New Editions of AEE’s Accreditation Standards!

October 24, 2023

The AEE Accreditation Council is excited to announce the publication of the 8^th edition of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs and the 3^rd edition of the Manual of Accreditation for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs.

Both accreditation standards manuals are significant revisions and include numerous improvements. The review process included consultations with experienced reviewers and many other experts in the fields of Adventure Education and Adventure Therapy. The new editions were carefully reviewed and edited to ensure standards are current, clear, and avoid redundancy. A new feature, Considerations, was included to help readers understand the issues to be addressed. Additionally, another new feature provides examples of the breadth of evidence of compliance that may apply to program contexts and the populations served. Terms in the Glossary of Terms are updated to better reflect how they should be interpreted by organizations seeking AEE Accreditation.

After becoming accredited, organizations report that going through the self-assessment process and finding ways for them to meet unmet accreditation standards significantly improves their programs. The new editions of the standards manuals will make this step in the process even more valuable and rewarding.

Click here to order your copy of the 8^th edition of the Manual of Accreditation Standards for Adventure Programs

*AEE Members: you have free access. Just log in and access the manual here. Scroll to the books/publications section and find the direct PDF links inside the Member Resources page. 

Click here to order your copy of the 3^rd edition of the Manual of Accreditation for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs

*AEE Members: you have free access. Just log in and access the manual here. Scroll to the books/publications section and find the direct PDF links inside the Member Resources page. 

July 21, 2020: AEE Accreditation Council Approves a New Standard about Dealing with Infectious Diseases. 

This has been a difficult time for outdoor education. Most AEE accredited Adventure Programs have not operated this summer, while most AEE accredited Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs, being classified as an essential service, have continued to provide programming. Some of our organizations that have been closed are currently experimenting with re-opening or are considering re-opening in the fall.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic AEE has developed an accreditation standard for infectious diseases. Like all AEE accreditation standards it is written in a way to provide programs the flexibility to design policies and procedures that fit their unique missions and programming.