Our Model

Outdoor Experiential Learning... Magical things happened when we ran our first outdoor-based leadership program in the woods of northern Maine in 1991. The learning environment went through the roof - and that has continued in every outdoor program we have run since then. The techno-speak reasons for outdoor experiential learning include rapidly creating group equality, developing strong teams, providing disequilibrium, utilizing projective techniques, fostering meta learning, decreasing cycle times, managing chaos, kinesthetic imprinting, creating common languages, and yes, it's also a lot of fun.

Leadership, Management, and Business Training... We utilize state-of-the-art competency development tools and assessments from the Harvard Business School, Fortune 500, and leading consulting companies. Our model develops 90 core competencies. 

Emotional Intelligence (EI)/Awaken the Passion... While IQ and technical competence are important factors in job success, research has shown emotional intelligence is twice as important as IQ and technical competence in determining the success of individuals in leadership positions. Utilizing the Goleman's Harvard Business School Press EI models and the Bar-on EQi assessment, we help our students build the emotional intelligence critical to their future success.

• Self-awareness - ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions
• Self-management - controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances
• Social awareness - ability to sense, understand, and react to others' emotions while comprehending social networks
• Relationship management - ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing confilct

Systems Thinking... Our motto, "One Earth, One People, One Global Community" reflects the inter-connected reality of our planet. Helping students learn "how to think," we identify the parts of systems, determine what is and isn't connected interconnected, and delve into the relationships the parts have on each other and the whole - avoiding "unintended consequences" when we alter parts of the system. National Geographic does a wonderful job providing examples of systems thinking in many of it's articles - especially surrounding climate change and eco-systems.

In the business world, we use systems thinking to work through vastly complex global opportunities and challenges. In one case, we used systems thinking to build an organization with the #1 global market share and the highest return-on-invested-capital in the Fortune 500 . Whether we are working on issues large or small, systems thinking is one of the most important skills any of us will build in our lifetimes. It is also one of the biggest knowledge gaps in the people we work with around the world.

Sustainable Environment... Our participants enhance their entrepreneurial skills by working to create sustainable environmental practices at home and abroad. We partner with leading environmental organizations around the world, exploring & implementing sustainable and renewable alternatives.

• We strap on crampons and grab our ice axes to explore Switzerland's receding glaciers. We see first-hand what the Swiss are doing to stop the rapid melting.
• We hike to Mount Kilimanjaro's rapidly shrinking snowcap and work with experts to explore the impact on local populations who count on that water for survival.
• We explore the last remaining glaciers and snowfields in US National Parks. We don't look forward to the day when Glacier National Park no longer has glaciers.
• Our work takes us all around the globe and also into our backyards - there is opportunity everywhere.

Eradicating Extreme Poverty... We partner with hard charging NGO's to help the extreme poor onto the economic development ladder. We provide business training and micro loans to people with sound business ideas, providing them the investment capital to start their businesses (investment not aid). Our community projects and micro loans typically focus on building village-level economic sustainability in five key areas:

1. Environment and Agriculture
2. Education
3. Safe Water and Sanitation
4. Healthcare
5. Critical Infrastructure

Ongoing Coaching and Mentoring... Our participants work with executives, educators, consultants, doctors, olympians, authors, and more. College students in our programs are eligible for the CGL Fellowship program and internships at leading partner corporations, NGOs and CGL.