Choice: A powerful feeling!

In Morning Expeditions, learning is punctuated with time for Challenge By Choice outdoors and in the gymnasium.

Challenge By Choice is a methodology for adventure-based learning, or learning from trying new adventures. It was coined by Project Adventure, a non-profit dedicated to advancing learning through the power of adventure.

Project Adventure explains, “Adventure, by nature, involves challenge and risk - physical, social, or emotional. Any adventure sets us outside of our comfort zones and ask us to do new and sometimes scary things.”

Because new challenges include a feeling of risk, it is empowering for students to “choose their own challenge” or participate at their self-selected level. The methodology acknowledges that what feels easy for one person can be difficult for another. We’re all different! Meanwhile, it teaches students to find their individual stretch zone.

During Challenge by Choice, students are provided with a range of ways to participate, to accommodate each participant’s skill and comfort level.

Mr. Phelps, Springer’s PE teacher of more than 35 years, is leading Challenge By Choice this summer, encouraging students to participate and to slowly expand their comfort zone. Shelby Chamberlin, Summer Program Director states “students are consistently brought out of their comfort zone in the classroom and into unfamiliar situations, as they challenge their brains in reading and math. Challenge by Choice allows students to embrace the uncomfortable and unfamiliar, and push themselves to try hard things, preparing them to do hard things in the classroom”.

One of the most vivid examples of Challenge By Choice at Springer is climbing the rock wall. During this activity, students may belay the climber, encourage and cheer for their classmates, and they may choose to climb themselves. If they choose to climb, they can stay low to the ground, or climb as high as they like. There are many choices and all acceptable with Challenge By Choice! Students are never pushed into their panic zone. Instead, they are encouraged to stretch as they are ready.