Our students get to learn advanced skills in all the outdoor activities we do. In rock climbing, TAASC students learn the basic skills like knots, harnesses, belaying and climbing techniques. These are required for a safe day on the rock, but there is so much more to learn about climbing, which we teach.
Our students learn how to build a climbing anchor so that it is both super safe and redundant. Doing this develops judgement and an ability to think things through. These are key skills that can be applied in other areas of life. They help connect detailed focus with overall big picture thinking and even more importantly help foster a real feeling of responsibility.
TAASC is able to do pull this off due the experience of our staff working for programs like Outward Bound, as well as their personal experience with these activities. Learning more advanced things makes it so much more fun and interesting for our students and inspires them to really get into it more. This could even influence a person’s career choice – I know of people who have been so interested in learning wilderness first aid that they eventually went to medical school!
Other examples of advanced skills we teach are: technical rescue skills; advanced wilderness first aid skills; paddling whitewater; navigational skills and many other outdoor tricks of the trade. Overall from a personal development standpoint I believe exposing younger students to these skills helps develop their judgement skills by adding a new layer of responsibility and reliability. All these qualities are going to help make a difference in a students life as they transition into adulthood.
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