EcoTraining Aces the Academic Test

The results are in! We’re happy to report that the majority of EcoTraining graduates view themselves as competent, confident guides who practice positive environmental practices and can profoundly affect the visitors they guide. In other words, our graduates not only talk the talk — they also walk the walk!

How do we know this? The results are based on an extensive evaluation on the effectiveness of EcoTraining’s programs carried out by University of Nebraska graduate student N. Qwynne Lackey.

Lackey compiled “An Evaluation of the Program’s Influence on EcoTraining Students and Their Guiding Competency, Environmentally Responsible Behaviors, and Transformational Leadership Abilities” by conducting surveys and interviews, and observing participants in the field.

The study determined that the majority of respondents implemented seven of the measured guiding behaviors “fairly often” or “frequently, if not always.” Likewise, the majority “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that they felt confident implementing all seven of the measured guiding skills.

In addition, the majority of survey respondents practiced 11 of the 12 environmentally responsible behaviors selected for the survey “frequently, if not always” or “fairly often.” The study also discovered a positive, statistically significant relationship between a guide’s mean transformational leadership scores and their mean guiding competency scores.

“Overall, the study concluded that the EcoTraining courses are very successful guide training programs,” said Lackey.

EcoTraining Guides & Guardians offers inspirational wildlife courses, gap year opportunities and high school programs. Since 1993, EcoTraining has taught more than 10,000 students about the basics of the African bush.

EcoTraining’s mission is to educate people on the importance of the wilderness and especially the processes that drive natural ecosystems. The goal is that all participants, armed with this knowledge, go out and make a difference to the way we look after our planet in their day-to-day lives.