Risk Management for Outdoor Programs

AEE International Conference Pre-Conference Event

Risk Management for Outdoor Programs

ONLINE ONLY | $649 | November 1-29

Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course provides a comprehensive training on safety management for outdoor and experiential professionals.

The course is 40 hours in length, over four weeks, and takes place online.

The course is suitable for managers and those with administrative or other leadership responsibilities for experiential, outdoor, wilderness, adventure, or travel programs, or those who plan to be managers. No prior knowledge is required.

Course Components:
The course is composed of both self-study and video-conference sessions. These live calls include seminar-style discussions, participant presentations, question and answer periods, and learning activities held in large and small groups.

In between video-conference sessions are Independent Work Periods. During these times participants complete independent work including readings, video presentations, quizzes, discussion forums, video-based role-play simulations, assessments, and writing assignments such as a Risk Management Plan outline.

Course topics include:
• Laws
• Safety standards
• Human factors
• Equipment
• Transportation
• Insurance
• Safety audits
• Systems thinking
• and much more

Outcomes:
• Gain critical knowledge of best practices in outdoor program risk management.
• Learn procedures, systems and plans essential to meeting key outdoor safety standards.
• Understand how to apply successful risk management strategies to adventure programs, experiential education, wilderness expeditions, and outdoor trips.

Textbook:
The course includes lifetime access to an electronic, online-based copy of the course textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure.

Certification:
Participants take short quizzes throughout the course and a final written exam. Individuals who fully participate in learning activities and successfully complete the final exam receive a certificate from Viristar valid for three years.

For more information, visit courses.viristar.com.

The course runs November 1-29, 2023. The training takes place online.

The course has 5 live video-conference sessions, once each week, for five weeks: November 1, 11:00 am - 11:45 am, New York time (UTC-4) (optional) November 8, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, NY time (UTC-5) November 15, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, NY time (UTC-5) November 22, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, NY time (UTC-5) November 29, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, NY time (UTC-5)

In between each live session is an Independent Work Period. There are approximately 10 hours of independent study and small group projects each week.

Presenter: Jeff Baierlein

Jeff Baierlein is Director of outdoor and experiential program consultancy Viristar. He is the former Executive Director of Outward Bound Baltimore Chesapeake Bay and the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education. Jeff is an outdoor safety expert witness, AEE accreditation reviewer, and former AEE Board member.