What can you do with a bottle of fake blood, makeup, and a wet suit? The students from Jaywalker U answered this question last week in Veyo, UT as they became certified in Wilderness Advanced First Aid. This course was didactic and hands-on, literally. All students, including a group of Expedition Therapy (ET) clients, participated in scenarios including rock climbing accidents, hypothermia, skiing mishaps, falls, rock slides, and everything else from scraped knees to dying girls. Although Wes Light is the Director of Adventure Education for ET, he would qualify to work on the sets in Hollywood as a make-up artist. The scenarios were not your usual situation of patients being taken care of by those trained in first aid. The scenarios were enhanced with blood dripping from gaping wounds with bones protruding (not really) and a soaking wet volunteer who jumped into the river when the temperatures were dipping to the single digits. Every night the students and staff from JWU joined with the staff and clients from ET for a campfire AA meeting. The JWU staff and students were challenged daily with the classes, the scenarios, and more importantly, the elements. The temperatures at times dropped to the single digits and ………snow fall. Time spent in the outdoors is the perfect way to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul. Getting away from the city and unwinding in nature’s cradle are some of the many benefits of camping. This was a great time for the JWU students and staff to get to know each other before the semester started.
Janet, Donnie, and Greg
Jaywalker U Staff
