Princeton-Blairstown Center

Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) is a full service experiential education center.  Experiential Education is based on the belief that people learn best when they directly participate in an experience and have the opportunity to reflect on it.  PBC facilitators use adventure-based programming in small groups to create opportunities for mistakes, success, cooperation and comtemplation, all to promote learning experiences that can be transferred back to the personal and academic lives of participants. 

Adventure educators Simon Preist and Mike Gass explain experiential education well when they say it is "learning by doing with reflection."

PBC's active, imaginative, and meaningful programs target the five social and emotional learning principles*, including:

• Self-awareness
• Self -management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision making
  
  * As stated by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning; 2005; Devaney, O‘Brien, Keister, Resnik, & Weissberg, 2006  

View some of the magic of our Blairstown Campus in this YouTube video:

PBC's highest priority is the physical and emotional safety of our participants. How do we ensure the safety of participants?

Challenge By Choice teaches participants appropriate risk-taking and decision-making techniques to face new challenges. PBC facilitators respect and recognize individual challenge levels, and our programs give participants the opportunity to stretch their comfort zones in a safe way with the support of their peers and our staff.

Full-Value Contracts are created by each small group with its facilitator. The contracts provide an opportunity for students to define how they want to work as a group. They help students identify the positive behaviors and skills required by the group to meet challenges successfully.  

Facilitators have the equipment, training, professional certifications, and good judgment to safely facilitate our activities. PBC facilitators are trained to assess each group’s ability so they can provide appropriate challenges to meet those needs.

           

The following planning guides answer many questions you may have about Princeton-Blairstown Center programs.

Choose the guide that best reflects the needs of your group:       

Full Service Programming - Experiential or Adventure-based programming with our staff leading	Princeton University Services	Meetings/Conferences
Information for confirmed Full-Service Programming	Information for confirmed Princeton University groups	Information for confirmed Meeting/Conference groups

Our complete Full-Service Program Planning Guide (.pdf) contains all the information you need once you have secured your reservation.

For more information about Princeton-Blairstown campus including facilities, maps, lodging, food and photos, please refer to the Blairstown Campus page.

For specific questions about Blairstown Site Programs, please contact Pat Karl at pk@princeton.edu.

 

Princeton-Blairstown Center is a member of the American Camping Association (ACA) and adheres to all regulations required through this association.

 

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