INSIGHTS :: A Division of Broadreach

Introduction

Course Design

What to Expect

Why Insights?

Testimonials

Setting Us Apart from the Traditional Educational Adventure Program
Many companies offer experiential adventure programs that focus on exploring the wilderness. Some organizations do an admirable job running community service programs. Others target cultural immersion and several use experiential methodology to teach academic subjects. Only Insights School of Experiential Education combines all of these areas with a carefully integrated and sequential course design that allows participants to maximize their learning experience on an extraordinary journey.


The Adventure Phase: A physically challenging wilderness adventure provides the ideal setting for the group to bond and learn the importance of both leadership and teamwork. Problem solving abilities, confidence, determination and cooperation grow as participants come together as a team to overcome obstacles. We rise early each day to explore the earth's natural playgrounds. Your muscles burn after a long day of kayaking through remote inland waterways in Costa Rica or trekking the rugged Andes Mountains, but the stunning landscape and satisfaction of completing a difficult task reward your efforts. The seeds of lifelong friendships are sown as we work together to achieve our goals. The tone for the journey ahead is set.	Academic Insight: We focus more formally on a specific academic topic with hands-on learning and activities that capitalize on the program's location and community. Each area we visit possesses unique resources for academic achievement. Topics of study range from marine mammal research or intensive language study to rainforest ecology and tropical biology. Each program highlights a different academic focus, for which the participants earn a minimum of 3 college credits. Students are fully immersed in their course's subject from morning until night, learning in traditional classroom settings as well as through experiential and expeditionary methods outside the classroom. Students studying language, for example, may spend the morning in a classroom setting, the afternoon putting their skills to work buying dinner in the local market, and the evening talking about Ecuadorian history with some of the older villagers.	Service Learning: We practice and further develop skills learned in the previous phases by participating in a project with the local community. Our goal is to do much more than just help build homes for the needy or reconstruct remote rainforest trail systems. The projects chosen give Insights participants the rare opportunity to truly experience an indigenous culture and build relationships with locals not possible as a tourist. Interwoven in this powerful cultural learning experience are the themes of teamwork, leadership and understanding. A minimum of 50 hours of community service credit is earned.	Transitional Reflections: This final segment has the potential to be the most significant because Insights participants take the time to look back on their journey and explore what it meant to them personally. We return to the wilderness for this reflective adventure, which may include sea kayaking around the islands of Prince Rupert or trekking through Ecuadorian cloud forest. Students focus on what they have learned and how they can apply these lessons to their lives at home. The closing experience is yours - a solo, with time to reflect along the shores of the Western passage or in the serenity of the mountains.