PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Faculty are expected to participate with their colleagues in professional associations, nonprofit organizations designed to facilitate scholarly interchange, collaboration, and extension of the knowledge base represented by the field of study.   Professional associations usually integrate a strong research focus, often publishing a journal and other publications that disseminate writings expounding the conceptual nature of  relevant thought.  Conferences are focal points for concentrating the sharing of information and offer opportunity for individual members to participate in operating organizations conducive to their interests.  The excitement and festivity of conferences may demand much preparatory planning but will pay off in the enjoyment of renewing contacts and forming/learning the current state of the designated art.  The following description elaborates on the professional associations in which I hold membership and the activities I contribute to their processes and events.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THERAPEUTIC WILDERNESS CAMPS

    The organization represents the field of outdoor therapeutic programming, also known as adventure therapy, wilderness counseling, and similar nomenclature, which provides intensive educational and therapeutic services to youth with emotional and behavioral troubles.  Over fifty wilderness schools and programs throughout the United States as well as researchers and faculty at universities with related counselor preparation courses and programs.  NATWC organizes an annual conference attended by members who receive unique and varied learning opportunites as well as ceremony to acknowledge contributions and accomplishments in the field.  A wilderness counselor certification program is coordinated by NATWC to recognize achievement in skill development and education for those counselor who exemplify the aspirations of competence and excellence.  A journal is being published called Pathways: Journal of Outdoor Therapeutic Programming which publishes research in adventure based programming and communicates upcoming events and significant developments in programs (Please refer to the webpage dedicated to Pathways in this website).  NATWC maintains a website for benefit of member organizations who wish to link their services with parents and professionals needing referral information.  http://www.natwc.org/

As a board member of NATWC, I participate in regularly scheduled meetings that are held at various member sites in locations around the US, mostly in the east.  We stay overnite and receive a bird's eye tour of the facilities while conducting official business of the association.  I have primary responsibility for publications, being the Journal Editor, which comes from a committee composed of other board members who decide procedures and recommend policy to the full board.  The articles are peer reviewed by committee members and review authors commissioned by the committee.  The journal is published here at University Press and reflects the significance of these dedicated efforts at solving the problems of today's youth.

NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

    The association stands for the concerted efforts to provide information and raise awareness of environmental concerns.  As an avid environmentalist, I am also a member of the Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Wilderness Society, Greenpeace, Cherokee Forest Voices, the Earth Island Institute, the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Coalition, and others variously at times.  I live, work, and recreate in the forest and I also breathe the air and drink the water and eat the food grown all over the world.  I like it clean and healthy.  It's good for all of us.  But we now possess the capacity to utterly transform the living conditions on earth which have evolved in balance for so many eons.  We can now end life on earth with the push of a few buttons.  We can alter genetic code and create completely new species including humanoid varieties.  We are now eliminating about 5 species per day.  We are a living experiment in what happens when breathing a different atmosphere.  Our bugs are evolving faster that our ability to destroy them.  The surface water in America has been rendered undrinkable in the space of a few generations.  Freshwater fish is largely too polluted to eat and some ocean fish are off limits to children and pregnant women.  The ocean is being overfished.  Rates of chronic diseases and cancer are increasing.  We are severely wasting energy, natural resources, and sustainable capacity. 

Like a voice in the night, environmentalists in this area struggle to be heard in letting the public know and mobilizing efforts to preserve a clean, natural ecology.  Here's one project that broadcasts issues of momentous import:

Nestled against the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northeast Tennessee is East Tennessee State University and the Quad-Cities area of Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, and Elizabethton. During the early 90’s, a group of environmentally concerned individuals led by Pete Zars petitioned the public radio station at the university to allow production of a weekly news show that would feature articles on environmental topics. Wayne Winkler, station manager, agreed in principle and with regulated commitment for local community programming. With the technical assistance of ETSU and the sponsorship of the State of Franklin chapter of the Sierra Club, the Environmental News radio show was underway.

Members of the radio committee gather to write and read each piece. The articles must be timed while permits additional practice by the news announcers and presenters. Revision is often necessary, especially since radio has a specific style of writing and differs from material not intended for audio broadcast. A balanced series of pieces are selected for taping that stays within the time boundaries and fits the production formula. At this point in time, a 15 minute interview of some individual with specific connections to regional environmental issues is often conducted. The remaining segments vary in length, some up to 3 minutes and others very short. Occasionally, announcements are made of events or items of community significance. Local bluegrass music lends local flavor to the background and interludes.

It is important to mention that all the participants in this project volunteer their time with the exception of the technical support of the station in taping and airing. Dean Whitworth usually hosts the show, a chemist turned actor now environmentalist living near the Cherokee forest. I am now the producer while Ron Wickman of WETS tapes the segments for airing each Sunday evening at 6:30P. The individuals on the radio committee come from the general community as persons interested in participating with such a project. Some people prefer to write articles while others primarily read and many enjoy doing both! In addition, several professors from the university have both a personal and professional interest in participating in this medium. Students who are learning oral and written communication skills and interested in making a contribution to the environment regularly utilize the program. It becomes quite a nice addition to the portfolio for professional development.

*This project has been developed into a workshop that was presented to the annual national conference of the NAAEE. 

EASTERN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

Recently, Dr. Andi Clements created a new course conducted entirely online.  Sharing an interest and undergoing extensive training in this task, she asked me to participate with her in a guided discussion about the problems and their solutions associated with online instruction.  She would offer the practitioner's view and I would entertain the novice perspective; together we hoped for challenging discussion and incisive contributions from the assembled discussants.  Our proposal was accepted and thus launched my introduction to the regional association of the American Educational Research Association, a large national body with astute scholarly reputation.  I receive the Journal of Research in Education and several other publications besides getting a number of research papers from sessions at the conference.  John von Eschenbach, who used to be chair of CUAI at ETSU, is president of the EERA and presided over the conference.  His bright, cheerful countenance set a positive tone with beautiful weather and great speakers.

