Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about your day with Challenge Discovery.

What will happen during our Challenge Discovery day?
At Challenge Discovery, we offer a number of programs designed just for school groups, scout troops, church groups and civic groups. They're fun, naturally, but they also teach life lessons about honesty, integrity, responsibility and accountability and leadership. The heart of the Challenge Discovery experience is that we make sure participants learn these lessons by doing, not by sitting and listening to others tell them what they should be doing.

While our programs vary by activity level, group size and planned outcomes, in general a day at Challenge Discovery will consist of a combination of fun and challenging problem-solving exercises. Through them, team members learn new and unexpected things about themselves and each other by working together effectively, creatively and supportively.

How will our Challenge Discovery day make a difference?
Shaping a group that works effectively together and building leadership in people is a journey, not a single event or set of activities. Challenge Discovery believes that people learn best by experiencing for themselves, and we apply that philosophy to planning events that promote individual and group learning, enhance the group's performance, and provide a foundation for continued development. Success turns on how the group analyzes each problem and works together to create and carry out a plan. What also makes our approach effective is that we emphasize both the individual and the group by enhancing individual achievement within the context of group support. Participants leave with new confidence in their abilities as well as fresh perspectives on themselves as team players and leaders.

How much experience does your organization have?
Challenge Discovery has been in business since 1980 and is one of the largest and most comprehensive experiential learning-based organizations in the Mid-Atlantic area. We have run programs through the years for thousands of clients and hundreds of thousands of participants!

Why should we choose Challenge Discovery?
With nearly 30 years of experience and thousands of satisfied clients, our track record gives our clients confidence. Our proven experiential-based programs are custom designed to focus on your group's priorities in the areas of teambuilding, leadership, problem solving, risk taking, communication, creativity, reward, diversity, resource utilization, trust and change.

What kind of results can we expect?
Each program is customized to produce very specific results desired by our clients. Generally speaking, they tell us that their team members have benefited from better relationships, new relationships, greater awareness of their own potential, increased confidence and a clearer sense of their value to their team. Other benefits include:

Increased cohesion and camaraderie among participants
Skills, knowledge and character-building values that are retained over time because they were gained in a high-impact learning environment
Lessons that are applied powerfully back at your organization

What are the qualifications and experience of your facilitators?
Challenge Discovery programs are facilitated by a staff of highly accomplished professionals who are fun, friendly and sensitive to the needs of all of our participants. Based upon each client organization's unique needs, we select from a pool of facilitators from all walks of life, trained and experienced in corporate consulting, organizational development, training and development, experiential education and group facilitation. Each is also carefully trained in the management of participants' health and safety while on our programs.

Our facilitators are trained to produce the outcomes our clients want by observing behaviors and interactions, asking the right questions at the right time and catalyzing interaction and learning between participants.

What is the average age of your facilitators?
They range in age from late 20s to late 50s, with an average age of 35.

Can Challenge Discovery customize programs to our needs?
Absolutely. All of our programs are custom designed to address your organization's needs by providing immediate, impactful metaphors and discussion points that help build stronger teams and create leaders.

Can Challenge Discovery meet our needs within our time constraints?
Yes. We offer both standardized and customized programs. We can modify our standard programs to meet our clients' time budget; additionally, if a client has ideas of their own, we can start from scratch and work with them to create a program that's 100% customized.

How do you design a program for our organization?
We'd start by listening to you. We perform a thorough assessment of the desired outcomes of both the participants and the organization with the goal of creating impactful programs that deliver the kind of teambuilding results our clients need.

How do you choose the facilitators for our program?
We choose facilitators that best match the needs and background of our clients. Depending on your desired outcomes, we will assign the facilitator best prepared to help you achieve them.

Do you design programs to interface with existing learning programs?
Certainly. Our goal is to help our clients succeed, whether it is by developing programs from scratch or using our skills and experience to devise those that fit into an existing learning program.

