AW Re-Entry

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Return to AW Gen'l Curriculum

Most successful experiential programs involve a learning cycle of some kind:

Frame-Experience-Reflection-Synthesis/Application

All four stages are critical to making the experience "educative" as John Dewey famously described. Re-Entry is all about the Synthesis and Application of the experience. If we do this well, the experience on AW is amplified and cemented- allowing participants to make further meaning from their course as well as successfully navigate how they have changed and how to live that out in the "frontcountry." It is important that we invest the time in these activities as too little emphasis on re-entry can leave students emotionally confused and disoriented. Also, remember that too much emphasis on closing activties can feel contrived and overly facilitated. Try to strike a balance.

Re-entry activities for August Wilderness typically involve the following:

• Final, summative debrief(s) of the experience
• Informal advising on first year academic courses
• Program evaluations
• Discussion of how to re-integrate from the backcountry to the frontcountry
• Closing ceremonies