POSTPONING 9IATC

At the 8^th International Adventure Therapy Conference (8IATC) in Sydney, Australia, 2018, it was announced that the 9^th International Adventure Therapy Conference (9IATC) would be hosted by Norway in 2021. Soon after it was decided that the 3^rd Gathering for Adventure Therapy Europe (3GATE) would be co-hosted with 9IATC, thus becoming two conferences in one.

Over the last few months the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC) and the ATIC co-chair team have been in close dialogue with the Norwegian Local Organizing Committee (LOC) regarding the ongoing pandemic and its influence on the planning and hosting of the conference.     For a while, the combination of a physical and a digital conference was considered. However, with the prospects for traveling and gathering of people not appearing likely over the year to come, the following decision was put forth by ATIC co-chairs and supported by committee members at the ATIC meeting on Zoom, Sept 3^rd 2020:

The 9^th International Adventure Therapy Conference (9IATC) is postponed until 2022. 

We will keep the triennial rotation, which means that the 10IATC will be hosted in 2025.

The present Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC) will be extended to a four-year period to cover this gap. In order to use the time period in-between conferences more efficiently, ATIC will divide into four working groups to fulfill ATIC’s mission:

“To promote and support collaboration, practice, research and development within the field of adventure therapy worldwide”

Adventure Therapy Europe will gather shortly to make their independent decision whether the 3GATE will also be postponed together with 9IATC or hosted separately.

More detailed information regarding the postponement of 9IATC and tentative dates for 2022 will be distributed from LOC via a newsletter and  the conference website:

If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact ATIC co-chair:

With the anticipation to meet as a community in Norway in 2022!

Amy Horn · Virginie Gargano · Carina Ribe Fernee · Stephan Natynczuk (ATIC co-chairs)

Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC) invites written proposals from interested parties wishing to host the Tenth International Adventure Therapy Conference (10IATC) in 2024

Proposals shall be received by ATIC by 1 Dec 2020 (see contact details below). The successful host will be decided in ATIC meeting on 4 Feb 2021 and will be expected to present plans for 10IATC during the ATIC pre-conference gathering on Sunday 20^th June 2021 in Kristiansand, Norway, and at the 9IATC itself.

Please use the following format for your proposal. Proposals are to be 3-4 pages in length (approx. 2000 words) and include the following information:

1. Information about the host committee
   1. List applicant’s credentials and history in event planning or plans to use event services.
   2. List key host committee members names and affiliations.
2. Resources of host group
   1. List sponsoring organization(s) and brief history, as well as allied/supporting organizations.
   2. Identify national AT networks or organizations
   3. List financial resources secured and proposed
3. The proposed location
   1. Identify specific town and region
   2. Describe benefits of, and access details for this location
   3. Identify any social-cultural-political-health risks associated with this location
4. The proposed venue
   1. Identify specific venue and its capacity
   2. Describe rationale for venue
5. Community resources to support the conference
   1. Describe community amenities relevant to hosting
   2. Describe potential for community engagement (e.g., local AT programs)
6. Consideration of carbon footprint
   1. Describe efforts to reduce waste and minimize environmental impacts
7. Possible theme(s) for the conference
   1. Describe how these theme(s) address current AT needs, issues and/or future direction
   2. Describe how these theme(s) will be enhanced by the host location, venue, and/or resources.
8. Outline processes for “Call for papers and workshops”, IAT promotion and marketing plan
9. Proposed budget
   1. Outline of projected number of delegates, expected and forecast income and expenditure
   2. Estimate of delegate registration cost(s)
10. Name and contact details of convener(s), including telephone number, postal- and email address.

Please send your proposal as an attachment in both Microsoft Word and PDF format                             to the Adventure Therapy International Committee – Email:  

With the 9^th International Adventure Therapy Conference/3^rd Gathering of Adventure Therapy in Europe(9IATC/3GATE) less than a year away, we would now love to start receiving your abstracts for conference presentations and workshops. Due to the uncertainties regarding C-19, we will include the option of digital presentations. The conference will take place on Monday 21^st to Friday 25^th of June 2021 on Odderøya island in the coastal town of Kristiansand in the Agder region of Southern Norway. There will be separate gatherings for the Adventure Therapy International Committee (ATIC) and Adventure Therapy Europe (ATE) the day before and the day after the conference. For more information and submission form visit: https://9iatc.internationaladventuretherapy.org/calls/

The International Committee have met and discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the 9th International Conference.  After discussing this with the country reps and the Local Organising Committee it has been decided that the conference will continue in Norway in June 2021.  We recognize that less people may be able to attend and every effort will be made to put content online so it as accessible as possible to people around the world.

https://9iatc.internationaladventuretherapy.org/

The attached flyer describes a one day conference in Italy on March 16th to develop understanding of working in the outdoors with young offenders and ‘NEETS’. (Let us know what NEETS are!)

