Challenge Ropes Course in Saco, Maine

The Ropes Challenge Course is located in Southern Maine amongst the beautiful woods on the Sweetser campus in Saco, Maine. Donna Murray, Director of FOCUS through Adventure, operates the course in conjunction with her programs. Many local schools, summer recreational departments, businesses and corporations from around the area have utilized the challenge course for team development.

All Skill Levels Welcome

The ropes course has different levels of development. Groups will work on cooperative field initiatives first, then onto low ropes initiatives, and then to the high ropes elements. The ropes course is available for school outings, corporate retreats or any group wanting a team challenge.

Building Trust and Connections

• Field initiatives build connections within the group, establishing behavioral norms and establishing a level of trust.
• Low ropes, where personal risk is a factor, heightens the necessity of communication, support and trust within the group.
• High ropes challenge becomes a celebration of the group work so that every individual can experience powerful success.

Team Development & Team Building

Team Development for both youths and adults.

FOCUS through Adventure provides customized programs that will help teams develop and enhance their communication, identify behaviors necessary to function as a team, and identify individual strengths and skills. A core component of team development is for groups to define the norms of behavior that will drive them to function as a high performance team. Through this process participants will enhance their work relationships as key learnings are easily transferred back to the workplace.

Great for Corporate Groups and Corporate Outings

Our consultants may introduce a behavioral inventory like the DiSC Personal Profile System to help participants understand their own work styles and those of others. This information can be the common language with which to develop healthier working relationships and the norms of behavior for their team.

Ropes Course Safety

The ropes course is routinely inspected and certified by Project Adventure, Inc. from Beverly Mass. Project Adventure is one of the leading international training organizations in Experiential Education. Along with continual safety inspection and updating of equipment, FOCUS through Adventure also maintains national safety standards and protocol for its participants.

FOCUS facilitators are all trained and certified to operate a challenge course. All ropes course facilitators maintain First Aid and CPR certification.

Testimonials

"FOCUS through Adventure was a wonderful, team building experience for our group at Tom's of Maine. We found new ways to work together to strengthen our team!"
- Laurie Bridges, HR Manager

"The activities at Sweetser brought our group together as a whole. We learned effective communication skills, teamwork and new things about ourselves that we didn’t know existed. In particular, “the wall” was a challenging task, which required team strategy and effort. Being pushed and pulled up the wall was an invigorating experience because you had to trust the people behind you and above you. Overall, Sweetser was an incredible experience and I would love to go back!"
- Abbie Morneault, Orientation Advisor, UNE

"The faculty at Sweester provided us with a safe environment where we were able to step out of our comfort zone and try something different. I was rather hesitant to climb the wall as our final challenge, but with the help of my fellow peers and the encouragement of the faculty and staff, I was able to make it over."
- Wendy Lawson, Orientation Advisor, UNE

"Sweetser was a lot of fun and very beneficial to our team. Their program was meaningful, and brought our group together on a whole new level. Leaving Sweetser, I felt as though I knew my teammates better, and felt confident about the trust and bonds that I had formed through out the day."
- Kalyn Sullivan, Orientation Advisor, UNE

I" always look forward to a trip to Sweetser. The ropes course is an adventure, presenting new challenges that always get harder. No matter how many times I go to Sweetser, I always leave with new growth as a leader. The ropes course brings a team together, making it more of a family at the end of the day."
- Laura Costin, Orientation Advisor, UNE

"The team building activities and low ropes elements at Sweetser really brings our team together. It is at that time during training where we are able to step off campus and train in a way that we can really step out there and have fun. The Sweetser staff and elements help to give our team another element and allow us to challenge ourselves."
- Alisha Tonks, Orientation Advisor, UNE

Sampling of Adult Clients:

• Tom’s of Maine, Sanford Maine
• United Way of York County
• Westbrook School Department Leadership Team
• KIEVE Leadership School
• First Parish Congregational Church Council, Saco
• University of New England
• West School, Portland School District

Sampling of youth clients:

• Eco-Action Environmental Camp, Waynflete, Portland
• Kennebunkport Parks and Recreation
• Breakwater School, Portland
• Diversity Leadership Institute
• Berwick Academy
• Velocity Soccer Club
• Maine Metro Soccer Club
• Jordan-Small Middle School, Raymond
• Seacoast Hockey Club, Dover, NH