What is the
Challenge Program?

Program Models and Scheduling

Why Consider a
Challenge Program?

Challenge Program FAQs

Sample Activities

PROGRAM MODELS AND SCHEDULING

Custom Design

The Challenge Program strives to deliver the highest quality learning experiences and outcomes possible. To achieve this, we will custom design your program to address the specific goals and needs of your group. We will also tailor your program to reflect situations or dynamics that relate to your team members' daily tasks and responsibilities. We are confident that your group will benefit from our engaging and personal approach to experiential programming!

Programming Models

The Challenge Program presents your group with a series of activities and then the opportunity to discuss, debrief, and learn from the experience. From a newly formed group whose members want a jump-start on positive interactions to establish management teams who want to increase performance, we will carefully craft a program that will address you group’s specific objectives.

Team Challenge

Our most popular program uses problem-solving activities and cooperative challenges for exploration of positive group dynamics.

• Incorporates initiatives and less physical activities only.
• Is an effective means of addressing many issues of teambuilding, such as communication, cooperation and problem-solving.
• Can accommodate up to 80 people per day.
• Program lengths can vary according to your group's needs and schedule. Typical lengths are either a short day (4-5 hours) or a full day (7-8 hours).

Team Challenge Elements

This program builds on the team challenge by adding a more physical component and incorporating our low ropes elements.

Team Tower

Adding our 40- foot climbing wall to your program will challenge any group’s ability to communicate, stay focused, and provide mutual support!

• A great combination of fun, excitement and challenging teamwork.
• Provides a shared experience for debriefing and learning.
• Can accommodate up to 40 people per day.

High Ropes Challenge

Our high ropes course program provides a unique opportunity for camaraderie, risk taking and excitement! Building upon the Team Challenge concept, the use of high ropes elements challenges groups and group members in a whole new way.

• Provides an opportunity to explore issues of mutual support, individual challenge and risk-taking.
• Can accommodate up to 24 people per day.
• Program lengths can vary according to your group's needs and schedule, but typically require a full day (7-8 hours).

Golf-Based Challenges

On or off the golf course we have golf-based challenges that provide a day of fun and teamwork for everyone – including those who have never golfed before!

At our site, we can provide a golf-themed day, using our initiatives and low ropes elements. The whole day is designed as a competition which culminates in a team-based Blindfold Putting tournament.

At a golf course we can arrange tournaments which combine experienced golfers with neophytes and challenge the foursomes on many levels: coaching and teaching, strategic planning, collaboration, mutual support.

Collaborations with HR/OD Specialists

The Challenge Program has designed many programs in collaboration with Human Resource and Organizational Development specialists. Whether working with an internal professional or an external consultant we can:

• Integrate corporate culture into the day.
• Work with personality styles testing such as Myers-Briggs.
• Provide opportunities to practice new behaviors in a safe setting.
• Open the door to discussion of difficult topics.
• Provide an exciting kickoff or finale to any intervention or program.

Maintained by the University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports.
Please send comments or questions to recsports@umich.edu.

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