Taking business to the top.

• Author: Ajango, Deb
• Position: Adventure education

As "Tommy," 11, looked to the ground -- 30 feet below -- you could almost hear the thoughts racing through his head: "What am I doing up here? I can't do this. Let me down. I want to go home."

But the youngster said nothing. Below, his schoolmates cheered, "You can do it! You're almost there. Way to go."

Sighing, Tommy took a step, then another down the Goat Walk, a balance-beam route that lay before him. The encouragement from below continued, pushing him on to the end. A quick smile to his classmates, and he began his return trip. When he reached the center of the beam, he yelled to his belayer, who was holding the safety rope, "I'm ready. Let me down."

Slowly, the belayer lowered him to the ground. Two classmates ran up to congratulate him. Tommy grinned. With help from his trusted belayer and friends, he had faced his fears and had accomplished something many people would refuse to even try.

"Tommy" was one of more than 200 participants who experienced the Charter Challenge Course offered by Charter North Hospital in September 1993. His Anchorage middle-school class joined the growing population nationwide that is turning to adventure education (AE) as an alternative to established training. Previously used only by mental health agencies, "Outward Bound"-type programs and experiential educators, the success and benefits of AE are now capturing the attention of corporate America.

Many consider it a sound business investment. American businesses spend roughly $60 billion a year on formal and informal training to develop the full potential of their employees. Many management consultants also stress that to be successful in the business future, organizations must promote cooperation and teamwork among workers.

AE professionals believe their workshops can effectively meet this need for improved staff training. In fact, AE's goals and promises of improved leadership skills, teamwork and communication have convinced many companies -- including IBM, General Electric and DuPont -- to send thousands of employees through AE programs across the country.

PERFORMANCE PROOF

But does AE really work? After years of research, the benefits of adventure education in the mental health profession have finally been acknowledged. Little research exists, however, that can substantiate any payoffs for using AE in the business world.

But if the experiences of local participants in AE programs are an indicator of consumer satisfaction, AE will be around a while.

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