Northwest AEE Awards
April 26, 2010 - Passages Northwest wins AEE Award - By Steve Smith
I am proud and excited to announce that one of my clients, Passages Northwest, has won the Association for Experiential Education Regional Organization of the Year Award.
In announcing the award at the recent AEE regional conference, AEE's Peggy Rubens Ellis said:
"I am so delighted to be able to introduce our organizational award tonight. The organization chosen for this award has truly advanced the field of experiential education in the NW region, specifically Seattle and the surrounding area. This organization is extremely well regarded in Seattle as a reputable and stable business. Started in 1997 by two passionate women, one a scientist, one an artist, this organization’s mission is to inspire courage and leadership in girls and women through the integrated exploration of the arts and the natural environment. Some of their current offerings include rock climbing trips, Queer and allied backpacking, mother/daughter retreats, an extremely successful girls rock after school program, service learning, mountaineering, workshops, trainings, and partnerships with other organizations such as Seattle Girls School. Finally, in my own interaction with this organization, I have discovered them to be very thoughtful about their work, unafraid to ask hard questions about working with girls of color and how to make their organization accessible to all, and constantly striving to impact the world in a positive way."
To learn more about Passages Northwest and the great work that they do there, please click on this link and also check out Program Analyst Erica Nixon Mack's article on Cultural Competence in this edition of Touchstones.
April 5, 2010 - For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Betsy Fradd
WSU Extension 4-H
fradd@wsu.edu
253-445-4543
Source Contact:
Scott VanderWey
WSU Extension 4-H
vanderwey@wsu.edu
253-445-4581
WSU Extension 4-H Adventure Education Director Wins Prestigious Award for Innovative Learning
PULLMAN, Wash. - Scott VanderWey, Director of 4-H Adventure Education, has been honored with the regional Association for Experiential Education Willie Unsoeld Award for his innovative facilitating and training for the past 17 years.
A leader in outdoor education, VanderWey has been instrumental in building several new statewide Adventure Education programs including the 4-H Rock Climbing program and the Building Successful Learning Communities program. He currently manages seven challenge courses in Washington State and oversees adventure-based programs in 19 of the state’s 39 counties.
“The Building Success Learning Communities model reconnects kids with learning because it’s focused on meeting individual student needs,” said VanderWey. “It’s a paradigm shift away from teachers being at the front of the class, expecting kids to absorb information, memorize, and test. In this new method teachers adapt curriculum to meet student needs and the result is kids become engaged in the process and want to learn.”
Prior to working at WSU VanderWey taught in the Seattle Public School System for five years directing a leadership development program for emotionally and behaviorally disabled students at Franklin High School. He was a special education consultant for Seattle Public School District for two years. VanderWey earned a Master’s in special education from the University of Oregon in 2000, and a Bachelor’s in environmental and experiential education from Western Washington University in 1996.
The Willi Unsoeld Award is presented annually for work that has a profound and lasting impact in experiential education in the Northwest. The award is named in honor of Willi Unsoeld, an experiential educator who believed the highest value in education was the development of supportive relationships among people. Unsoeld became one of the first Americans to stand atop Mt. Everest and in 1979 lost his life while teaching students who to scale Mt. Rainier.
To learn more about the WSU Extension 4-H Adventure Education program go to:
http://www.4h.wsu.edu/challenge/index.html
2008 Business in Vancouver Recognizes Top BC Talent 
Pinnacle Pursuits’ president and founder, Jonathan Willcocks, has been awarded the Business in Vancouver Top 40 under 40 Award (January 2008). The award celebrates BC's outstanding entrepreneurs, executives, managers and professionals. The winners were selected on the basis of personal and career achievements, experience, innovation, vision, leadership and community involvement.
Drawing from years of experience working in the outdoors and an academic background in outdoor recreation and kinesiology, Jonathan’s vision at age 25 was to build a company that would be a leader in outdoor adventure programming. His early experience as a wilderness boot camp leader for young offenders fuelled Jonathan’s interest in working with people to change their behaviours and attitudes to achieve results. Today, more than a decade later, Pinnacle Pursuits has evolved into a successful business that provides a range of solutions to improve individual and team performance within organizations. The company has worked with clients throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia, and its services remain accessible for small and medium-sized local businesses.
"I think we are products of two things," said Jonathan, reflecting on his life and accomplishments. "One, of our environment that we’re brought up with, and the other one is our choices based on who we think we want to be – whether we want to change our world, or whether we want to be bold and step forward, and be courageous to take new risks."
Jonathan's vision, adventure mindset, and determination to keep Pinnacle on the leading edge of the experiential education industry has driven Pinnacle's ongoing growth and success. Congratulations, Jonathan, from the entire Pinnacle Pursuits Team!
- Read Jonathan's Business in Vancouver Forty under 40 profile
- Read about Pinnacle Pursuits in Business in Vancouver’s article, "Create a high-performing team"
- Visit Pinnacle Pursuits online at http://pinnaclepursuitsinc.createsend5.com/t/1/l/ojlkl/edrdug/www.pinnaclepursuits.com or call 604.876.7535
People. Passion. Performance.
www.PinnaclePursuits.com
