ABSTRACT
Adventure programming is the purposeful use of adventure activities and/or wilderness for the purpose of cognitive, physical, social, and/or affective change in groups or individuals. It originated, in the form of Outward Bound, as a short-term intervention designed to help young seamen develop resilience. Contemporary applications of adventure programming are tailored to diverse clientele including young and old; individuals, families, groups, or organizations; with objectives ranging from recreation, education, development, adjunctive therapy to primary therapy. This chapter aims to provide a broad overview of the principles, theoretical frameworks, and types of adventure programming that can be used to foster the development of resilience and well-being. The types of outcomes described across studies, the mechanisms of change identified as important, and evidence of the effectiveness of adventure programs in the literature are reviewed. The authors also provide examples from their own experience and research of how adventure programming has been used for the development of resilience in clinical, corporate, and youth development contexts, providing insight into how adventure programming processes and contexts facilitate the development of resilience. The authors discuss models of resilience development in the context of adventure programming and make recommendations for program design to ensure optimal resilience development.
