New Ropes Course Built at George Williams College Campus

WILLIAMS BAY, Wis., Nov. 26, 2007 —A new ropes course was built recently at George Williams College of Aurora University, Williams Bay, WI.  Ropes courses or high-challenge courses can be seen as the ultimate group or team challenge. Ropes courses are a combination of both vertical challenges and horizontal challenges, constructed from wood, cable and ropes installed above the ground and strung between trees, wood poles or steel framework.

The new course, built by Experiential Systems, Inc. of Lansing, Ill, is a tool used by the staff of the Outdoors Wisconsin Leadership Synergies (OWLS) program in the School of Experiential Leadership to provide a unique educational experience to groups and teams.  The course was built on utility poles and is located directly on campus grounds, high atop Vision Hill.

Eric Howden, Director of OWLS, said, “This is a 12-element course, with four distinct entry point elements. Each different entry point is designed to require a different level of physical and mental challenge. This new course allows us to meet the needs of a broader range of clients and ties in nicely with all types of groups from 8th grade to high school, and college to adults to provide a transformative educational experience.”

OWLS is one of the leading providers of adventure and challenge education in the Midwest. The OWLS program custom designs team-building, professional development, personal growth and leadership programs for adolescents, college students, and adult groups on the more than 200 acres of forested hillsides and lakeshore of the GWC campus.

The core OWLS staff is comprised of Recreation Administration graduate students who have assistantships on campus. The ability to apply their educational knowledge with real-world experience provides valuable hands-on practice in the pursuit of their career goals. OWLS staff are recruited nationally and receive 40-hours of technical training, learning how to set up and manage the course and review engineering standards. The staff also receives additional facilitation skills training in group management and program delivery.

Thousands of participants have experienced a program through OWLS as a means of achieving personal and team growth in areas such as leadership, communication, conflict resolution, creativity, trust building, and problem solving. One-day and multiple-day programs are available on the George Williams College campus. The curriculum includes trust building and group initiatives, high and low ropes courses, team and individual climbing elements. For more information about the OWLS program, call 262-245-8535 or e-mail owls@aurora.edu or visit the Web site at www.aurora.edu/gwc.

Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university’s Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 12 academic programs, unique conference facilities, and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs.
 
For more information on George Williams College, visit www.aurora.edu/gwc or call 262-245-5531.

  – END –