. Satisfy your curiosity. Let
you body become ecstatic. Set your spirit is
free. And try Belly dance!
12. Personal Ecology (MBS)
40% Lecture, 60% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Holly Baade
One person can make a difference! Simply by
looking at our internal landscapes of ease, or
disease, we are able to bring awareness and
thus healing to our personal – and the planetary
- Energy Body. Experience Personal Ecology and
learn how to recycle the stagnant energy within
you - to draw into yourself the healing light of
grace and divinity and find balance with your
relationships, community and the Earth.
13. The Barest Bones and the Sweetest Fruit:
An ecosystems approach to thinking and
teaching (SJE)
33% Lecture, 35% Interactive/Experiential, 30%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Shana Maziarz
Ecosystems are inherently intelligent,
purposeful, completely relational, selfregulating,
and lean toward wholeness. We
often experience, and teach and learn about,
our world(s) as fractured and isolated, which
can lead to a sense of helplessness and
polarization. This workshop will explore how
applying an ecological framework to our
teaching can aid in contextualizing and making
knowledge relevant for our students, regardless
of the subject matter. The workshop will use
prose, experiential activities, and small group
discussion, to explore the application of an
ecosystems model to participant’s classroom
and/or school.
14. A van, a map, a plan: Taking learning on
the road (SJE)
33% Lecture, 35% Interactive/Experiential, 30%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Shana Maziarz
At the Woolman Semester we always spend a
few weeks on the road taking our learning out
of the classroom and into the world. This
dynamic service-learning project allows for a
more depthful examination of issues such as
water policy in California and U.S./Mexico
relations; specifically how race, economy, and
politics play out on both sides of the border.
Engaging in service learning, particularly in
another culture, is an effective method for
actualizing a sense of purpose, building
personal empowerment, and seeing ourselves
juxtaposed against the larger world. In this
workshop we will discuss the role of servicelearning
in fostering democratic citizens and
egalitarian education. To this end, we will
focus on the ethical considerations in regard to
service- learning, and discuss how participants
can effectively bring a service-learning
component into their classroom, school, or
program.
15. Sustaining yourself: Connection to
Humanity through a Buddhist perspective
(MBS)
30% Lecture, 70% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Jess Higa
Sustaining the planet is the long-term goal.
But first, we must be able to sustain ourselves.
To avoid burn-out, physical and mental stress,
our daily practice must include a self-care
sustainment program. This workshop will
motivate you and ground you through a
Buddhist/Humanistic perspective to continue
the great work that you do for others.
16. “Sustainability through Inclusion” (LD)
45% Lecture, 55% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Janell Bettinger
As professionals, our responsibility is to provide
opportunities for all populations to experience
recreational opportunities. This workshop will
focus on programming modification that are
necessary for experiential education to build
sustainability among broader populations
including persons with disabilities and urban
populations. Participants will leave being able
to identify five principles of inclusion, including
responsibility of professionals to provide
recreation to all populations, program
modifications, methods for reaching varying
populations, proper terminology for various
populations, and training staff to understand
inclusion.
17. Experiencing Revelation in Nature
through Applied Ecopsychology (MBS)
5% Lecture, 60% Interactive/Experiential, 35%
Co-creation
Audience Level -Open to All
Presenter: Judy Holloway and Gwen Angert
Ecopsychologists believe that as humans
connect with nature they create wellness for
both human and non-human beings. In this
workshop you will learn exercises and practice
skills designed to expand your ability to
develop a deeper connectedness with yourself,
with others, and with nature. We hope that
you will discover, as we have, that connecting
with nature will support you in creating peace
and harmony in yourself, your relationships,
and in nature and the universe. (No previous
experience required)
18. Seeking Your Intuition in the Forest (MBS)
5% Lecture, 60% Interactive/Experiential, 35%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Judy Holloway and Gwen Angert
Ecologists, ecofeminists and ecopsychologists
have long theorized about the relationship of
humans to nature, and the importance of
feeling connected to nature has been an
ongoing theme for all three. This workshop
experientially brings to life the research that
connects sustainable behavior with
connectedness to nature. It consists of an
exercise developed from the theoretical
themes of ecopsychology, and designed to
explore our connection and disconnection from
intuition as a form of communication.
Reclaiming “The Old Language” includes
reconnecting with the body as a subconscious
realm of knowing.
