Advanced Field Practicum
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images from http://www.friendsofkillarneypark.ca and http://www.earlham.edu/~outdoors
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Course Description
This course is an intensive practicum for the developing outdoor educator and leader. It will begin with an intensive 9-day wilderness first aid and emergency care component facilitated by a national wilderness medicine school leading toward a three-year Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification. This component will take place on-campus. Following this, we will leave for a 12-day field component in Killarney Provincial Park, Canada where we will travel in backcountry environments learning and teaching outdoor skills such as navigation, campcraft, group facilitation, judgement, risk assessment, and leadership. Pre-requisites: Either ED 210 (Outdoor Trip Leadership) or ED 312 Experiential Education (or permission of instructor).
Variable Credit Options
Students may elect to take just the field component (May 23-June 3, 2009) for 1-credit or just the Wilderness First Responder component on campus for 2-credits. Taking both the WFR on-campus and the field component off-campus will result in 3-credits. Students need not confirm their credit load choice until just prior to the course start.
Course Locations
The Wilderness First Responder course will take place on-campus and will be facilitated by a nationally recognized wilderness first aid and emergency care training provider SOLO. The field component will take place in Killarney Provincial Park, Canada. Killarney is a remote, wilderness park ideally suited for both backcountry trekking and canoeing with exceptional scenery, challenging and rugged terrain, and a variety of trip lengths and styles. Check out the following links for more information about Killarney:
Kalamazoo College's Killarney Website
Course Leadership
The Advanced Field Practicum will be team taught by on-campus faculty (Jay Roberts and Tom Ferrell) as well as by instructors from SOLO. During the WFR component, students will be instructed by SOLO and you can expect very full days as well as 1-2 evening sessions. The field component in Killarney will be co-led by both Tom and Jay. While the emphasis in the first portion of the course will be on the technical skills necessary to administer emergency first aid and care in backcountry settings, during the field component of the course we will focus more on broader leadership skills such as judgment, decision-making, communication, lesson-planning, and risk management.
