Arizona Association of Facilitators and the Project for Civil Discourse

I just recieved a call for facilitators to assist the Project for Civil Discourse.  Sounds like an interesting opportunity.  The details are listed below…

Here is an opportunity to put your facilitation skills to practice!

            Project Civil Discourse needs your help!   You are invited to volunteer your facilitation skills for a few hours during the evening of December 1.   AZAF is one of 21 organizations throughout the state that are partners with Project Civil Discourse, dedicated to using the skills of civil discourse and collaboration to help make for a more informed citizenry.

            Given the many “uncivil” meetings during the past few months, the partners of Project Civil Discourse and other organizations believe there is a better way for Arizonans to learn about health care proposals being considered by Congress.

            What:    Speaking, Not Shouting: A Community Conversation About Health Care Reform

            When:    6:00-9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1  [Registration at 5:30]

            Where:   AE England Building in Civic Park, 444 North Central Ave. in Phoenix. The event is free to the public, with first-come, first-served registration required; attendance will be limited to 120 participants. A registration Website will “go live” early this week and information will be available at http://www.azhumanities.org/pcd1/.

            Format:  The evening will open with a brief summary of the status of health care reform legislation and a presentation about why health care costs have increased. Featured speakers are James G. Hodge, Jr., Lincoln Professor of Health Law and Ethics at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and Roger Hughes, Executive Director of St. Luke’s Health Initiatives. You will be provided with background resource information before the event. The event moderator will review guidelines for civil discussion.

            Groups of eight participants will sit at round tables, each with a facilitator and a recorder, to address topics that may include access to health care, balancing individual rights with the community’s interest in managing public health issues and controlling health care costs, and the proper role of government in regulating/controlling costs related to health care. At the end of the discussions, recorders will be invited to the podium to briefly share a key point discussed by each group. Notes taken by recorders will be synthesized in a report summarizing the discussions that will be shared with the Arizona congressional delegation, the press, and all participants.

            Facilitators who wish to participate are required to attend one Orientation Meeting with complimentary lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23, at the Arizona Humanities Council, The Ellis-Shackelford House, 1242 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.   You may register for the Orientation Meeting and lunch by e-mailing sharon@flanagan-hyde.com or calling 480-361-1795.  Let Sharon know if you are unable to attend the meeting and still wish to participate.  Facilitators are asked to arrive at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1. That’s it!

         RSVP by 11/13:     If you are interested and able to facilitate, please reply to me at sbulfinch@aol.com by Friday, Nov. 13, 2009.  If you have any questions about facilitating, please call Sharon Flanagan-Hyde at 480-361-1795 or e-mail sharon@flanagan-hyde.com.

        The goal of the event is to create an atmosphere where people can participate in a meaningful civil discussion that provides insight to key decision-makers on this critical issue, and models the principles of informed, respectful conversation. We appreciate your consideration of volunteering for this important event.

Sincerely,

Susan

Susan Bulfinch, AZAF Member

480-209-1295

Thinkfinity Resource for Activities

A couple of years ago, I saw a documentary about Eric Weihenmayer’s summit of Everest. A very inspirational story because Eric is blind. I still have a distinct image of Eric crossing the ice fields balancing on aluminum ladders while wearing crampons.

I was excited to see that Eric has recently put together educational materials around adventure and mountaineering. Although the corporate sponsorship is slapped all over the site, it looks like there is a lot of great content. Check it out http://www.thinkfinity.org/Adventure.aspx.

Questions About Universal Design

One of the key components of the challenge course industry is what we call Power of Choice.  (PA labels it Challenge by Choice)  What happens when individuals lose this choice because of their physical abilities?  Do challenge courses have a responsibility to made the experiences that they provide inclusive?   I think that these are questions that need to be asked within the challenge course industry.

The debate is complicated further when you examine the types of inclusive experiences that you are providing.  If one participant has a disability, do you need to completely adjust and adapt the activity to meet their needs?  Do the other participants miss out on the experience because of this adaptation?

As you can clearly see that I have more questions than answers.  I would like to see what you think.  How do you make the experiences that create inclusive?  What are the principles of your practice?

NIC

Pictures from the Construction of the Health and Learning Center

Destruction of the REC Center to prepare for the new Health and Learning Center

More Destruction of the NAU REC Center

Construction of the Health and Learning Center requires a little destruction first.  The majority of the old NAU REC Center will stay intact and serve as the foundation for the new building.  These are a few images from the pieces that are being removed.

I’ll try to keep the blog up to date and add pictures when I can.

NIC

Ground Breaking for the Health and Learning Center

The ground breaking ceremony will be today at 4:00PM. We would love to see as many folks as possible to celebrate this monumental occasion.

Traffic Alert for October

San Francisco St. Closure

Detour on San Francisco St.

With the construction of the Health and Learning Center, San Francisco St. will be closed starting October 26.  Looking at the map below, the closure is from Franklin St. to the Recreation Center label.

View Larger Map

The best alternate route is Lone Tree.  If you are lost trying to find the Challenge Course, feel free to give us a call 928-523-5010.  You can find more information about the road closure here, http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/bumps/2009/10_22_09/traffic.htm We also have a collection of maps on our website,  http://home.nau.edu/outdoors/challenge/maps.asp

NIC

Update After Ages

Yes, the NAU Challenge Course does still have a blog.  Yes, it has been neglected for a while.  A lot has happened in the last couple of months.  Here is a brief update…

We have moved and finally completed the transition to the Field House.  For the last two months, all of the NAU Outdoors and Challenge Course employees have taken on new roles to complete this transition.  If you need carpets cleaned, shelves or pictures hung, sinks installed or heavy things moved, our staff now has experience in all of them.  Good luck convincing us to take these tasks up for your project.

The new Health and Learning Center has made it through the on again off again world of committees with an overwhelming positive response.  This has lead to the old REC Center turning into the world of a Mad Max movie and NAU Challenge Course staff collecting anything that can be salvaged. 

The Lumberjack Stadium of old has been taken down in preparation for the new construction.  I was encouraged to hear that about 70% of the steel from the building will be recycled.  Money recovered from the recycle will play a big part in the funding of the project.

You can read more about the construction at http://www4.nau.edu/insidenau/bumps/2009/10_13_09/healthcenter.htm 

We have also concluded another Challenge Course Facilitator Training.  I am very excited for the new crop challenge course facilitators and the fact that we had no snow the entire training.  (only a little sideways rain)

I hope to keep this blog more up to date going forward but as always, it will be an adventure.

Nicholas Hagemann

NAU Challenge Course Manager

Website Updates

Currently the NAU Challenge Course is going through a few changes.  In preparation for the anticipated construction of the Wellness Center, the administrative offices will be moving to the Field House.

A new webpage has been posted on our website with the details of the move.  More information will follow.

NIC

Teaching for a Change Presentation

I forgot to post the handout from my presentation at the Teaching for a Change Conference. You can find it on the conference wiki,  http://teachingforachange.wetpaint.com/.

We were only able to cover a fraction of what I wanted to cover.  We were able to play a little (back to back, that’s what you say, hand on chin, moving stones, partner walk, jars and talking knot) and briefly discuss Experiential Education.

Overall, it was a great experience.  I look forward to participating in next year’s conference here in Flagstaff.

Stephanie Sibille Presenting at AEE International Conference in Montreal

I was just informed that a proposal submitted from our very own Stephanie Sibille has been accepted for the 37th Annual AEE Conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I will try to keep the blog up to date with more details as the conference gets closer.