JBU and Challenge Quest Partner to Reopen JBU Ropes Course
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (June 13, 2019) – John Brown University and Challenge Quest have partnered to reopen the JBU Ropes Course, previously known as BaseCamp. Challenge Quest, a vendor who manages, facilitates and trains on ropes courses around the region, will have full responsibility for maintenance and the day-to-day operations of the JBU Ropes Course.
The JBU Ropes Course, built in 1999 and located on JBU's campus, contains several elements with varying levels of difficulty that provide hands-on experience for team building, problem solving and strengthening skills in trust, cooperation and communication. Elements include an Alpine Tower, a 60-foot climbing structure; Odyssey Course, a suspended ropes course with a zipline that passes over Sager Creek; a ZigZag; a Team Wall; a Pamper Pole and a variety of other mobile teambuilding initiatives.
In addition to conducting daily, quarterly and annual inspections of the elements, environment and equipment of the JBU Ropes Course, Challenge Quest will also schedule and facilitate group sessions, creating a tailor-made program for each group to achieve its set goal.
"The beauty of team building is that it takes people out of their everyday, and it breaks down those social structures as we start to see individual strengths and how people confront who they are, discover things about themselves and figure out how they fit within the group," Amanda Bierma, manager of Challenge Quest said. "As the participants are working on whatever goal it is, our hope is that they grow in understanding of themselves and grow in relationship with each other so that ultimately they can be more effective in this world and be more supportive of each other as a team."
The courses can be utilized by youth groups for students as young as fifth-graders, to corporate groups and firefighters, with each group required to have at least 10 or more participants. The price for nonprofit organizations is $45 per person for a half day and $90 per person for a full day. The price for corporations is $80 per person for a half day and $120 per person for a full day. Pricing is flexible, depending on the type of programming and the group size.
"For JBU, this course gives outdoor leadership ministries students a terrific setting to learn and master their facilitation skills," Greg Robinson, associate professor of outdoor leadership ministries said. "For the community, it provides one of the only venues in Northwest Arkansas for groups and organizations to engage in experiential-based programming."
The ropes course is now open to the public. If groups are interested in attending, contact Amanda Bierma at amanda@challengequest.com or call (918) 973-2427.
Challenge Quest has been providing experiential training and events since 1992 through ropes courses and other experiential-based opportunities.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked regional university (U.S. News Best Colleges, 2019), JBU enrolls more than 2,100 students from 38 states and 53 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 majors, with top programs including engineering, nursing, family and human services, biology, graphic design and construction management.
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