19. “The Five Wilderness Medicine Protocols
You Need to Have” (EBTD, PA)
Lecture, Plus Case Studies
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Bill Jacox
Support your staff with in the field easy-tofollow
protocols that guide you through the
latest curriculum in backcountry treatment and
evacuation. Each protocol offers you decision
points to help customize them for your
organization and staff. Also covered will be
tips for working with a Medical Director to
customize protocols to the specific needs of
your organization.
20. “Blood, Bruises, Burns, and Broken
Bones: Using Moulage to Enhance Scenario
Based Trainings” (EBTD, PA)
Lecture, Plus Case Studies
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Bill Jacox
Even though your staff are required to hold
certifications in wilderness medicine, is a
recertification every two years really enough?
Wouldn’t you like to have educational and
realistic scenarios with which to provide
ongoing trainings for your staff? In this
workshop, participants will practice basic
moulage skills and learn pertinent scenarios
that may be adapted to individual programs.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get bloodied in
the best interest of your staff.
21. For People Who Eat: Putting Food back
into Nutrition Education (MBS)
100% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Megan Hanson
Do you eat? Do you love food? Does the thought
of sitting through a presentation on “nutrition
education” make you want to snore?
Traditional nutrition education is about exciting
as trimming your nails. Much of the nutrition
information we receive via the media and from
food companies, is contradictory, confusing and
often counter productive to our good health.
It’s no coincidence that our profit driven,
highly processed food system has grown
exponentially, and in tandem, with the
epidemic rates of diet related illnesses. Come
and join a renegade nutrition educator, and
experience a different kind of nutrition
education. Discover ways in which you can
make the preparation and consumption of
healthy food an important transformational
experience for your own students. Those with a
strong aversion to vegetables are particularly
welcome.
22. How do we sustain our organizations,
relationships – and our own passion for this
work? (EBTD, PA)
5% Lecture, 60% Interactive/Experiential, 35%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: John Springer
For almost 20 years, we have been creating –
and recreating - an organization that can serve
client needs as well as it serves our own needs.
In the context of right livelihood, we will talk
about building and sustaining relationships with
both staff and clients. We’ll look at how we
create systems which support that
sustainability: sales, marketing, staff training
and compensation are all essential elements of
prosperity.
Every organization has the responsibility and
privilege of providing their people with the
resources needed to do great work. We’ll have
a conversation about how we and others have
created infrastructure that supports and
nurtures real, sustainable prosperity within our
industry.
Bring your curiosity, stories and great questions
for this interactive session.
23. When can we go again? Building outdoor
adventure programs within existing youth
development agencies (EBTD)
30% Lecture, 30% Interactive/Experiential, 40%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Kyle McDonald and Chelsea Griffie
A workshop for teachers and youth
development professionals as well as trainers,
who want to increase the long term effects of
their training, this workshop will explore the
challenges and rewards associated with
building outdoor education capacities that last.
Bay Area Wilderness Training only succeeds in
its mission when the youth workers and
teachers it trains take youth outdoors. How
then does it ensure that these trips happen?
What are some of the largest hurdles to youth
organizations and schools who are hoping to
integrate the outdoors as a tool for learning?
The founder of this successful organization with
a unique approach will guide this interactive
large and small group discussion, that will allow
participants to think about these questions and
more- all with the goal of making the outdoors
a bigger part of your participants lives.
24. AEE’s Accreditation Program – Why
Accreditation (PA)
30% Lecture, 30% Interactive/Experiential, 40%
Co-creation
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Jeanine Stocks and Randy Juducki
This workshop will provide an overview of AEE’s
Accreditation Program introducing the concept
of standards for adventure programming,
internal and external program review and
accreditation. The policies and procedures of
AEE’s Program will be reviewed as well as the
benefits of becoming accredited. Additional
topics covered will include risk management in
adventure programming, the role of paid
consultation in preparation for accreditation,
conducting the self-assessment study,
preparing for and conducting the site visit,
responding to the site visit report, the
Accreditation Council vote and maintenance of
accreditation. This workshop will provide
definitive, up-to-date information about AEE’s
Accreditation Program. Organizations
interested in accreditation or persons
interested in participating as reviewers will
receive the necessary information to proceed
by participating in this workshop. Workshop
format will include a formal presentation and
the opportunity for questions and answers. If
time allows, exercises will be incorporated
which will assist participants in understanding
the process of internal program review (selfassessment).
