The FCCJ SPECTRUM Vol. I / Fall 1992 Nassau Center opens doors to learning The outdoor adventurel education program is one elementof FCCJ's grow- ing presence in Nassau County. The College willsoon offer vocational programs and college credit courses ata new center that grows wild with educational possibilities. I n the shadows oftowering pines and hundred-year-old oak trees,Florida Community College at Jacksonville has reached an agreement with nature to offer a unique brand ofeducation in Nassau County. Woven into the trees and brush,carved outofadifferentculture and growing asa partner with the North Florida wilderness,the FCCJ College Center at Nassau is on the verge ofopening new training doorsfor Jacksonville area businesses and expandingeducational opportunitiesfor Nassau County residents. The new center is tucked into the Yulee woods between 1-95 and State Road 17,just south of AlA.The completed center will consist ofseveral small buildings,each with natural wood siding and a surrounding open porch,connected with covered walkways of wood decking.The Center's architecture blends neatly with the deep-woods environ- ment and reflects the cultural textures of Florida's past. When it is complete,FCCJ will offer college credit and vocational education courses at the Center which shares40acres of Nassau County woods with a full array of native animals,birds and vegetation. Winding through the wilderness is the focal point ofthis educational retreat — the FCCJ ropes course. The ropes course is a wilderness team- building program that challenges participants with physical and mental obstacles uncom- mon in an urban or suburban environment. "It's a course broadly designed for team- building,community building and leadership training,but we can custom design a program to accomplish specific group objectives,"said Judy Jacobson,FCCJ's outdoor adventure/ education program coordinator. Forexample, "Ifa corporation is going through a merger or a new managementteam is coming in, we can design our program to address those issues," she said. The ropes course uses elements ofnature to motivate learning.That learning is imme- diately reinforced by the direct physical consequences ofeffective or ineffective group strategies and behaviors. While the course does not require strong individual athletic ability,overcoming specific obstacles does demand thought, teamwork and physical effort by the group. Jacobson said thatthe ropescourse is beneficial toorganizationssuch as businesses, community groupsand nonprofitgroups where teamwork and team spiritare crucialto achieving the organization's mission. The course is fully operational now for groups who want to really rough it. Most of A The FCCJ College Center at Nassau was designed to preserve as much of the existing environment as possible.The buildings,which will be mostly one-room classrooms,blend pleasantly with the natural surroundings. 41 FCCJ student ambassa- dors and student government officers recently completed the ropes course at the FCCJ College Center at Nassau.The course is excellent for building team spirit and helping groups of people learn to work together. • "This project is happening because of the part- nership that exists between business, education and gov- ernment in Nassau County" • the Nassau Center's comforts for human creatures,including restroom and shower facilities,aren'tcompleted yet. Jacobson said that as those facilities come on-line,marketing effortsfor the programs being offered should increase. She hopes that all the facilities will be in place and the program will be able to offer overnight team-building retreats within a year. The ropes course is one element ofthe College'scomprehensive outdoor adventure/ education program being developed at the FCCJ College Center at Nassau. FCCJ will also offer college credit physical education courses in camping,canoeing, backpacking and basic wilderness skills as part ofthis program. "Our primary mission is to enable people to appreciate and enjoy Florida's natural environ- ment,"Jacobson said."That goes beyond the challenge ofthe ropes course into all aspects of environmental education." Jacobson envisions the Center offering programs such as weekend family courses in subjects like environmental awareness and Florida natural history. FCCJ Vice Presidentfor Campus Develop- mentSteve Wise,who is leading the develop- mentofthe Nassau Center,said that the College could,in the future,offer other innovative programs atthe Center. "Once we havethefacilitiesin place,we could potentially offerenvironmentaleducation campsin thesummerforstudents ofall ages," Wise said."Also,with all the differentecosystems thatexiston this property,wecould work with the Nassau School Board toofferliving biology lab experiencesforhigh schoolstudents." Wise and othersinvolved with the Center say that it could offer several other creative educational programsfor local residents. "The College is building the Urban Resource Center in downtown Jacksonville to meet the specific needs ofthe work force," Wise said."This is like a rural resource center. It's being built to meet the specific needs ofthis part ofFCCJ's service district." Nassau County commissioners,School Board members,local mayors and FCCJ officials recently met at the site to discuss the Center's potential. See"Potential," page 3. , OCR Text: The FCCJ SPECTRUM Vol. I / Fall 1992 