Abstract

The University of Akron offers a senior-level progressive experiential course in which learners encounter stress as initial responders through managing the decisions and stress of wilderness adventure races in a tabletop exercise. The unique context of remote emergencies puts learners in an equal field of ignorance of competencies and stress management, allowing for increased stress levels to be developed and managed throughout the course. Unique to the course is the implementation of a wilderness first aid course for community partners, where students grow in facilitating professional development while meeting a community need. The three phases allow personal and team-based professional competencies to be practiced and tested through the experiential educational model. 

Author

Jeffrey L. Pellegrino

Jeffrey L. Pellegrino is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management/Homeland Security at the University of Akron. He specializes in community-based education for the resiliency of individuals and populations. His doctorate in community education, MPH, and M.A. in Experiential Education all looked through a lens of justice and health, which he now brings to the classroom and research. He earned an M.S. in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University, an MPH from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton.

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No. 6 Emergency Management on the Wild Side