Participants will develop an
understanding of standards development and
interpretation as well as policy development
for adventure education organizations. This
workshop is open to all interested individuals
and organizations.
25. Environmental Activities for YOUR
Habitat! (ABP)
100% Interactive/Experiential
Audience Level - Open to All
Presenter: Beth Dekker
This workshop will focus is on experiential
activities that can make learning about the
environment fun, help to foster group spirit and
demonstrate ecological concepts. Participants
will have opportunities to learn (and play!)
games and activities that are easily adaptable
to many settings and age groups.
26. Professional Level Decision Making for
Climbing Instructors: Top Rope Anchor
Construction. (ABP, PA)
50% Lecture, 40% Interactive/Experiential, 10%
Co-creation
Audience Level –Open to All
Presenter: Alan Jolley
There are many variables that you need to
balance as you construct your top rope anchor.
Some of which are: choice of components,
appropriate materials, and appropriate
construction methods. The question is, are you
following a logical and professional process as
you make these decisions? This two hour
workshop will identify the variables you need
to balance and how to tip the scale in your
favor! This workshop will give two hours of
technical or educational credit towards
Continuing Education requirements of the
Professional Climbing Instructor's Association.
27. Altering Existing Curricula to teach
Sustainability- 6 Steps for Success (EE/NS)
20% Lecture, 50 % Interactive/Experiential, 30%
Co-creation
Audience Level-Open to All
Presenter: Alice Cantelow
Existing curricula like Project Wet and Project
Wild can be easily adapted to teach
sustainability. Tips will be given and
demonstrated for making such programs
effective. Participants will then have the
opportunity to use these tips, brainstorming
ways to tweak the programs they use, stringing
3 to 4 activities together for successful
sustainability education. Several activities,
both indoor and outdoor, will be included.
Presenter Bios
Beth Dekker has been an independent experiential and environmental education trainer and consultant for the past 10 years with a variety of camps and organizations. She trains adults/staff members on topics of working with youth & adolescents, environmental education activities, program development, cooperative games/initiatives, and designs site specific program curricula, activities, and resources.
Bill Jacox currently lives in Orange County (the OC!) and serves as the director of the outdoor adventure program at UC Irvine. Having traveled the world and lived long stints in the wilderness areas of Alaska and Baja with Outward Bound, Bill began teaching for the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS in 2003.
Chelsea Griffie the Program Manager for Bay Area Wilderness Training. Â She co-leads the organizations flagship course, the Wilderness Leadership Training. Through this course and other BAWT Programs, Chelsea trains adults who are youth workers how to lead their groups on backpacking and camping trips.
Dr. Christian Itin is an internationally recognized author and presenter on advanced facilitation of the experiential process generally and adventure therapy specifically. He is a professor at Humboldt State University in social work. He has served in leadership positions throughout the AEE at the international and regional levels for 17 years and is the current co-chair of the West Region.
Christopher Old, EdS, MFT, NCC - Christopher currently combines his love of the outdoors and his therapy skills at his private practice, Mountain Mental Health. He has also led commercial rafting and trekking trips worldwide.
Ellie Capers have been an experiential educator for 33 years in several different adventure based programs. Ellie have a Masters in education from the Department of Organization and Management, Antioch University and is currently the Outdoor Education Coordinator at San Francisco Waldorf School.
Alice Cantelow teaches environmental education at the American River Water Education Center in Folsom.
A Project Wet facilitator, she has a B.A. in geochemistry and an M.B.A.
Gwen Angert, MA, ADTR is a registered dance/movement therapist with 10 years experience facilitating groups. Her recently completed doctoral project explored intimacy and experiences in nature. She will receive her doctorate in clinical psychology in June 2008.
Helen de la Maza is a Curriculum and Instruction Consultant with a long career in running environmental and outdoor education programs, facilitating teacher workshops and writing curricula.
Holly Blaade is a visionary in human energy dynamics, with 10 years experience in adventure-based education. She serves as an organizational leadership & personal wellness consultant as the President of Extreme Calm. Holly leads weekly Personal Ecology workshops in Fair Oaks, CA.
