Values in adventure education: Happy and wise through hands-on learning

Values are inherent in the choices we make, and we all have to make choices in our lives every day. Built on beliefs, and bearing significant emotional attachment, values play a crucial role in shaping our approach to decision-making. Some choices we face are small, such as what to eat, while others are larger, such as what kind of job we want to have. A large part of growing up and becoming an active member of society involves developing our abilities to make value-driven choices - and preferably ‘good’ choices. To complicate matters, some large choices, prior to reflection, may appear small - and vice versa. For instance, deciding what to eat can be a big choice as it demonstrates specific values about our bodies, others and the environment. Asking ourselves if the food is good for us, from a sustainable source, or organic are three of the most obvious choices that face us in a supermarket. Furthermore, simply purchasing food at a supermarket represents a fourth choice that reflects our values - where we choose to shop.