Course Mission Statements:
Communication, Teamwork, Leadership:
Our mission is to provide training and facilitation of Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership activities that directly lead to group productivity improvement.
Wellness and Fitness:
Our mission is to provide training and facilitation of Wellness and Fitness concepts and principles that directly lead to individual and group health improvement.
Conditioning and Leadership:
Our mission is to provide training and facilitation of Conditioning and Leadership activities that directly lead to increased individual and group performance.
GSMNP Information
Great Smoky Mountains National Park History:
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Cosby entrance 12 miles from Smoky Mountain Endeavors, Inc.) straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the most visited national park in the United States with more than 10 million visitors each year. The Park encompasses nearly 521,000 acres and the mountains are the highest in the Appalachian Range. The first documented inhabitants of the area encompassed by the park were the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokees were farmers and hunters. They had a fairly sophisticated lifestyle and most could read and write the Cherokee language, developed by Sequoia. They lived primarily in log cabin type buildings made of logs and mud. In 1830, the majority of the Cherokee were forced to leave their ancestral homes, complete a forced march (Trail of Tears) and relocate in Oklahoma. Later, some of them returned and rejoined those who had stayed in the forests. Today, this Eastern Band of the Cherokee have a reservation on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was the Cherokee people who called this land the "Place of the Blue Smoke" for the beautiful bluish haze that rises in these mountains. Shortly after the beginning of the 20th century, the logging industry developed in the Smokies and by the mid 1930s almost 65% of the forest had been cut. Railroads and farms grew to support the loggers. In 1934, with the help of many people and particularly, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the land was purchased and given to the Federal Government. On September 2, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Park to the American people. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to one of the world's most diversified collection of plants, animals, birds and other living creatures.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) Highlights:
• Elevations: The highest elevation is the summit of Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet above sea level.
• Plant Species: There are over 1,600 species of flowering plants in the park. This includes 125 species of native trees.
• Animal Species: There are 200 species of birds, 50 species of fish, and 60 species of mammals. The park is America's salamander capital with 30 species of these creatures.
• Visitors: The park receives almost 10 million visitors each year. It is the most visited national park in our country.
• Park Activities: The park has an abundance of activities throughout the year including: hiking, bicycling, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, pioneer life exhibits and annual festivals.
• Hiking: There are over 800 miles of trails to hike. Also, the Appalachian Trail cuts through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on its way to its southern terminus in Georgia. There is approximately 70 miles of the AT through the park.
• Camping: The park has 1,008 developed campsites and 100 primitive campsites.
• Horseback Riding: The park has an extensive system of trails for horses and is considered the best riding area in the eastern part of the United States.
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