There’s No Place Like Home: Place-Based Learning in a Recreation and Event Management Academic Setting

Recreation researchers and theorists have long discussed the benefits of “place-based” learning in the context of natural settings in regards to adventure, environmental, and sustainable outdoor recreation education, but how do educators create the opportunity for learning in other nontraditional disciplines? Recreation and event management (REM) education strives to develop professionals with the competencies to design and implement programs and services that meet diverse needs within a multitude of settings and environments. REM educators must give students applied experiences that model how to transform a challenging space into a successful programing and event venue that is then defined as a significant place. This article uses a real life example to describe strategies faculty can implement to transform traditional academic settings into effective experiential learning environments for recreation and event management students. Recommendations include alteration of the physical space, promotion of divergent thinking, redefinition of teacher/student relationships, utilization of themes, and emphasis of outcomes and impacts.