COPE (Boy Scouts of America)
Outdoor team building activity / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Project COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience, is a program in the Boy Scouts of America that consists of tests to develop strength, agility, coordination, reasoning, mutual trust, and group problem-solving.[1][2] Founded in 1980, by 1991 there were 200 COPE courses offered across the United States.[3] During non-summer camp months, Project COPE courses have been made available to high schools,[4] and to private groups for team building.[5] The project has also been part of at least one program to reduce recidivism among nonviolent juvenile offenders.[6]
Project COPE | |||
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Country | United States | ||
Founded | 1980 (1980) | ||
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Scouting portal |
Group trust events that are part of Project COPE include standing on an elevated platform or tree stump and falling backwards to be caught by a human zipper.[7] In another exercise designed to show the importance of leadership, teams are blindfolded as they navigate through the woods, with only the people at the very front and back of the line allowed to speak.[7] Participants progress from simple group games to low- and high-course rope activities.[8] There are no time limits.[9]