Work as a recreation officer and leader!
This course will help you get a job in the recreation industry!
This is a career that will:
- get you outdoors
- keep you active
- allow for opportunities to work with different groups people
- let you have fun too, for example go adventure climbing
- get you involved in fitness and sports development
- aid you to be responsible for event management
The only limit is your imagination!
"This is an excellent course with many dimensions - learn foundation knowledge needed to give you confidence and a real depth of knowledge! You will learn how to communicate and plan activities for all different groups of people. Really valuable course with some fantastic activities to give you inspiration!" J. Sciascia, ACS Tutor and Former Youth Leader in Vacation Care Programs in the UK and Australia.
The course involves 30 lessons plus practical assignments covering the nature and scope of leisure studies, recreation, leadership principles and practices, fitness and fitness testing, managing recreation facilities, first aid, staff supervision and management, marketing, budgeting, tourism, youth leadership, sports, crafts, environmental activities, organising exhibitions and more.
COURSE CONTENTS
There are 30 lessons and 30 assignments as follows:
- Introduction to Recreation
- The Nature and Scope of Recreation
- History of Recreation
- Planning Recreation Programs
- Leadership
- Introduction to Fitness
- Fitness Testing
- Developing an Exercise Program
- Herb Crafts
- Planning for Recreation Facilities
- Parks and Playgrounds
- Play leadership
- Recreation for Special Populations
- Sports in Recreation
- Introduction to Gardening
- Gardening in Recreation
- Tourism
- Understanding People
- Communication skills A - writing.
- Communication Skills B - speaking.
- Photography and Recreation
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Activities
- Youth Leadership
- First Aid
- Office Management
- Staff Supervision
- Organising an Event
- Marketing
- Budgeting
AIMS FOR LEARNING
- Develop an understanding of the meaning of recreation.
- Define what falls within the nature and scope of recreation in the recreation industry.
- Examine some historical changes in the nature and availability of recreational activities.
- Identify all factors which should be considered when planning a recreation program.
- Identify opportunities and requirements for leadership in the field of recreation.
- Identify and discuss key elements of fitness and their relationship to leisure and recreation.
- Discuss uses of fitness testing and identify methods that can be used.
- Identify factors to be considered when developing an exercise program that is recreational in nature, and relevant to different needs.
- Identify and plan ways to use herbs in recreational activities.
- Identify key requirements of recreation facilities, and how to incorporate them into planning.
- Identify key functions and kinds of parks and playgrounds.
- Identify requirements and skills in particular to planning and managing children’s recreation.
- Understand some needs of special populations to be considered when planning and managing recreation.
- Understand the recreational aspect of sports and how to develop it in recreational programs.
- Learn some basic gardening principles, and consider how they might be relevant to a recreational program.
- Describe gardening activities as recreational pursuits.
- Explain tourism activities as recreational pursuits.
- Discuss the significance of people skills to recreation industry operations.
- Communicate effectively with people through writing, as a recreation industry employee.
- Communicate effectively with people through speaking, as a recreation industry employee.
- Explain the use of photographic activities as a recreation pursuit.
- Relate environmental issues to recreation.
- Explain the use of environmental activities as a recreation pursuit.
- Determine recreation needs of the youth demographic.
- Determine the provision of first aid in recreation settings.
- Discuss management of a recreation service office.
- Explain the supervision of staff in a recreation setting.
- Plan the organisation of an event.
- Prepare a budget for a recreation programme, service or event.
What Does Recreation Involve?
Recreation involves activities that are intended to "re - create" a person. These are generally leisure time pursuits that will improve a person's physical and mental state of well being. We all suffer when our bodies are over worked or abused; and we can all benefit from doing things that are different, pleasurable and reinvigourating.
There is a whole industry designed to cater for recreation; and depending ipon your definition, this may involve social activities, sport, entertainment, tourism, fitness, play, and more.
Leadership
The way you conceive the role of a “leader” may differ from one situation to the next.
Don’t think of one concept as being correct and others incorrect.
Simply use different concepts to help you understand the role which a leader should play, according to each different situation you confront.
A popular concept is that a leader is an "enabler" (i.e. someone who enables others to experience something).
Four Framework Leadership Model
This model suggests there are four different approaches leaders might take; and that a good leader will avoid always following the same approach: instead, they would choose an appropriate behavioural approach for the situation at hand. The four approaches are:
1. Structural Leadership involves analysing the situation, developing a strategy and then implementing a plan.
2. Human Resource Leaders act as a catalyst by showing confidence and support for people to empower them, fostering a positive approach and participation. In effect, they are allowing people they are leading to make their own decisions.
3. Political Leadership aims to act as an “advocate” (representing the pre-determined needs of those they are leading). They aim to communicate what is required and persuade participation from those they lead.
4. Symbolic Leaders are those who aim to inspire others, communicating a vision that motivates participation.
As an example a recreational leader working in ecotourism may from time to time need to adopt all of the above leadership styles in just one tour.
Hypothetical situation: The tour group is cut off from civilisation by flood. The leader will firstly adopt the “structural leadership” style.
a. Analyse the situation – what are the immediate needs of the group, what are the perceived threats, how is the comfort and safety of the participants ensured?
b. Develop a strategy – how will the group handle the situation, what immediate actions need to be taken etc
c. Implement the plan – through encouragement and participation of the group
However in a situation such as the one outlined a successful leader will also adopt features of the other leadership styles i.e. support and engender confidence within the group through participation in finding solutions. They will understand the needs of the group and can recognise potential in others as well as persuade and encourage the utilisation of these skills.
Go on, start today and take the first step to a career out of the ordinary! You could progress into leisure facility management, run tourist trips and adventure tours, become a coordinator of child care programs responsible for planning and development, work in a care setting for the elderly or disadvantaged youth ... the opportunities are endless..!
WHY CHOOSE US?
• Reputation: well-known and respected in leisure management
• Industry focus: courses designed to suit industry needs and expectations
• Different focus: develop problem solving skills that make you stand out from others
• Hands on: develop practical as well as theoretical skills
• Lots of help: dedicated and knowledgeable tutors.
• Efficient: prompt responses to your questions
• Reliable: established in 1979, independent school with a solid history
• Up to date: courses under constant review
• Resources: huge wealth of constantly developing intellectual property
• Value: courses compare very favourably on a cost per study hour basis
• Student amenities: online student room, bookshop, ebooks, acs garden online resources.
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