There is no charge for the event. Here’s the Flyer

Here’s the next great event….

23rd to 25th June, 2017 in Dobogoko, about one hour from Budapest.

The past two annual Ösvény conferences have been a great success. The conferences are held in a comfortable hotel in the forest-clad mountains near Budapest and have a varied and very high quality program. The conferences are very affordable and have a friendly inclusive atmosphere.

The goal of the conference

Is to introduce – with the contribution of international and Hungarian lecturers and professionals – the approach, the methodology and the applications of experiential learning to the Hungarian professional audience, to decision makers and to the interested public.

The target group of the conference

Everybody who would like to get to know the theory and practice of experiential learning, or feels drawn to its values and would like to incorporate them into his or her practice with individuals or groups. The conference is mainly aimed at the following professional groups:Teachers, organizational development consultants, trainers, coaches, outdoor trainers, psychologists, therapists, social workers, high-rope course instructors, camp leaders, and other helping professionals.

For full details see http://tapasztalati-tanulas-konferencia.hu

Registrations are now open for the 2017 Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT) National Forum. Come to the lush, green, picturesque Mount Macedon region of Victoria for a weekend of Bush Adventure Therapy education, workshops, and networking.

AABAT forums are inclusive, collaborative and experiential. They are designed for individuals both looking to explore this field of work, and for those who have many years of experience. So what are you waiting for? Get involved, share your stories, relax and immerse yourself!

Visit www.aabat.org.au for more details.
Questions? Send them to .

Christine Norton who was co-convenor of the 7th International Adventure Therapy Conference (7IATC) has recently been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study adventure Therapy in Taiwan. For more details see http://www.txstate.edu/news/news_releases/news_archive/2016/March-2016/Fulbright031616.html

Congratulations to Christine.

If you have news you’d like us to post please contact us via the associated web page for the 8th International Adventure Therapy Conference.

“Back to the roots”: Valencia (Spain) 1-4 February 2017

Download a Flyer

Within the Erasmus + Strategic Partnership “Reaching further: Exploring the healing effects of Adventure Education and Experiential Learning, a methodology to increase the quality of youth work for European youngsters with fewer opportunities.

Adventure Therapy is a way of working with youngsters (and others) that has already been extensively practiced and researched in the US, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, although there is more and more of an interest and practitioners are getting more and more visible, there is not yet a formal network of AT professionals, organizations nor researchers using this innovative approach. The First GATE – Gathering of Adventure Therapists in Europe – wants to provide a platform to gather practitioners, organizations, researchers and people interested in the field of Adventure Therapy and Experiential learning working with youth at risk. This event will connect to our European community of elders through our Keynote speakers; enhance national Adventure Therapy structures and actions thanks to round tables, will provide a room to share knowledge and experiences through workshops, and also be a space to dream of a construction of a European Network of Adventure Therapy thanks to our fire circles.

This First GATE is a call to join for Adventure therapists, Adventure therapy programs, psychosomatic clinics, rehabilitation hospitals, child and youth mental health units and hospitals, or any other resources that offer nature – and outdoor based treatment programs. „Back to the roots“ is a theme that celebrates and commemorates the quality of Adventure Therapy and also serves to honor and recognize the European history in our field.

This and next GATEs will be lighthouses that enlighten our future path in the European Adventure Therapy field.

Dates: 1 – 4 February 2017 Starting: Wednesday, 1 February 2017 – 14.00h. Ending: Saturday, 4 February 2017 – 15.30h.

Venue: Lliria (Valencia – Spain) – http://www.llometadellavata.com

More info: http://www.adventuretherapy.eu/gathering2017

Registration fee:

Early bird (01.05.16 – 31.08.2016): 185 Euros

Lazy bird (01.09.16 – 31.01.2017): 225 Euros

Euros Registration fee includes full attendance at the Gathering, accommodation in shared rooms, 5 meals per day (vegetarian or Mediterranean) and social evenings.