Local Program Makes Learning an Adventure

InterCare’s Challenge By Choice is a daylong adventure-based program, which makes use of the outdoors and the concept of experiential learning to help different groups concentrate on themes like cooperation, teamwork and leadership. 

The program is based on the idea of “experiential education,” which Gail Killmeyer, the Challenge By Choice coordinator, says can be summed up in terms of a loose translation of an old Chinese proverb: “Tell me, I’ll forget, show me, I’ll remember, involve me, I’ll understand.”

She explains, “We can sit down with a group and talk about teamwork…but unless we involve groups in it…it doesn’t have as much meaning.”

The history of the popular program dates back to 1984. It was formerly associated with Southwood Psychiatric Hospital, near Interstate 79 in Bridgeville.

Southwood opened in 1984 and was owned by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Alan Axelson. He hired Killmeyer, who holds a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation.

Killmeyer went on to serve in her current position as the Challenge By Choice coordinator. She helped to build a ropes course for Southwood clients, staff and their families. Teachers of students who attended Southwood expressed an interest in the ropes course, so Killmeyer thought it would be a good idea to build another one for community groups. Axelson approved the construction of the ropes course, which began around 1989. When Axelson sold Southwood, the program became associated with InterCare. 

Many Upper St. Clair groups take advantage of the InterCare's Challange by Choice opportunity to "learn by doing."

One of the first groups was one of. Other groups include teachers, middle school and learning support classes, the girls’ high school softball team, the girls’ and boys’ high school swim teams, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and ’s youth groups.

Killmeyer says that there is a ropes course made up of different “challenges,” or “initiatives.” One is what she calls the “whale watch,” which consists of a wooden plank balanced upon a wooden beam that acts as a fulcrum. Everyone in the group must fit onto the platform, and the platform must be balanced. What makes this truly challenging is meeting what Killmeyer terms “guidelines.” If they are not met, the group must start from the beginning.

A guideline is the platform is not allowed to touch the ground. In addition, everyone has to get on from one end, and everyone can only touch the platform from the top.

Groups also set up a “full value contract,” what Killmeyer says is a set of “expectations,” like “be safe, be kind, have fun.” These expectations allow everyone “to establish a safe environment,” for learning. After a group has completed the challenge, there is a discussion about how the challenge relates is the group’s chosen “theme.”

A group of eighth graders, who come every year, chooses the popular theme of teamwork. Another theme is leadership, which is chosen by the Upper St. Clair High School Mentoring Program. Groups also discuss what was important to completing the challenge such as communication, full group participation, or planning ahead.

Groups learn far more than just how to work together. Killmeyer says, “All of these activities are kind of rich, metaphorically…With this one (the whale watch) you look at the concept of balance. What did you do to achieve balance? What does balance mean for you and your group?”

Killmeyer says that groups use the Challenge By Choice program as a “touchstone.” She says when groups return to work or school they can remember the things they learned from the program such as, “We need to maintain the balance, like we maintained the balance here at the whale watch.”

Group members have fun and connect through completing the different challenges in the program, but they also take home lessons they can use in their everyday lives.