In our last blog post – we discussed the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds. Specifically we discussed the economic packages that brought them to life, and that they will expire in September 2024. But we didn’t discuss HOW schools and districts could utilize these funds. Schools can utilize this type of funding for student programs, or staff training. Challenge Discovery offers these types of opportunities. Read on for different ways that schools can utilize this funding. ..

Did you know that teachers have access to money from the COVID-19 pandemic? Yes – there is still plenty of opportunity to receive education based funds! I know – you might be thinking – that money has expired. Well… we’re both right! We have had clients utilize pandemic related education relief funds to pay for Challenge Discovery programs! Here’s a little backstory. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020, the government passed the CARES Act. Part of the CARES Act put $30.75 billion ..

What do we know? From the plentiful conversations that we have had with our contacts from around the state of Virginia, there are many different “schools of thought” on what the Summer and Fall will look like as schools are tackling reopening. According the New York Times, many colleges seem to be working to have as close to a typical Fall semester as possible, of course following the CDC guidelines put forward for the various stages of reopening. We also know that there will continue ..

How are things going for your students? How are things going for your team at work? Has this time apart been challenging? Has it been invigorating? Have you found routine? Have you struggled to be productive? We have heard lots of different things as we have worked to figure out what the coming weeks and months might look like. One thing is certain: that the coming weeks are UNCERTAIN. That’s why we have worked over the last few weeks to develop a program in conjunction ..

It takes a village… This is as true as ever around here. It takes our whole Challenge Discovery “village” to prepare and train for our programming. This is the time of year where we are delivering indoor programming, including our Common Ground program. However, this time of year also allows us to prepare for the upcoming outdoor season! Here are some ways that we do that: We hire new Facilitators New facilitators participate in New Hire Training (Dates are approaching) We do additional training and ..

Tonight around the Campfire, we hear about a story of learning, overcoming, redemption, and second chances… where your stories are told… This is theirs… Since mid year, 2018, we have been in communication, and brainstorming with the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. They have a vision, to help intervene in the lives of youth between the ages of 11-20, who have been adjudicated of crimes. Through a mixture of counseling services, therapeutic approaches, and programming ranging from recreation to religious and many volunteer opportunities, the ..

A special quality of Challenge Discovery is that three of our four programs are entirely mobile meaning we bring the team building experience directly to our clients. Most people do not realize this… With the exception of Team Odyssey, our clients never have to leave their location to have access to a valuable team building experience. But what about those clients that may not have a set location? For those clients, we’re excited to announce a brand new partnership between Challenge Discovery and U-Turn Sports ..

These questions and concerns might be holding you and your group back: “What types of activities should I plan for my students this year?” (Educational Trip? Celebratory Trip? Teambuilding?) “Where am I going to get the best “bang-for-the-buck” both financially and educationally?” (taking time out of class)? “We can’t take that time away from school.” “We don’t have money in the budget.” “Our kids have already done a ropes adventure park earlier this year.” When people are calling to ask about Challenge Discovery programs, these ..

This evening around the campfire… We hear the story of Oak Knoll Middle School. Their trials, their victories, their story… Rarely does Challenge Discovery have the opportunity to work with students on multiple occasions in one school year. However, we have developed that relationship with a few schools, and find that the impact on those students increases tremendously. Oak Knoll Middle School is one great example. We get to see their students twice each semester, with their unique STEM class. This class is open to ..

The Challenge Discovery team spends this time of year reviewing technical information, energizing our staff, and challenging ourselves. Generally, we do this by gathering together at the course, for recertification training. Just like we do when working with our participants and students, we choose Experiences that pushes our team outside of our COMFORT ZONE, so that we Learn, Grow, and Change. Just like we want to give our participants the chance to develop, we put the same energy and opportunity into our staff. Here is a ..