Workshop Resources

As we gather here today for our (Group Name) workshop/event, we want to take a moment to consider this space, which has sustained many communities for 12,000 years. The ALPs ropes course is built on lands dispossessed from the Ho-Chunk people through threat of violence, in a place their nation calls Teejop (day-JOPE) which means ‘Four Lakes’ in Hoocąk  (Ho-Chunk language). Nąsąkučitera  ("na-sa-koo-cha-tel-a"), which means Hard Maple Grove Lake in the Ho-Chunk language can be seen from the top of the ropes course.  This lake is known in US custom as Lake Kegonsa.

This is a place where the Ho-Chunk strived to live in balance with the land for time immemorial before resisting and overcoming violent ethnic cleansing and forcible displacement from Teejop and Wisconsin. Despite the repeated efforts of both the federal and state government, the Ho-Chunk did not leave and remain connected to their ancestral lands and culture today. 

ALPs is committed to moving beyond words to put in the hard work of reflection and truth-telling so that we can move toward transformative healing. Please join us in a moment of silence while we reflect on the love the Ho-Chunk people have for this abundant and transformative land and on the ways in which we continue to benefit from the colonization of this land.

As we gather here today for our (Group Name) workshop/event, we want to take a moment to consider this space, which has sustained many communities for 12,000 years. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is built on lands dispossessed from the Ho-Chunk people through threat of violence, in a place their nation calls Teejop (day-JOPE) which means ‘Four Lakes’ in Hoocąk  (Ho-Chunk language). 

This is a place where the Ho-Chunk strived to live in balance with the land for time immemorial before resisting and overcoming violent ethnic cleansing and forcible displacement from Teejop and Wisconsin. Despite the repeated efforts of both the federal and state government, the Ho-Chunk did not leave and remain connected to their ancestral lands and culture today. 

ALPs is committed to moving beyond words to put in the hard work of reflection and truth-telling so that we can move toward transformative healing. Please join us in a moment of silence while we reflect on the love the Ho-Chunk people have for this abundant and transformative land and on the ways in which we continue to benefit from the colonization of this land.

The Spiel, usually presented in the beginning of a workshop, tells groups a little about who ALPs is as an organization and what it does. It helps to give participants in workshops a little context and helps spread the word about the organization, letting participants know we are a resource here at UW for groups to use!

Parts of the Spiel:

1. Introduction as Adventure Learning Programs (ALPs)

2. What we offer:Ground, Roving, High Ropes, and Low Ropes Workshops

   1. Briefly explain what these are and their differences

   2. Keep it simple, personal anecdote? 

3. Who we service:

   1. Student groups (FREE! See below!)

   2. Community groups ($$)

4.  How we exist:

   1. We are funded by student segregated fees and therefore are a free resource to ALL students on campus.

5. Where you can find ALPs:

   1. Our office is located on the 3rd floor of the Student Activities Center (SAC) in room 3169

   2. We are a part of the Experiential Education department of RecWell. 

6. Social Media:

   1. We have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – feel free to follow us and we’ll follow you back!

   2. @alps_uw

   3. Inform participants if you are planning to take pictures

7. How you can get involved or request a workshop:

   1. Make sure to mention that individuals may request additional ALPs workshops through other student organizations they are involved with

   2. Reiterate that we are free to students and can service any group of almost any size

Putting it all together:

Hey y’all, we’re ALPs which stands for Adventure Learning Programs, a student organization located here on campus that focuses on challenging people and groups through adventure based activities such as team building initiatives on the ground and high and low ropes courses.

We offer ground,  roving, high ropes, and low ropes workshops to student and community groups.  Throughout these workshops we hope to build increased trust, communication, and leadership skills within our participants. Ground workshops take place on ground level, can be indoors or outdoors, and include team building and problem solving initiatives and activities. Roving workshops, are workshops where we move around the campus area while completing activities and initiatives similar to those used in our ground workshops.  Our low and high ropes courses are located off campus. Low ropes workshops include challenges and initiatives offered on elements just above the ground, while high ropes workshops include challenges and initiatives on higher elements that can get you 30-40 feet off the ground. Our goal is to help individuals learn more about themselves and those around them through shared challenge and growth experiences. 

We are fortunate to be funded by student segregated fees, and therefore, exist as a free service and resource available to student groups.  We do offer our services for a nominal fee to non student groups. ALPs is anorganization within UW-Madison's Recreation and Wellbeing (RecWell) Experiential Education department. Our office is located on the 3rd floor of the Student Activities Center room 3169.  You can follow us on all forms of social media--Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

If you enjoy the workshop we have today and are involved with other organizations here on campus that may benefit from one of our workshops please let one of us know after the workshop, so we can get you more information. This information is also on our website. As previously mentioned, we are free to students and can service any group of almost any size. We also look for students to work as facilitators and our hiring season is in the fall each year, so if you are interested in joining or have any questions about what that process is like please see one of us after the workshop!

Finally, we may be around taking photos of the workshop to show some of the experiences groups are having in ALPs workshops. Please let us know if you are uncomfortable with having your picture taken or used, so that we can refrain from doing so!