The conference went better than anticipated.  Sometimes attendance can be sparse for dry paper readings but our session was filled to capacity with spirited discussion and startling commentary, always someone excitedly interjecting contrasting perspective.  The facilitators maintained an active, informative, and interesting forum.  The keynote speakers featured their comments on diversity.  The conference theme was race relations and social justice since it was held in South Carolina.   The association had already signed a contract with the conference center and would have been backrupted if we had cancelled so the compromise was accepted.  Luckily the complexity of the issue has subsided somewhat in the state and the conference climate projected warm acceptance with critical acknowledgement and progressive orientation.  It was a pleasant, informative experience!

ASSOCIATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

When I was unit director of a wilderness program, the staff would attend the annual conference of the AEE.  The event was filled with fascinating workshops, intriguing personalities, and action filled adventures.  This association originally tended to gather practitioners of outdoor education, those who practice and teach others how to canoe, kayak, backpack, mountaineer, camp, entertain, do therapy, and even work for parks and recreation.  It has since expanded to conceptually highlight any active enactment of learning thru theme and purpose.  The association is now international, holding the national conference in major cities in NA with regional conferences the opposite season.  The next regional conference is in Black Mountain, NC this spring with the national to be held in the fall at Charleston, West Virginia.  They're going to take over the town!

AEE publishes a major, peer reviewed journal, Journal for Experiential Education, and also monitors a major accrediting effort to provide quality standards for wilderness programs and other respective kinds of outdoor recreational pursuits.  

TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD CARE

    This association has long contributed advocacy to child care in the state of Tennessee by providing a united voice among community agencies and organizations serving children and youth under state care.  TACC has been offering quality training services to these programs for a number of years and sponsors regular workshops all thru the year in various locations across the state.  TACC trainers will also visit any facility requesting consultation service and special training.  Many of its member organizations are small and run by the community so are unable to justify the expense of well-rounded inservice training.  TACC enables competent training to be delivered and makes a major contribution to the effective level of services to this very important population.  The state of Tennessee contracts a large portion of its service needs to private, nonprofit, community organizations.  One consequence of this practice creates a situation where many agencies are unable to financially provide quality services without engaging in major fundraising activities.   Imagine the state doing this with other kinds of contracts such as road building companies, logging companies, or even office supply companies.  The outcry would resound.  These companies have expensive lobbyists who remind politicians of their campaign contributions.  TACC combines the industry and attempts to argue for more equitable pay from the state.  We show so little consideration for these dedicated human service workers who work even more hours than minimum wage is paid.  Is it any surprise that we get what we pay for?

    As a member of TACC, I help contribute to the issues and concerns of these organizations.  Many graduates of our programs go to work for these types of facilities.  Networking with these organizations helps me stay in touch with their hiring needs and educational requirements.  Attending some of their training sessions updates me on what's current in the industry.  I also plan to assist with their training by giving workshops and providing consultations services to their member organizations.  Since TACC maintains a close scrutiny of the Tennessee legislature, updates on action in the assembly keeps me abreast of critical issues that may benefit from comment or necessitate response to those initiatives.  It's an excellent organization that also brings other conferences to Tennessee.  In the fall, there is a Child Welfare League conference in Nashville specifically designed to augment training needs for agencies that deliver services to children, youth, and their families.  TACC organizes legislative breakfasts and other meetings where representatives from members can interact with legislators to share concerns and discover who can advocate best on issues.  

SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN ADOLESCENCE

    Laurence Steinberg is a recognized leader in adolescent psychology, having written many editions of a major textbook.  This is his organization and it serves admirably the cause of research for this field.  He has a great perspective and brings a competent scientific approach enlivened by a willingness to appreciate all factors in a situation.  S-R-A has a biennial conference and publishes a prestigious annal of peer reviewed research documents called the Journal of Research in Adolescence.  A conference is in the planning stages for the near future.

SOCIETY FOR THE TEACHING OF PSYCHOLOGY

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

    The IACCP is renown for its scholarly pursuits in cross-cultural psychology.  Their members and conferences are from all over the globe.  The benefit to myself is chiefly for informational purposes.  Their journal is outstanding (a description follows) and they have other useful publications.  Their listserv is fascinating...it's a great way to intercept quotes of wisdom, sources for information, and updates on critical issues occurring around the world.  Perusing the emails illuminates with an international perspective.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

Tables of Contents

Description and Editorial Policies

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology publishes papers that focus on the interrelationships between culture and psychological processes. Submitted manuscripts may report results from either cross-cultural comparative research or results from other types of research concerning the ways in which culture (and related concepts such as ethnicity) affect the thinking and behavior of individuals as well as how individual thought and behavior define and reflect aspects of culture. Review papers and innovative reformulations of cross-cultural theory will also be considered. Studies reporting data from within a single nation should focus on cultural factors and explore the theoretical or practical relevance of their findings from a more broadly cross-cultural perspective. Empirical studies must be described in sufficient detail to be potentially replicable. Authors who are uncertain about the appropriateness of particular manuscripts should contact the Editor, Senior Editor, or any of the Associate Editors for clarification and advice.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology (ISSN 0022-0221) is published six times annually--in January, March, May, July, September, November--by Sage Publications, Inc., 2455 Teller Road, Thousands Oaks, CA 91320. Copyright 1995 Western Washington University.