EDGE Project Overview

Project Abstract:

The purpose of participating in the Questival, hosted by Cotopaxi, is to gain teamwork skills and other miscellaneous skills that will help me progress in the outdoor recreation field of work. I hope to obtain a job working for the National Park Service after graduating with a bachelor in outdoor recreation in parks and tourism. Part of gaining employment in the outdoor recreation field is gaining experience and knowledge. Participating in a fast paced, intense, 24 hour challenge will push my limits to help me grow and learn new things. Another aspect of the outdoor recreation field is teamwork. Majority of jobs in the outdoor recreation field include some form of teamwork, whether it’s leading a group of teens into the backcountry or working with coworkers to accomplish a project. Teamwork is laced throughout that working field. The Questival will consist of countless different groups competing against each other for prizes during a 24 hour time slot. The teams will be given a list of challenges a day in advance to map a plan of attack. The next day all of the teams will be required to meet in Las Vegas where they will receive their teams supplies. After the competition begins, as well as the 24 hours. My team will prepare in advance by talking to past participants, reading blogs and FAQS, and planning out our 24 hours. The goal is to accomplish as many challenges as we can. And by the end of the Questival I hope to have gained experiences and skills that can be transferred to my professional future.  

Project Learning Goal and Outcomes:

Main Learning Goal:

For my EDGE project I will plan, prepare, and participate in the Questival.

Project Outcomes:

1. I will gain experience and skills, such as communication and teamwork, that I will be able to use in my future career.

2.I will be able to experience activities that I have not yet had the chance to because they may fall out of my comfort zone.

3.I will understand how to effectively work in a team

Outdoor Significance:

The Questival is founded on the idea of outdoor recreation. Cotopaxi, the company who hosts the Questival, is an outdoor outfitter company. Their mission is to “create innovative outdoor products and experiences that fund sustainable poverty alleviation, move people to do good, and inspire adventure.” The challenges that are included in the Questival are not known until 24 hours before, but there have been past participants that share their experiences. Some of the experiences that I have read relate to helping the community and yourself grow in kindness and while seeking adventure. I found a previous list of challenges that were used in the Questival and there were challenges such as “Do something nice for a tourist/visitor out enjoying the city, make their day special.” These challenges will push me to step out of my comfort zone and develop a more outgoing demeanor, which will be helpful in my future careers. This project will also help me to explore Las Vegas and learn more about outdoor recreation side of it instead of just the tourist shopping areas that are so common. (Gear for Good)   

Personal and Professional Development:

My goal for the past few years has been to work in the outdoor recreation field, ideally as a park ranger in a national park or forest. The skills that I hope to develop while participating in the Questival include leadership skills, teamwork skills, communication skills, and technical skills. Developing these skills will help me pursue my dream of working as a park ranger. The area where I lack most in my soft skills is my communication. I believe participating in the Questival as my project will push me to say what I am thinking to my teammates. I will also need to communicate with strangers in the community in order to accomplish challenges and win. I believe that one of the best ways to overcome a fear is to do it until it is no longer something that scares me. I will need to push myself to overcome this fear in order to win and not let my team down.

Detailed Timeline:

Activity	Hours it will take to complete	Purpose/Notes	Deadline for task
Recruit Team Members	1 hour	To accomplish my projects goals	2/28/2018
Study and Learn Questival Tactics and Rules	7 hours	To prepare and be successful in my project	3/1/18

Plan and prepare a map for the Questival	3 Hours		3/8/18
Pick out challenges and gather equipment needed for them	8 Hours		3/8/18
Prepare and pack equipment and food and water necessary	3 Hours		3/8/18

Arrive and prepare before challenges start	2 Hours		3/9/18
Participate in the Questival	24 Hours		3/10/18

Budget:

Item	Cost	Funding Source	Purpose
Personal Time	At least 40 hours of my time	Myself	To complete my project
Gasoline	$100	My Money	Traveling to and From Las Vegas, NV
Food and Water	$30	My Money	To stay healthy
Challenges and Equipment	$100	My Money	To win and participate

Tickets	$40 X 2 = $80	My Money	For me and my friend to join
TOTAL	$310

Safety Briefing:

Welcome to the Questival! We will be spending 24 hours together completing tasks to win prizes and have fun. The next 24 hours will feel long so it’s important that we establish a few rules and safety guidelines. 

• The first is that we want to have open communication because this can prevent multiple things from happening like getting frustrated with other members in the group or misunderstandings among us. To do this we will need to be considerate of others while speaking what may be on our minds.

• The next thing to note is that it will be dark so we will need to carry flashlights with us.

• We will be in Las Vegas so dress accordingly, which should entail sun protection.

• Since none of us are from the area we will need to be sure that we have a map, so we don’t get lost. Our routes will be preplanned and we will make ourselves familiar with the area.

• Prior to the Questival our transportation will be inspected for any possible signs of trouble so we can be prepared.

• The last thing to note is that we will be in a very crowded city possibly the whole time so being cautious of our surrounding and pedestrians will be very important, so we can avoid any accidents.

We can do our best to avoid these risks if we simply follow the rules and use our heads.   

Plan B:

I will participate in the Salt Lake City, Utah Questival if I am unable to attend the one in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the event that I cannot participate in either Questival I would like to plan, and prepare a personal garden in which I can harvest my own fresh vegetables. I have a space already picked out and I would be able to purchase the necessary equipment and supplies. I would monitor and record my progress by taking pictures of my progress and plants growth.

References

“Gear For Good | Free shipping on orders $99 .” Cotopaxi, www.cotopaxi.com/.