Risk is Not a Four-Letter Word

Central to James Raffan’s educational philosophy is that “you never learn anything of consequence in the fat comfortable middle of what you know … it is only on the edges of knowledge that you can cross into new learnings.”  This talk, designed for adventure leaders and experiential educators of all kinds, begins with the premise that risk—meaning uncertainty—powers all effective education.  Drawing on his research into the St. John’s tragedy on Lake Temiskaming and his extensive experience as an expedition leader and outdoor educator, James examines the the myriad ways in which so-called “character education” can be integrated into conventional curricula as well as into the context of educational expeditions.