Nassau Center opens doors to learning The outdoor adventurel education program is one elementof FCCJ's grow- ing presence in Nassau County. The College willsoon offer vocational programs and college credit courses ata new center that grows wild with educational possibilities. I n the shadows oftowering pines and hundred-year-old oak trees,Florida Community College at Jacksonville has reached an agreement with nature to offer a unique brand ofeducation in Nassau County. Woven into the trees and brush,carved outofadifferentculture and growing asa partner with the North Florida wilderness,the FCCJ College Center at Nassau is on the verge ofopening new training doorsfor Jacksonville area businesses and expandingeducational opportunitiesfor Nassau County residents. The new center is tucked into the Yulee woods between 1-95 and State Road 17,just south of AlA.The completed center will consist ofseveral small buildings,each with natural wood siding and a surrounding open porch,connected with covered walkways of wood decking.The Center's architecture blends neatly with the deep-woods environ- ment and reflects the cultural textures of Florida's past. When it is complete,FCCJ will offer college credit and vocational education courses at the Center which shares40acres of Nassau County woods with a full array of native animals,birds and vegetation. Winding through the wilderness is the focal point ofthis educational retreat — the FCCJ ropes course. The ropes course is a wilderness team- building program that challenges participants with physical and mental obstacles uncom- mon in an urban or suburban environment. "It's a course broadly designed for team- building,community building and leadership training,but we can custom design a program to accomplish specific group objectives,"said Judy Jacobson,FCCJ's outdoor adventure/ education program coordinator. Forexample, "Ifa corporation is going through a merger or a new managementteam is coming in, we can design our program to address those issues," she said. The ropes course uses elements ofnature to motivate learning.That learning is imme- diately reinforced by the direct physical consequences ofeffective or ineffective group strategies and behaviors. While the course does not require strong individual athletic ability,overcoming specific obstacles does demand thought, teamwork and physical effort by the group. Jacobson said thatthe ropescourse is beneficial toorganizationssuch as businesses, community groupsand nonprofitgroups where teamwork and team spiritare crucialto achieving the organization's mission. The course is fully operational now for groups who want to really rough it. Most of A The FCCJ College Center at Nassau was designed to preserve as much of the existing environment as possible.The buildings,which will be mostly one-room classrooms,blend pleasantly with the natural surroundings. 41 FCCJ student ambassa- dors and student government officers recently completed the ropes course at the FCCJ College Center at Nassau.The course is excellent for building team spirit and helping groups of people learn to work together. • "This project is happening because of the part- nership that exists between business, education and gov- ernment in Nassau County" • the Nassau Center's comforts for human creatures,including restroom and shower facilities,aren'tcompleted yet. Jacobson said that as those facilities come on-line,marketing effortsfor the programs being offered should increase. She hopes that all the facilities will be in place and the program will be able to offer overnight team-building retreats within a year. The ropes course is one element ofthe College'scomprehensive outdoor adventure/ education program being developed at the FCCJ College Center at Nassau. FCCJ will also offer college credit physical education courses in camping,canoeing, backpacking and basic wilderness skills as part ofthis program. "Our primary mission is to enable people to appreciate and enjoy Florida's natural environ- ment,"Jacobson said."That goes beyond the challenge ofthe ropes course into all aspects of environmental education." Jacobson envisions the Center offering programs such as weekend family courses in subjects like environmental awareness and Florida natural history. FCCJ Vice Presidentfor Campus Develop- mentSteve Wise,who is leading the develop- mentofthe Nassau Center,said that the College could,in the future,offer other innovative programs atthe Center. "Once we havethefacilitiesin place,we could potentially offerenvironmentaleducation campsin thesummerforstudents ofall ages," Wise said."Also,with all the differentecosystems thatexiston this property,wecould work with the Nassau School Board toofferliving biology lab experiencesforhigh schoolstudents." Wise and othersinvolved with the Center say that it could offer several other creative educational programsfor local residents. "The College is building the Urban Resource Center in downtown Jacksonville to meet the specific needs ofthe work force," Wise said."This is like a rural resource center. It's being built to meet the specific needs ofthis part ofFCCJ's service district." Nassau County commissioners,School Board members,local mayors and FCCJ officials recently met at the site to discuss the Center's potential. See"Potential," page 3. , Z ArchiveInABox,JAX,FCCJ Spectrum,Scans,1992 Fall,1992 Fall 1 Page 1, 1992 Fall 1 Page 1