2010 will bring a defining year for the Wilderness Education Association as we make several transitions that will allow the association to better serve our members and the outdoor leadership industry at large. The WEA has been committed to the association's strategic plan for 2 years and we have seen marked progress in reaching our goals. We have looked outside of the box and have refocused our mission and vision to give the WEA a strategic purpose in the outdoor leadership industry. Most of the transitions will be happening over the course of the 2010 calendar year and may extend briefly into 2011. The goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible for WEA stakeholders as well as the National Office. The major transitions for the WEA include:
Membership One of the transitions you will see in 2010 will be a change in the membership structure of the WEA. Up until now, the membership options have been focused on professional/student status. Beginning in March of 2010 there will be two membership 'tracks'. One membership track will be for individuals who are Certified Outdoor Leaders and Instructors and will include registry in the International Registry of Outdoor Leaders (IROL). The other memberhsip track will be for individuals who would like to support the WEA but do not require an IROL registration. Details regarding these changes including a visual flow chart to help you determine what membership option is best for you are available here. International Registry of Outdoor Leaders (IROL)
The International Registry of Outdoor Leaders (IROL) is one of the big developments that will be implimented in 2010. The IROL will serve multiple functions. The first function of the IROL is to provide a forum for individuals pursuing their Outdoor Leadership Certification to create an online portfolio for assessment and evaluation in each of the 6 core competencies using simplified rubrics. The second function of the IROL is to provide a forum for tracking Continuing Education and maintenance of Outdoor Leadership Certification once it is achieved. The IROL also provides a place to maintain a leadership experience inventory as well as rubrics for Assessment and Evaluation for individuals seeking Instructor level I or II in the IROL. Additional Information about the IROL is available here. Instructor Approval The deadline for submitting letters of application for instructor status under the current system is February 28, 2010. After that point all individuals seeking instructor status in the IROL will be required to utilize the process of applying through institutions accredited at either the Steward Instructor Accredited or Outdoor Leader Instructor Accredted level. This will consist of a minimum number of field leadership days as well as a portfolio assessment focusing on Assessment and Evaluation. Find out more by reading this press release! Accreditation
Another transition that has been a large undertaking has been the development and implementation of WEA's accreditation program. For the last 31 years the WEA has been operating as a course sanctioning institution, offering outdoor leadership courses through our network of Affiliates. The move to Accreditation using the updated WEA curriculum will provide Accredited institutions the flexibility to impliment the 6 core competency curriculum with more flexibility in terms of balancing classroom experiences with field experiences. Current Affiliates have already begun transitioning into Accreditation and will continue to do so using the prescribed schedule through 2014. The WEA will also begin brining on new accredited institutions in 2014 as well. More information about accreditation is available in two separate press releases: Affiliate Accreditation - Provisional Status Transition and Accreditation Cliffs Notes We are excited to be a part of these important changes as the WEA grows in the coming years. Please continue to read the Member Access Newsletters, we will continue updating the association through that online format in 2010.
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