In
the recent years, the demand of adventure programs in Hong Kong
has grown by leaps and bounds. The field is swamped with "doers".
Most practitioners are busy creating adventure experiences for
people through their programs. It is rather unfortunate that
most of them focus primarily on the technical skills required
and the "type of games" available. When the design
of the program is lop-sided with emphasis on the quantity of
games instead of on training and improving the quality of the
workers, the effectiveness of adventure program in the long
run will be affected.
While China is new in introducing adventure programs,
it is important for designers of such programs to be diligent
to avoid compromising the purpose just like those tend to do
in Hong Kong today.
In
last December, a two-day one-night training program on adventure
experiences was carefully planned and successfully launched
to accommodate over 30 youngsters in Pudong, Shanghai. The participants
in that program experienced positive changes through first-hand
adventure experiences. Instead of rope courses and mountaineering,
portable adventure methods were used. Most importantly, the
program aimed at helping the participants to put emphases on
the quality of the workers, the goals and philosophy behind
it and the adaptation of the approach in local scene. We hope
more and more indigenous adventure programs developed to meet
the needs of the people in China. Hopefully, a new generation
of quality practitioners in Pudong will soon emerge.
