Challenge Tower's Training & Certification programs are based on standards published by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT.) ACCT standards serve as the minimum base-line criteria for Challenge Towers Facilitator Training & Certification.
For more info about the "Practioner Certification", click here.
Full Certification is intended to have a high degree of transferability from course to course and program to program.
Site-specific certification is intended for part-time, seasonal facilitators, or for facilitators who work exclusively for one program or at one specific site.
Challenge Towers will work with program coordinators to identify and assess “site specific” as well as “staff specific” certification needs.
For experienced facilitators there is a “Challenge-In” option. Below are some important steps for those wishing to challenge-in.
First, the most important step for you is to start documenting the depth of your experience. ACCT has developed a Portfolio for this purpose - Click here to download. This is the primary information we review to determine if an individual meets the requirements for certification at the various levels.
Second, you need to fill out the application for training and testing. The application should be treated like a job application. Please inform your challenge course references that we will be calling to confirm your information.
Third, a professional resume should be included. This insures we have a complete picture of your work history.
All materials should be sent by mail, fax, or email to:
Challenge Towers
162 Timberlakes Dr.
Todd, NC 28684
(f) 828.265.0625 or davem@challengetowers.com
What does this mean for program managers?
We anticipate questions, concerns and confusion surrounding the certification process and requirements. We will use the short term to educate our clients about the certification process and requirements. We will work with Program Coordinators and Challenge Course Managers to identify and assess “site specific” as well as “staff specific” certification needs. The content of our training will remain the same consistent, high quality, technical programming and processing skills you have come to expect from Challenge Towers.
What does this mean for facilitators?
Certification is a step towards professionalism. Certification will require documentation of training, program delivery and testing. Immediately, facilitators of all experience levels should go to the ACCT Practioner Certification Page. Scroll down the page and you will see a link for “Sample Facilitator Log/Challenge Course Experience Portfolio.” This is an Excel Worksheet designed to record and document your experience. Copy this document and begin recollecting all your past experience, and record from this day forward every program, training and workshop you attend. The “Challenge Course Experience Portfolio” is required for facilitators to certify and recertify at every level
How will it work?
It will not be necessary for all facilitators to be certified. It is recommended that all programs have at least 1 staff person certified at a level deemed appropriate for the type of challenge course, size of program and population served. All training we provide is based on certification approved curriculum. The steps beyond training required to attain certification include testing (practical skills and written) and program delivery experience.
What now?
Contact us to assess your program needs and identify appropriate certification requirements for your program. Anticipate staff recruitment needs and identify key qualifications for qualified challenge course facilitators. Plan and budget for full staff training and testing of key individuals to be certified.
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