What forms do participants need to complete before their day at Challenge Discovery?
Before an organization's Challenge Discovery day, each participant will need to provide us with a signed Assumption of Risks form as well as a completed Medical Information form. (A parent or guardian must complete the forms for children under the age of 18.) Participants must return both forms to a designated program coordinator at their organization. The program coordinator may mail the forms to us a week prior to the program at Challenge Discovery, 5012 Windy Hollow Cr., Glen Allen, VA 23059 or bring them to us on the day of your program. (Please let us know how we can expect to receive the forms.) Due to privacy concerns, participants or their guardians also have the option of faxing the forms directly to us at 877-337-TEAM.

We also have several other forms available to help organizations make the most of their day with us. All forms are available on the Forms page of this website.

What happens if we encounter inclement weather?
Depending upon the time of year, we create weather contingency plans with our clients that include foul-weather clothing or indoor options. While it's true that we can't control Mother Nature, we do take steps to ensure that we deliver the results our clients need, rain or shine.

Can Challenge Discovery programs be run when and where we need them?
Yes. Although Challenge Discovery programs are normally delivered at our Adventure Learning Center in Doswell, Virginia, we are happy to accommodate you by bringing our programs to your school, church or other location.

How much time do you need to put a program together?
Turnaround time varies depending on the type and complexity of the program. While we prefer to have 4-12 weeks lead-time to ensure that we have the resources required to meet your needs, we will do what it takes to make a successful program happen. We consistently create and deliver successful programs with minimal lead-time and will always let our clients know if we cannot provide quality results within the given time frame. Please note that certain periods during the year are exceptionally busy for us, such as the month of August (back to school for colleges). For this reason, we suggest scheduling your Challenge Discovery six months to one year in advance.

How fit does one need to be to participate in a Challenge Discovery program?
Our clients vary in age, gender and physical capabilities. Successful completion of our programs requires teamwork, communication and commitment, not physical strength or endurance. Each program is custom designed to meet the learning objectives of our clients while respecting the physical and mental capabilities of their team members.

What do you do to ensure that no one is left out of made to feel uncomfortable about their physical limitations?
At Challenge Discovery, we purposefully create a safe environment that allows people to personally select their own participation levels and make a meaningful contribution in their own way. Because there are a variety of ways to be involved in each event and because physical requirements vary across activities, no one is excluded from participating.

Are all of your programs outside?
While most Challenge Discovery programs are designed to take place outdoors, we have a number of programs that can be done indoors or outdoors. Please call us at 877-337-TEAM for more information.

As a chaperone for our Challenge Discovery day, what are my responsibilities?
Chaperones are a vital part of Challenge Discovery programs, for a number of reasons. First of all, they help reinforce the learning from our programs with their team members after they return to school, church, etc. Second, they play an important role in our debriefing sessions at the end of programs, when our Challenge Discovery facilitators ask for their insights into the team's process. Because chaperones are familiar with the participants, they can offer praise or relate the discussion to "real-life" situations in which they have seen their team operate. Finally, when chaperones are present and engaged as team members, they are serving as role models and sending the message that they value the program at Challenge Discovery as something more than simply a "fun day."

Occasionally, Challenge Discovery will request that a chaperone assist us with team management at a complex event (keeping students engaged while they are waiting for their turn, for example). Sometimes chaperones wish to rotate and observe many teams throughout the day. We understand this desire and wish to accommodate it. If the chaperones plan to rotate through the teams, please indicate this to prior to the program to the Team Leader, who will be happy to provide the teachers with a schedule and a map of the facility.

As a parent of a participant, what should I know about Challenge Discovery?
First of all, be assured that the safety and well being of your child is our top priority. We work with thousands of students every year. When it comes to their education and safety, we and take our responsibilities very seriously.

We expect kids to have fun at Challenge Discovery while exhibiting their best behavior and looking out for each other while they learn teamwork, develop leadership skills and build a sense of personal accomplishment. As a parent, one of the best things you can do is to talk with your child about his or her participation in the Challenge Discovery program, both before and after their visit. After that, if you have questions about the nature of our programs or events, don't hesitate to call us at 877-337-TEAM.

School/Community Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about your day with Challenge Discovery.