Viristar was pleased to participate in the 2025 Outdoor Forum for South East Asian Schools (OFFSEAS), which took place April 26–27 at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand.
The event convened 371 educators, school leaders, activity providers and other experts from 21 countries representing a wide range of international schools, experiential learning organizations, and consulting and training services.
With a program featuring keynote presentations, workshops, and opportunities for professional development, the conference supported participants in promoting and enhancing outdoor education.
Viristar’s Director Jeff Baierlein delivered a keynote presentation titled “Contemporary Approaches to Safety: Assessing and Managing Risks Using Complex Systems Theory.”
The keynote delved into how the science of safety can help people understand and minimize risk. Jeff outlined the evolution of incident causation models and demonstrated how applying systems-informed frameworks can lead to improved safety outcomes in experiential, adventure, and outdoor education programs.
Additionally, Jeff facilitated a workshop titled “Evaluating Your Outdoor or Adventure Program: The Role of Standards.” This session explored how adopting established, documented standards can reduce risks, enhance program quality, and advance the overall outdoor and adventure education sectors. Participants discussed the relevant safety and quality standards for outdoor programs, criteria for evaluating standards, and when to implement them effectively.
Additional Resources
Members of the OFFSEAS community are eligible for a 10% discount on Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs training by using discount code OFFSEAS2021 at checkout.
For more information on approaches and strategies for successfully anticipating and addressing risks, the textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation, and Adventure provides essential knowledge.
Viristar’s Adventure Safety Accreditation program provides adventure, travel, experiential or outdoor programs the opportunity to demonstrate they meet high risk management standards.
