Rite of passage is a term that is used widely and uncritically in the field of outdoor education. This hermeneutic research project explores how a third-generation Canadian outdoor educator explores how rites of passage are understood in outdoor education. On this hermeneutic journey I set out to provide a more complex understanding of rites of passage in outdoor education. In exploring the literature of rites of passage in outdoor education, I noticed that there is a lack of discussion on non-Indigenous practitioners’ cultural heritage and how to address the desire many practitioners have for ritual. I used Stephen Jenkinson’s texts as a foundation for the hermeneutic conversations that I had with rites of passage in outdoor education. The research journey shifted from focusing on rites of passage to how outdoor educators could build a ritual skillset. I propose five propositions of ritual that may help practitioners develop their own ritual sensibility. / Graduate

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study is to assess the potential changes COVID-19 has had on the event, tourism, and hospitality industry; specifically, how the skillsets of event professional have changed. While the event, tourism, and hospitality industry is ever changing, COVID-19 vastly shifted roles, responsibilities, and jobs for event professionals. So far, few studies have been conducted to identify the potential changes in skillsets that current and future event planners need to be prepared for their job. Using data from event professionals via focus groups and a survey, this study identifies these new or heightened skillsets. The findings provide useful information for current event professionals in addition to educational programs who can adapt their curricula to best prepare future event professionals.