History of ACCT
and Standards Development
and Standards Development
Significant growth in the challenge course field prompted a group of challenge course installers to gather in the spring of 1988 in North Carolina. This Symposium led to additional annual gatherings and eventually to the formation of the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) in 1993. Throughout the 1990s, increasing use of challenge courses continued in education, corporate training, mental health, human services, and the criminal justice system, prompting vendors to collaborate on the first standards, which defined installation requirements. An Installation Standards Committee was formed during the 1991 Symposium to write industry-wide installation standards. The first standards draft was completed and presented at the 1993 Symposium. Feedback on subsequent draft documents was collected and reviewed by the committee, culminating in the consensus challenge course standards adopted by ACCT and published in 1994.
A task force was formed to address the need for training standards. A wide range of professionals and experienced practitioners contributed feedback and information, resulting in standards addressing all aspects of course operation. In 2007, ACCT published certification standards for practitioners focusing on the validation of the skills of individuals. ACCT became an ANSI-accredited standards developer in 2006 and actively maintains that status. Development of the 8th, 9th, and 10th versions of the standards has followed the ANSI process. A large number of volunteers continue to serve on the committees responsible for the periodic revision of standards and creating new standards to address industry changes. These committees remain a vital part of ACCT and contribute greatly to ACCT’s mission. It is estimated that upwards of 90 different individuals have served as committee members working on standards, and more than 150 people have offered comments. ACCT continues to review and revise these standards to incorporate new information and to expand and improve the document. Those who wish to volunteer or contribute to the standards may do so at any time. Those with comments or concerns may contact ACCT about the standards at StandardsManagement@acctinfo.org.