Experiential learning is one of the more profound and successful learning strategies. It serves as a primary learning tool for the International Baccalaureate, which uses the strategy to more fully engage students in an integrative and multidiscipline learning process. Students may venture to a wetland, seeing one firsthand and up close. Such field experience may yield lessons in ecology, biology, math, art and other disciplines.
The experience may yield further lessons and hone skills such as observation, teamwork, critical thinking and others. Experience is indeed a great teacher. Experiential learning helps individuals to be more open to intellectual, emotional and social growth. It expands consciousness and perspective, opens the many pathways of the imagination and, like stories, leaves an indelible impression on the learner.
Whatever one's learning capacity and related strengths or weaknesses, experiential learning can help to boos strengths and mitigate certain weaknesses in a learner. Individuals with developmental and learning struggles often find experiential learning to be satisfying and enjoyable. A lacuna in much of our education system, both government-operated and private, is the paucity of experiential learning methods and tools.
More students would show success in a well-developed experiential learning environment. We would have less discipline problems and more curious and excited students in well-developed experiential learning programs. Internationally, Outward Bound has been a success in such learning programs as well as in outdoor and adventure learning.
An exceptional program in The Bahamas leading the way in experiential, outdoor and adventure learning is the Governor General's Youth Award (GGYA), managed by National Executive Director Denise Mortimer. The program's website provides some history: "The Governor General's Youth Award was re-established in 1987 under the banner of 'The Bahamas Duke of Edinburgh's Award'. Our first participants at that time hailed from the Boys Scouts, Girl Guides and Police Cadets, though the program's reach today extends far beyond these beloved roots.
"In 1996, the program was re-branded as The Governor General's Youth Award in The Bahamas to reflect our own national identity, civic pride, and focus on our youth. Despite this re-branding, strict adherence to the principles and structure set by the International Award Association has always been maintained over the past two decades."
Over two decades many young Bahamians throughout the archipelago, from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and from government-operated and private schools have grown and matured through the discipline of the highly experiential program. They have discovered new friendships and, deepened their awareness and love of The Bahamas as they explored other islands and the culture and geography of the country.
The GGYA has expanded the worldviews and imaginations of many young people, providing many with opportunities they may have otherwise not had. These opportunities include making friends from a broad cross-section of society and discovering more in depth the wonder, beauty, folklore and history of The Bahamas that few of their contemporaries may experience.
Participants find exhilarating and thrilling the discovery of other islands and the discovery of things they never knew or fully appreciated about The Bahamas and its diversity. Through structured adventures the program challenges the limits of participants in a safe learning environment that invites them to grow and to work as a team.
The GGYA website notes: "More than 8,000 young Bahamians have engaged in community service, physical recreation, the apprenticeship of a new skill or hobby, and attended adventurous journeys to achieve their bronze, silver and gold awards."
The awards are from The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. The GGYA notes that the award is: "Open to all young people aged 14-24, regardless of their background and circumstances.
"About personal development: it is a non-competitive, enjoyable, voluntary and balanced program, which requires sustained effort over time. A non-format educational framework which can complement formal education or offer a substitute where formal opportunities are not available. A program that enables young people to demonstrate self-development within an internationally recognized framework.
"Comprised of three levels: bronze, silver and gold - each progressively more challenging. Comprised of four sections: service, skills, physical recreation and adventurous journey, and includes a Residential project at gold level."
The GGYA has achieved enormous success in the formation and development of young Bahamians, many of whom are now older and who are contributing to national life having had the benefit of the rich experiences offered by the program.
A good number of past participants note how the program influenced their post-high school studies and their professional lives. Others speak of new skills learned, talents discovered and honed, and of acquiring and practicing greater discipline, resilience and fortitude, especially amidst setbacks and failures.
The formation of thousands of young people by GGYA is a great success story. More youth programs and administrators, teachers and schools might learn from the GGYA's learning model and experience. To better develop young people generally, and to help combat juvenile violence and crime, we might wish to draw on the personal and social development process and model of the GGYA. The dedicated patrons, trustees, staff, teachers, volunteers, parents and young people who made GGYA a Bahamian success story deserve our gratitude and deep regard.
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