Beyond Posters: Evolving to Our Value Agreements in Experiential Education Written By: Ryan McCormick In many experiential education settings, facilitators will invite participants into a process of co-creating a list of shared values with words like; respect, trust, responsibility, and, of course, humor. This is followed up by asking participants to commit to them in […]
Category: Classroom Learning (EOL/SEL)
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World
Deep Listening in a Fast-Paced World Written By: Jim Grout I recently did a book presentation with an audience of about forty people. Many of the folks in attendance had history with one another as long time neighbors, friends and acquaintances. As part of the evening program, we did a partner exercise that asked the […]
Beyond the Comfort Zone: Rethinking Challenge Through Support
Beyond the Comfort Zone: Rethinking Challenge Through Support Written By: Ryan McCormick For years, many of us in education and experiential learning have referenced a familiar visual: a set of concentric circles labeled comfort, stretch, and panic. It’s a model that has helped generations of educators think about growth, challenge, and risk-taking. It gave us […]
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play
When in Doubt… Let Them Play! The Power of Self-Directed Play Written By: Jim Grout Almost every day this summer on a small island in Maine, I ride my bicycle by a young group of kids playing. It attracts my attention because it’s a scene from my own childhood that doesn’t happen much anymore. There […]
Building a Better World Through Intentional Connection
Building a Better World Through Intentional Connection Written By: Jim Grout In my book, When In Doubt… Give Them Your Heart I define connection as the essential starting point for all our work. I also pose the question; “How do you intentionally create space for connection?” On June 18, 2026, the Obama Presidential Center held […]
The Power of Our Work in a Vulnerable Time
The Power of Our Work in a Vulnerable Time Thoughtfully Written By: Ryan McCormick Our work is about the young people in front of us. Right now. And that matters, because teaching leadership when the world feels scary, harmful, and often the complete opposite of what we stand for is not easy. It brings up […]
Developing an Emotional Vocabulary
Developing an Emotional Vocabulary A Resource to Help Navigate Your Emotions More Facilitation Resources Let’s Talk About Emotions It’s powerful stuff, the connection between emotions and learning. The sheer number of emotions we experience daily, down to the minute, can be mind-boggling. As experiential educators, we think about emotions often, and how they impact learning […]
Unlocking Emotional Intelligence: An Innovative Resource for Students and Adults
Emotions By High 5® Unlocking Emotional Intelligence: An Innovative Resource for Students and Adults Introducing Emotions by High 5 How are you feeling today? It’s a typical question in the neighborhood of daily conversation at school, at work, at home, etc. Yet our ability to name our feelings and emotions, at any age, can be […]
Put on the Brakes in Class with Brain Breaks
Put on the Brakes in Class with Brain Breaks Put on the Brakes in Class with Brain Breaks What do humans and sea slugs have in common? The fact is they both learn better when acquiring knowledge in speedy bursts, rather than marathons. This leads to the next question: What can we do to facilitate […]
The Gift of Adventure Learning
The Gift of Adventure Learning Our Staff Shares Stories of Connection and Empowerment Connect.Empower.Lead. Be the Example. High 5’s motto is about change–changing lives, changing attitudes, changing abilities, and discovering aptitudes. It’s about finding our better self and discovering the power that comes with giving that self a voice, of giving ourselves the empowerment of […]