{"39968":{"#nid":"39968","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Challenge Course to Offer Leadership, Team Building Training","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe use of ropes courses for developing leadership and teamwork skills has been standard practice in the corporate world for some time. Georgia Tech\u0027S Division of Student Affairs is working to make such a course available for Tech students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external community organizations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERopes challenge courses consist of outdoor personal development and team building activities that usually include some elements that take place on the ground or a few feet above the ground, and others that are constructed in trees or made of utility poles and linked by ropes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMatt Marcus, coordinator of Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT) in the Campus Recreation Center, is spearheading efforts to establish the Georgia Tech Leadership Challenge Course Complex, which will be located near the Burger Bowl at Ferst Drive and Hemphill Avenue.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The main marquee-type event will be the ropes course,\u0022 explained Marcus. \u0022It is an engineered structure built of wood and steel, ropes, and cables. There would be a series of rope and cable \u0022bridges\u0022 to cross at various heights ranging from three feet to twenty feet and all the way up to thirty-five feet. The course is used much like the infamous \u0022Widget\u0022 is in business schools. Participants will utilize the structure to represent a real-life problem to be solved, using only the intellectual and physical resources of their group to reach the solution.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By having participants utilize this unusual and novel structure, they are forced to rely less on habits and focus more on specific skill sets related to effective communication, group problem solving, and ethical leadership,\u0022 Marcus continued. \u0022Throughout the learning process, participants are actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning. Only by practicing these important life and business skills will participants be able to complete the challenge and successfully engineer a Widget.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMarcus says that currently, about 750 Tech students are going off campus to outside vendors for ropes course services. With the support of private donors, the Division of Student Affairs is aiming to bring this learning opportunity to students on campus and allow for broader participation. The course can be custom-designed to meet the needs of the various academic and extracurricular groups that will use it.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Marcus said, a technology-oriented portion of the course will be focused on teaching students the skills of integrating technology with the standard needs of a professional, such as communicating electronically and working with dispersed work groups.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I have seen this kind of programming used to bridge academics with the life and work skills students will need after graduation,\u0022 said Vice President for Student Affairs William Schafer. \u0022This exciting program will be an important addition to the array of programs provided by Student Affairs in helping the Institute develop world-class leaders. I urge our alumni and friends to consider supporting this very worthy program for the long-term benefit of our students.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Leadership Challenge Course Complex will also feature an outdoor classroom pavilion and associated amenities to enhance the experience. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the complex, contact Matt Marcus: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:matt.marcus@crc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ematt.marcus@crc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E or 404-385-1374.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Matt Marcus, coordinator of Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech (ORGT) in the Campus Recreation Center, is spearheading efforts to establish the Georgia Tech Leadership Challenge Course Complex.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Outdoor Recreation at Tech is establishing a ropes course"}],"uid":"27191","created_gmt":"2008-04-22 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:10","author":"Robert Nesmith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39969":{"id":"39969","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449174136","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:22:16","changed":"1475894238","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:18","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"189609","name":"tsu78235.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsu78235_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsu78235_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8893,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsu78235_1.jpg?itok=Dxc6w0-p"}}},"media_ids":["39969"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/orgt\/","title":"Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2128","name":"challenge course"},{"id":"2129","name":"outdoor recreation"},{"id":"2130","name":"Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech"},{"id":"2127","name":"ropes course"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}