UCSD Challenge Course Fosters Community Building, Teamwork

By Jan Jennings I April 11, 2005

You may have seen it on East Campus while driving down Voigt Drive, or perhaps from the Preuss School - this large wooden hourglass structure with rigging attached to it. Drilling for oil on campus? Hardly, but it certainly provides a drill.

It's the Alpine Tower of the UCSD Challenge Course -- designed to foster team-building, community development, and personal growth through a progression of activities on the course.

The offspring of UCSD Recreation Outback Adventures and Associated Students, the challenge course consists of portable elements, such as ropes, markers, and props that can be moved; the team development course, a configuration of log structures on the ground that are used for specific activities; the 50-foot-tall Alpine Tower with its series of challenging low and high elements, and the Giant Swing/Swing by Choice, in which the group hauls a participant 30 feet in the air so they can drop and swim down.

Team-building is the name of the drill, and according to Denise Ouellette, Challenge Course and Climbing Center coordinator, an ideal number for a participating group or "team" is between seven and 15 individuals. "Of course, we can go with five or six, and we have accommodated more than 100," Ouellette says. "Each team experience is customized for that particular group."

Customizing the session begins with a client needs assessment where Ouellette learns about the group and individuals in the group and their specific goal for the challenge.

"Often groups come with an elusive idea of becoming a stronger team," says Ouellette. "They say, 'We don't know exactly what you do here, but we know it will be good.'"

Sessions may be two hours, four hours, eight hours and multiple days, and Ouellette says the more time the better.

UCSD Challenge Course Staff during their initial training.

A typical two-hour session includes comfort zone activities where the participants physically move around, do something fun as an ice breaker, become aware of each other and the surroundings, and exchange names and perhaps pantomime a favorite activity. As the session progresses, the challenge increases. Participants may have to physically help each other along the course. Some may be blindfolded and need to trust their teammates, while others may need to lead and problem-solve.

The complexity and problem-solving increase as the challenge progresses, says Ouellette.

The ultimate goal is for the participants to learn how to play and work together, to function as a team, to build trust and awareness of other people and of self, to respect the differences and similarities in others, and to leave ego behind in the interest of a common goal.

"We focus on teamwork and communication and we encourage individuals to define their own limits," Ouellette says. "We don't tell a group what it needs to do. We provide a safe, respectful environment and a framework and help them ask questions to figure out solutions for themselves."

And though it is certainly a physically challenging course, Ouellette says it is accessible to people of all physical abilities. "The course is designed in such a way that there is something that everyone can do, accomplish, and learn from."

Mike Vasquez is the person reaching out during the initial training for UCSD Challenge Course Staff.

Ouellette recalls one particular success story of a UCSD staff member engaging the course. "She had had shoulder surgery, a hip replacement, and some arthritic problems," Ouellette says. "On top of that, she was terrified of heights. She started with the team development course, then decided to tackle the tower - and she made it all the way to the top. Another staff member, who was 69, was awaiting double knee replacement. She made it way above the half-way point of the tower.

"It is incredible what personal and team motivation can do and the effect that it has on a person's confidence,"

Groups on campus taking the team-building challenge to date have included fraternities and sororities, clubs, staff and faculty groups, departments and athletic groups. The UCSD Challenge Course is open to the community as well and participants have included the Boy Scouts, youth groups, San Diego State University groups, and corporations.

Ouellette says she feels the experience has been a success for the groups and individuals in the groups when two things are realized:

"When the people have fun," says Ouellette. "When they can share unfamiliar situations in an unconventional environment and find humor in them and laugh with each other and at themselves. When they just enjoy the experience."

The second is when they fulfill what Ouellette calls the "experiential tripod." 1) experiencing a safe community environment of teamwork, respect, awareness and trust; 2) building skills, both technical/physical and interpersonal; and 3) transferring the experience or the debrief.

"The debrief involves, 'What did you learn from this experience?'" says Ouellette. "'So what?' How can you apply that?, and finally 'Now what?' How will this transfer into your life?'"

As for the worse thing that can happen on the course: "Splinters," says Ouellette. "A fun thing that can happen is that people learn how to play again." And as is fitting an educational institution, "Participants are learning by doing, and learning by reflecting on what they do."

For further information on the UCSD Challenge Course, its fees and availability, visit the Web site at http://recreation.ucsd.edu/outb/ or call Ouellette at (858) 822-3558.