Janell Bettinger, MBA, CTRS Coordinator for the City of Las Vegas. She oversees inclusion and experiential education program for the Recreation Division. Janell loves backpacking, hiking, reading and gardening.
Jeanine Stocks is the Community Programs Manager for Peak Performance Training Systems, Inc. She administers and manages all of Peak’s California programs. She has been working in EE/OE for over 19 years. During that time she has successfully taken organizations through accreditation, been an accreditation reviewer, sat on AEE’s Board of Directors, been Chair to the West Region as well as having done other AEE volunteer work.
Jessica Higa is currently a Clinical Psychology doctorate student and a Health Care Professional Scholarship Recipient through the US Army. She previously directed Kauai Team Challenge, Inc. Native Hawaiian experiential educational program on Kauai.
John Springer is the owner of Four Winds, Inc., a recognized industry leader in Adventure-based teambuilding and leadership training since 1989. Facilitator, trainer, speaker and entrepreneur, John’s greatest source of professional pride is the balance of achievement and fulfillment that the Four Winds Ropes Course has created for both staff and over 100,000 clients.
Judy Holloway, Ph.D. is Executive Director and co-founder of Nature Conexus and core faculty at the California School of Professional Psychology at AIU. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology in 1992 and is licensed to practice psychology in California. Her dissertation examined Roles for Professional Psychology in Environmental Action. Judy has been facilitating nature workshops since 1996 and teaching ecopsychology courses in colleges and universities since 2003. She brings over 25 years of work with educational and healing groups to the current workshop.
Kelly Bloom is currently a lecturer in Hospitality, Recreation & Tourism Management at San Jose State University. She has presented on topics related to outdoor and experiential education at state and national conferences.
Kyle Macdonald has been leading Wilderness Leadership Training courses for close to 10 years for Bay Area Wilderness Training BAWT, but began as a backpacking and canoeing guide in 1993, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine. He has worked with urban youth in formal and informal educational settings in Boston, Detroit and Oakland and decided to start BAWT as a result of these experiences.
Mark Mikelat, an Aspirations Speaker is the founder of Building Aspirations. He is faculty at Long Beach City College and corporate presenter at California State University, Long Beach Extension Services.
Max Kee is a student at Chico State. His major is Environmental Health, and Community Wellness. He is an activist with local solution oriented programs, striving to unite community and university efforts.
Megan E. Hanson. After receiving her BA and toiling for five years in the corporate advertising and marketing world in NYC, Megan ran away to sea to cook on sailboats. This leap of faith eventually led her on a path to discover her true purpose in life – to radically change the way we do nutrition education, and lead people towards more thoughtful, healthful and sustainable food choices.
Randy Judycki is the Director of Outdoor Education at the Dunn School. He has been in the field of OE for 30 years as an instructor and administrator. He also sits on the accreditation council for the AEE Randy is a certified Rock Guide with the AMGA and a certified Advance white water kayak instructor with the American Canoe Association. He has been a past treasurer for the AEE western region . He looks forward to teaching those who are pursuing accreditation with the Association for Experiential Education.
Ryan Laine is an undergraduate student with a special major uniting Environmental and Outdoor Education. He has a background in wilderness leadership, journalism, and is a voracious mediator.
Shana Maziarz is Head of School at the Woolman Semester. She has a Masters in Education from Harvard, and a Bachelors in Adventure Education from Prescott College. Shana has taught outdoor education, as well as high school and college courses, for over a decade.
Steve Hagler: Director of Youth Investment at the Stewardship Council. 15 year veteran, co-founder and director of experiential & outdoor education programs for at-risk youth in the SFUSD.
Terry Nail, Ph.D. contributes over 25 years of experience as a coach, facilitator, speaker, and trainer in leadership development with a focus on effective communication and community building with people, organizations and communities from diverse backgrounds. Her greatest joy is in doing work that inspires greatness, authentic leadership and makes a difference in the lives of the people she serves.
Tracy Heller, Ph.D. is a California licensed psychologist with extensive experience with both individual and group psychotherapy. She is Associate Dean at The California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Los Angeles.
Wendi Weston has been studying fashion for the last 15 years. She has worked with many different age groups teaching techniques and skills. She currently teaches at Folsom High and has started her own business, Wander with Wendi. She also has been with CSUS Peak Adventures for 5 1⁄2 years.
