​Outcomes

• Gain critical knowledge of best practices in outdoor program risk management

• Learn procedures, systems and plans essential to meeting key outdoor safety standards

• 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. Organizations focused on outdoor education, outdoor recreation, experiential learning, adventure education, wilderness courses, and travel programming. For example: outdoor program providers, international schools and independent schools, parks and recreation services, and travel, tourism and adventure organizations. 

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Course Format

The course is four weeks (29 days) in length. It is composed of five live video-conference sessions and four independent work periods. 

 

1. 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. The first, introductory, live session is 45 minutes long. Each of the following four Live Sessions are 90 minutes in length. 

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2. Independent work. Between live video-conferences, there are four week-long independent work periods for individual and remote small-group activity. This work, which generally takes a minimum of 10 hours a week, includes:

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• Review of pre-recorded slide presentations with presenter video

• Completion of readings

• Participation in online discussion forums

• Participation in interactive video-based decision-making activities

• Completion of writing assignments (including writing risk management plan outline and strategic improvement plan content)

• Peer review of select classmate writing content

• Completion of organizational self-assessment of risk management

• Completion of online worksheets

• Participation in online risk decision-making role-playing scenario

• Structured analysis of case-study examples

• Completion of quizzes and final exam

 

Independent work is anticipated to take a minimum of 10-12 hours per week. The course is rigorous and intensive. 

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Course Timing

When you select your course, choose the timing of the live sessions that works best for you and the time zone where you are. Live sessions can be attended either at a time convenient for participants in the Americas & Europe (11 am – noon New York time, UTC-5) or Asia-Pacific (11 am – noon Singapore/Beijing time, UTC+8).

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Trainer/Facilitator

Jeff Baierlein, Director, Viristar; past Executive Director at Outward Bound USA

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Language

English

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Cost

USD $399 per person.

Course fee includes four 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.

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Course Content
The course provides a systems-based approach for managing risks, and covers wilderness risk management, risk management plan development, and risk assessment and safety management best practices.

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Syllabus

Live Session 1

Welcome, Introduction, Orientation 

 

Independent Work 1

General Concepts 

• Introductory Concepts in Risk Manaagement

• Approaches to Risk Management

• Standards

• Laws

 

Risk Domains I

• Introductory Concepts

• Safety Culture

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​​Live Session 2

Facilitated Discussion

Participant Presentations: Self-Evaluation of Risk Management: Standards & General Practices

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Independent Work 2

Risk Domains II

• Human Factors

• Provider Selection

• Scenarios

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Live Session 3

Facilitated Discussion

Participant Presentations: Self-Evaluation of Risk Management in Risk Management Domains

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Independent Work 3

Risk Management Instruments

• Introductory Concepts

• Incident Reporting

• Systems Thinking

• Case Study: Mangatepopo Gorge Incident

• Incident Management

• Emergency Response Scenario

• Media Relations

• Case Study: Media Relations

• Documentation 

 

Special Topic: COVID-19 Management

 

Live Session 4

Facilitated Discussion

Participant Presentations: Self-Evaluation of Risk Management with Risk Management Instruments 

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Independent Work 4

Synthesis & Application

• Risk Management Plan Development

• Strategic Improvement Plan for Your Organization

 

Final Exam

 

Live Session 5

Facilitated Discussion

Participant Presentation: Strategic Improvement Plan for Your Organization

Risk Decisions Role Play

Conclusion & Certificates

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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. This 218-page text is provided to each student in electronic online-based format.

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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.

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Previous Participants Say:

• “Viristar delivered a high quality training and I would recommend it to any outdoor program.”  Si Dilks, ChinaClimb

• “Extremely useful, important and informative course…very enjoyable and worthwhile.” Kelvin Fawcett, Nord Anglia International School

• “Great insight into risk management—took a lot away to implement back at my workplace. Very well run.  Great course!” Liam Warren, Harrow International School

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Dates and Registration

Select your desired course dates from the list of available courses now!