Project COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience, is a program in the

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

that consists of tests to develop strength, agility, coordination, reasoning, mutual trust, and group problem-solving. Founded in 1980, by 1991 there were 200 COPE courses offered across the United States. During non-summer camp months, Project COPE courses have been made available to high schools, and to private groups for team building. The project has also been part of at least one program to reduce

recidivism Recidivism (; from 'recurring', derived from 'again' and 'to fall') is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been trained to Extinction (psycholo ...

among nonviolent juvenile offenders. Group trust events that are part of Project COPE include standing on an elevated platform or tree stump and falling backwards to be caught by a human zipper. In another exercise designed to show the importance of leadership, teams are blindfolded as they navigate through the woods, with only the people at the very front and back of the line allowed to speak. Participants progress from simple group games to low- and high-course rope activities. There are no time limits.

History

According to the U.S. Scouting Service Project, C.O.P.E. originated in St. Joseph, Missouri, as a program at

Camp Geiger Camp Geiger is a United States Marine Corps base. Although not geographically connected, Camp Geiger is part of the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune complex, and is home to the United States Marine Corps School of Infantry East for all Marines rec ...

in the late 1970s, under the leadership of Parvin Bishop of the

Pony Express Council Early history (1910-1950) According to William D. Murray, a charter member of the Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) when it incorporated on February 8, 1910, the first "Troop" to form in Missouri was formed by an Englishman in ...

. After seeing challenge courses such as the Dalajamb World Jamboree International Encampment in Sweden, which offered a woodland pioneering course complete with

zip line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide''Who Really Benefits from Tourism'', Publ. Equations, Karnataka, India, 2010. Working Papers Series. "Canopy Tourism"page 37/ref>Jacques Marais, Lisa De Speville, ''Adventure Racing'', ...

s and bridges, the

National Council of the Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Scouts of America in 1910, about ...

was interested in offering similar programs nationwide. The first Project COPE took place in 1980. Following a three-year pilot in Missouri, the council recommended Project COPE as an optional project across the country, and tested it across six locations. Among other benefits, Project COPE was viewed as a way to keep older Scouts engaged with Scouting as they grew older. The program also helped to popularize Scouting among the wider public.

References

{{Scoutorg BSA , events Boy Scouts of America Outdoor education organizations 1981 establishments in the United States St. Joseph, Missouri

History

See also

References