Global Youth Travel Organization Completed Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs Training

Twenty-three  Rustic Pathways staff members participated in Viristar’s month-long Risk Management for Outdoor Programs certification course, gaining skills in outdoor safety, incident prevention and emergency response.

Participants represented program leadership of Rustic Pathways supporting programs designed for middle school, high school, and college students. Rustic Pathways programs feature tours with guided itineraries, educational travel, service-learning experiences and school group trips serving 321 institutional partners. Since 1983, Rustic Pathways has supported over 155,000 students from 53 countries.

Shayne Fitz-Coy, CEO of Rustic Pathways, commented, “This course fundamentally changed how I think about risk management…highly recommended for anyone responsible for safety in experiential programming.”

The Viristar training supports Rustic Pathways staff in understanding, anticipating and addressing the risks involved in youth and student programs across international settings.

Anna Beckerman, Head of School Group Travel, stated, “This course provides a comprehensive look at the theory behind risk management.”

Viristar’s Risk Management Training

Viristar offers its 40-hour Risk Management for Outdoor Programs training throughout the year on an open-enrollment basis. Participants from over 80 countries and territories have participated in the course.

Viristar has also conducted the training for specific groups, like Rustic Pathways, who want to use the training as a catalyst to improve their specific risk management systems and organizational safety culture. 

Organizations including Ocean Wise, Character & Leadership Academy, FutuReady Asia, East Bay Regional Parks,  InnoTrek and the Federation of British International Schools in Asia have arranged these custom trainings, which Viristar offers to groups at a discount.

Learn more about Viristar’s safety trainings here.