Sue Crumbaker
Hale Education
80 Carby Street, Westwood, MA 02090
What I Do
Outdoor Education
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Folks in the Outdoor Recreation/Adventure Education/Experiential Learning industry create spaces for participants to grow. We set the stage for groups and teams to come together, think outside the box, and learn to problem-solve and find answers to difficult challenges. We use games, puzzles, and challenge courses in our work.
- Job Title: Director of Teambuilding & Experiential Learning
- Years in Profession: 40 Years
- Job and Daily Responsibilities:
Sue works with a wide variety of schools and organizations to design programs that achieve their learning objectives. Lovingly known as “Super Sue” to tens of thousands of participants, she’s a master facilitator with 25 years of experience in challenge course design, operations, and administration. A former teacher, she specializes in behavior modification and teambuilding and is certified by Project Adventure and High 5 Adventure Learning Center. Sue earned a B.S. in Geology from Acadia University.
Education
At Hale, I work with clients to identify their groups’ needs and then create programs that provide learning experiences. These experiences challenge them, help them grow, and provide takeaways they can use in their jobs, schools, and communities. I hire and supervise our staff, oversee challenge course safety and operations, and manage out department’s budget. I also own and operate my own business, Awooga Teambuilding.
Pre-Employment Experience
I started my career at a summer camp, and quickly fell in love with the experiences we were providing for teams. I gained my first challenge course experience working for a YMCA and have since worked for many teambuilding vendors from Maine to New York.
List of classes that are most important/applicable to succeed in your profession:
We are always looking for new staff. To work on the challenge course, you must be at least 18 years old, able to work in an outdoor environment, and enjoy being with others. We will train you to safely run activities, debrief, and belay on the challenge course.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities available for high school and/or college students to learn:
scrumbaker@hale.education
Contact Me
Advice From A Leader
Many colleges have outdoor education programs, and some schools have their own challenge courses that you can train on. That’s a great way to get into this field.