Guidelines for Experiential Education Course development at Aspen High school in Aspen, Colorado:
1. Courses should reflect a teacher’s abilities, interests, and enthusiasm. A guiding principle in course development should be that your course represents an experience that exceeds, in its qualities, challenges, and outcomes, an experience that could be done with parents outside the context of school.
2. The course must be a minimum of five active days in length; however, many courses extend to six and seven days. No five-day course should involve two days of travel.
3. The cost to students should reflect a reasonable effort on your part to keep the cost to students in a manageable range. Please include a breakdown of expenses. No hidden or “extra” costs; the cost of the course must be all-inclusive.
4. Your course must contain each of the following components in its curriculum and an emphasis upon challenge, service, or cultural enrichment. Please pay close attention to the thoughtful development of these parts; there are many critics of ex. ed. waiting to spread their vitriol on courses that lack substance:
• A physical challenge (This can include movement in a city, the act of sustained focus, precise manual activity, and more traditional physical challenges.)
• Social/ Interactive experiences and group building (This includes individual contributions to group tasks, positive demeanor, an attitude of curiosity and a willingness to participate, and extending oneself outside of the social comfort zone.)
• Personal Growth Opportunities (Most often this category includes facing a challenge, asserting self-control or giving input, reflective time, constant introspection and reflection, or exposure to new levels and forms of cultural experience.
• Individual responsibility and group responsibility, an opportunity for altruism or supportive behavior
• Some form of meaningful academic activity (e.g. readings, journal keeping, assigned writing, oral exchange, special studies.)