Are you tired of sitting behind a desk in an enclosed environment? If yes, you may be feeling chained to the future, which has no scope for your blood to rush free with the zeal of escapism and adventure.
Here's the way that gives you the pleasure to be in the company of nature, take risks, explore its hidden secrets, feel the experiences, and still keep finances smartly generated. It's called adventure education.
What is Adventure Education?
Adventure education is learning through adventure-centered experiences. It includes various activities like outdoor sports, excursions, explorations, events, and even indoor activities.
It's an active process of learning that demands active engagement from you. In other words, it incorporates all five senses within the experiences that heighten the opportunities of education and retaining information. The program is to increase the potentiality of human performance and capacity.
How Adventure Education Is Different
Adventure education programs are an exciting combination of outdoor skill-building, leadership, and education studies.
Degree programs in adventure education combine theoretical knowledge in environmental science and education with practical and technicality in outdoor skills.
These programs are to prepare students for leadership positions, teaching or guiding people in an outdoor setting.
Additionally, this degree program might serve best if you have an interest in therapeutic recreation or any number of outdoor business opportunities.
Your love for adventure activities like hiking, rafting, or rock climbing and curiosities to use these activities as a tool for instruction gets well fetched in this program.
What Are The Requirements for Adventure Education Degree Program?
The following are the requirements for the degree:
- Primary education is enough to start a career in adventure sports, with no subject restrictions as of class XII.
- You should have a bachelor's degree in any discipline.
- You should be proficient in swimming.
- You must belong to the age group of 16-40 years.
- Knowledge of at least one foreign language,
- Standardized test scores ( SAT / ACT)
- Recommendation letters
- Experience with an adventure activity such as skiing or rock climbing will be helpful, even if it's just a hobby.
What Adventure Education Program Teaches?
This program teaches the ability to possess a high degree of risk-taking ability, the ability to work in different terrains, team spirit and leadership qualities, high levels of commitment, and responsibility on the candidate.
It also induces environmental awareness and a love for conservation, knowledge of first aid, camp management, map, compass reading, survival training, a hospitable and friendly nature to deal with the diversity of cultures and traditions you will inevitably encounter.
What Are Job Opportunities You Will Have After Completing The Adventure Education Program?
Now, you must probably be wondering what kinds of jobs you will attract after completing this program.
Well, the truth is that there are a ton of opportunities waiting for you, and I can't list them all down, though I managed to filter a few for you.
The following are the jobs:
Recreation Therapist
Your role will be to keep up the leisure activities of people with disabilities. You need to incorporate games, sports, among others, to maintain your patient's well-being. Additionally, being passionate about the welfare of others will be an added advantage.
Park Naturalist
If you love to share what you know about nature with others, this role will fit you well. Park Naturalists are outdoor enthusiasts who will guide people whenever people tour places of nature.
Wilderness First Responder
If you love assisting during emergencies, you will love this job. Of course, some people enjoy being helpful, and this job is one of such. Your role will be to respond positively during emergencies in remote areas and act appropriately to save the situation.
Recreation Guide/Instructor
Are you passionate about outdoor activities such as rafting, kayaking, diving, hunting, skiing, fishing, climbing, caving, or tramping? This job will fit you well. Also, if you are a frequent adventurer, you must have come across guides. These are people who will walk you through and give you all the information you need in a park or natural setting.
Forest School Teacher
This role is quite vast. Your duty will be to prepare and deliver various school forest sessions and educate students about foresting activities. In some cases, the school could call forest school teachers to organize outdoor birthday parties.
Recreation Manager/Director
Now, when you hear anything about a manager or director, what first comes into your mind are three roles - researching, planning, and implementing, so you are right. As a recreation director or manager, you will participate in researching, planning, and implementing physical activities for a specific group of people.
Park Ranger
It is almost similar to the park naturalist role. The only difference is that a park ranger will go around to inspect whether people who have come to tour are observing the set rules and guidelines of the park or tour area. Additionally, you will be responsible for ensuring the safety of people traveling the area.
What Salary Should You Expect After Completing Adventure Education?
As per one of the best job portals, Simplyhired, the average salary for adventure education is $53,933 per year. The bottom 10% of people employed in adventure education jobs receive on an average $30,056. The top 10% of people employed in adventure education jobs receive on an average $90,740. The below chart explains it in more detail:
What Are Universities Offering the Degree of Adventure Education?
- Finland: Humak University of Applied Sciences.
- New Zealand: Auckland University of Technology (AUT) offers a bachelor's degree in Sport and Recreation.
- United Kingdom: The University of Chichester.
- USA: Plymouth State University (PSU) in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
- USA: Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis and Bend, Oregon.
Adventure Education is still a relatively alien term in India. There are few institutes which provide courses ranging from three days to three months. For example,
- Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling,
- Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi,
- Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, Batote, J&K
- Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali
- Regional Mountaineering Centre, Mc Leodganj,
- Winter Sports Skiing Centre, Kulu
- High Altitude Trekking & Skiing Centre, Narkanda
- Mountaineering Sub-Centres, Bharmour and Jispa,
- Water Sports Centre, Bilaspur,
- Regional Water Sports Centre, Pong Dam,
- Adventure Sports Centre, Hatkoti, Balloon Club of India, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi,
- Tenzing Norgay Himalayan Mountaineering Institute,
- Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling
- The National Institute of Water Sports in Panjim, Goa.
Wrap Up
Put on your sneakers, take your backpack, fix your gaze on a bright new horizon and step into the new world of experiences, embracing zeal of adventure, risk, and responsibility with the feel of freedom. Seldom are such prospects; don't miss them. You can do this, mate!
