Our vision is to educate, empower, and equip individuals and groups to reach for their true potential! Through a wide variety of challenge-based educational programs, we assist people in developing:
LIFE SKILLS – MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS – PURPOSE AND VISION
Our goal is to provide North Central Washington with the best experiential learning opportunities available. Our programs change with the seasons and needs within our communities. Activities include:
Ropes Course: 13 low elements and 2 stand alone high elements
Portable Community Building Activities
Snowshoeing: snow pack data analysis
Overnight Wilderness Backpacking
Stewardship activities
Eco-Stewardship
Rock Climbing (Coming back soon)
For Information and Prices,
contact the Challenge Course Manager:
412 Washington Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801
PH: 509-667-6540
4-H Challenge Topics: click on link to find on page.
About Us
Unlike other ropes course programs that only work with a select population in our region, 4-H Challenge collaborates with any local school or agency that is interested in developing life skills though experiential education activities. Although we are eager to work with all youth groups, traditionally our largest use has been from groups that serve low-income, at-risk and under achieving youths. A sample of some of the groups we serve in 2024: Cascade High School, Skill Source, Wenatchee SD Afterschool, Pinnacles Prep, and various High School sports teams. Historically, the program has served as many as 2,500 in a single year.
Programs & Activities
The Challenge Model
What is Challenge By Choice?
Challenge by Choice (adapted from Project Adventure)
Because all participants need to feel safe and supported before they can willing choose to step into their growth circle, in all of our activities we practice a concept call Challenge by Choice. Challenge by Choice is the open door that invites participants to step out of their comfort circle and push their growing edges. It helps create a caring atmosphere in which participants can stretch themselves.
Originally created by Project Adventure, Challenge By Choice asks participants to challenge themselves and participate fully in each experience. Recognizing that any activity or goal may pose a different level and type of challenge for each group member and that authentic personal change comes from within. Whereas one participant might be taking significant personal risk, facing fears and pushing their growing edges when they simply climb to the top of a 12 foot ladder and touch as tree, another participant might need to climb the tree and jump for the trapeze blindfolded. In 4-H Challenge activities it is not about who goes further or does the most, what’s important is how much each person chooses to push himself or herself.
Challenge by Choice creates an environment where participants are given both the freedom and the responsibility to find opportunities to stretch and grow during the experience. Although this may result in different participants playing different roles during an activity, all participants are still expected to contribute to the group’s process in some way.
When participants agree to practice Challenge by Choice they agree to respect and support each other’s thoughtful choices. This means that the group will offer support and encouragement but will not push someone into their fear circle though peer pressure. Each individual is responsible for setting their own goals and limits based on their own understanding of their comfort circle and growth circle. No one can tell someone else what they need to accomplish to have a growing experience
Full Value Contract
What is a Full Value Contract (adapted from Project Adventure)
If Adventure-Based Learning creates the atmosphere and Experiential Education is the process, then the principles of the Full Value Contract represents the foundation of 4-H Challenge activities. Developed by Project Adventure, a Full Value Contract is a basic set of ground rules or behavior guidelines that each group develops for themself. It is a shared creation, developed in words that are understandable to all group members. It is a critical component in creating an emotionally and physically safe environment supported and agreed upon by all group members.
All versions of the Full Value Contract ask the group:
to create safe and respectful behavioral norms
for a commitment to those norms by everyone in the group
to accept a shared responsibility for the maintenance of those norms
Because each group will develop their own Full Value Contract, exact terminology and concepts will vary from group to group. However, there are consistent similarities between all Full Value Contracts and typically include some combination of the following concepts:
To Work Together with my group in order to achieve both my own goals and the goals of the group. I will support the group in achieving our goals.
To Be Safe, Emotionally and Physically. To take care of myself and my group’s physical and emotional safety. This includes having a positive attitude, respecting each other, avoiding put-downs, and following directions.
To Give & Receive Honest Feedback/ To Listen- To tell others what I am thinking and feeling and to listen to what others have to say to me.
To Grow- To try new things and to step out of my comfort circle and take appropriate risks which I can learn from.
TO Have FUN! To play and have fun in a safe manner and with a positive attitude.
Growth Circles
What are confort and growth circles? Comfort & Growth Circles
The Comfort & Growth Circle concept is based on the idea that we are all individuals with unique strengths and weakness. We each have things that are easy for us (things within our comfort circle) and we each have things that make us uncomfortable and challenge us (our growth circle). If we wish to grow, we can not simply repeatedly do the things that are easy, we must confront the things that are difficult and uncomfortable. However, if we go to far, if we find ourselves beyond our growth circle, in our fear circle where our natural physical, mental and emotional self-defenses kick in, we are no longer open to or capable of growth.
4-H Life Skills: A Crosswalk with Washington State Standards with intended outcomes and impacts
illustration showing relationships between program exposure and immediate effects to intended long term outcomes related to 4H Life Skills.
Different partners and participants collaborate to explore natural resource careers through activities related to seasonal natural- phenomena. These activities compliment student learning objectives and natural resource management goals. Each season reinforces 4H Life skills acquisition through interactive stewardship and leadership development activities.
Program and Activity Supplies Request Form