Daniel Flanders, REAL Instructor

Empowering Education would like to welcome Daniel Flanders to the team! With the REAL class slated for implementation in Doherty High School in August 2010, EE put careful thought and consideration into the selection of the course instructor. With a belief that the success of the class is directly linked to the relationship students have with their instructor, EE felt it was critical to find an individual that had first hand experience with the philosophies of wilderness programs. Having worked as a senior field instructor at Second Nature Wilderness Program (EE’s strategic partner in developing REAL), Daniel has seen lives changed as a result of programs that integrate education with wilderness program philosophies. 

Daniel graduated from Georgia Southern University with a M.S. in Clinical Psychology. He spent six years teaching and guiding various outdoor activities while completing his undergraduate/graduate education. During his practicum, Daniel counseled and coordinated disability accommodations for students at Savannah College of Art & Design. He went on to work with teens as a senior instructor for Second Nature Wilderness Program. It was at Second Nature that he gained the expertise needed to successfully incorporate proven principles into active, often challenging environments. He believes that the addition of an experiential or ‘journey’ element allows for more meaningful, constructive outcomes for the individual student. 

Daniel will be relocating to Colorado Springs from Dublin, GA in May and will serve not only as the REAL course co-instructor at Doherty but will support EE in research, grant writing, and statistical data analysis as the course progresses. Partnering with a Doherty staff member in co-teaching the REAL class, Daniel will help to guide an understanding of the principals that are the foundation of REAL’s social emotional skill building process. 

Welcome Daniel!  We are so glad you are here!