New York time, UTC-4/-5
The course is a combination of five real-time video-conference sessions, spaced one week apart, and independent work periods between live sessions.
Five live online sessions:
- Wednesday, May 7, 11:00 a.m. UTC-5
- Wednesday, May 14, 11:00 a.m. UTC-4 (Daylight Saving Time begins)
- Wednesday, May 21, 11:00 a.m. UTC-4
- Wednesday, May 28, 11:00 a.m. UTC-4
- Wednesday, June 4, 11:00 a.m. UTC-4
Independent individual and group work occurs between live sessions.
Outcomes
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Gain critical knowledge of best practices in outdoor program risk management
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Learn procedures, systems, and plans essential to meeting key outdoor safety standards
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Understand how to apply successful risk management strategies to adventure programs, experiential education, wilderness expeditions, and outdoor trips
Valuable for
Program Coordinators/Managers, Risk Management Officers, Risk Management/Safety Committee members, members of Boards of Directors, executive leadership.
(phone: 206 473 8050)
Course Format
The course is composed of five live video-conference sessions and three independent work periods.
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Live sessions. Five live, video-conference sessions, occurring the same day and time each week, for five consecutive weeks. These include structured real-time small-group and large-group discussions and participant project presentations.
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Independent work. Between live video-conferences, there are four-week-long independent work periods for individual and remote small-group activity. This work includes:
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Review of pre-recorded slide presentations with presenter video
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Completion of readings
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Participation in online discussion forums
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Participation in interactive video-based decision-making activities
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Completion of writing assignments (including writing risk management plan outline and strategic improvement plan content)
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Peer review of select classmate writing content
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Completion of organizational self-assessment of risk management
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Completion of online worksheets
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Participation in online risk decision-making role-playing scenario
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Structured analysis of case-study examples
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Completion of quizzes and final exam
Independent work is anticipated to take a minimum of 10-12 hours per week.
Trainer/Facilitator
Jeff Baierlein, Director, Viristar; past Executive Director at Outward Bound USA
Language
English
Cost
USD $649 individual enrollment.
Course fee includes five live sessions, materials for independent work sessions, lifetime access to an electronic, online-based copy of the course textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure, and certification.
Syllabus
Download a PDF version of the syllabus here.
Textbook
The course textbook is Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure (https://courses.viristar.com/book/). This 218-page text is provided to each student in an electronic online-based format.
Certification
Participants take four short quizzes throughout the course and a final written exam. Individuals who fully participate in learning activities and successfully complete the final exam receive a certificate from Viristar valid for three years.
Previous Participants Say:
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“Viristar's Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course is intensive, thought-provoking, and designed to make one critically think about the adequacy of the existing risk management...useful for both novices as well as seasoned practitioners.” Syed Ismail, Assistant Director (Training) & Master Instructor, Outward Bound Singapore
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"This was a really beneficial course...it's given me the language I needed to deepen my understanding of risk management." Kate Johnston, Outdoor Education Specialist, United World Colleges, Southeast Asia
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"Viristar's Risk Management for Outdoor programs course is the most comprehensive risk management course I have completed...Highly recommended." Phil Austen-Smith, Expedition & remote programs facilitator/trainer, Oman