Tony Cox

Experience

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  C.I.R.A.C. Northern Wetlands Study

  May 1990 - Sept 1990

  Project Manager's Assistant

  For a period of four months, I was employed as the on-site Assistant to the Project Manager for C.I.R.A.C. Northern Wetlands Study in the James Bay lowlands. I was in charge of co-ordinating transportation (ground and air), outfitting our Base Camp, radio communications and supporting the researchers and field technicians. I spent a good portion of the time in helicopters and small aircraft and also became very familiar with the use of hand-held and base-set radio systems. The project was scientific in nature and involved 11 Canadian and American universities and N.A.S.A. Show less

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  Light the Way Children's Fund International

  May 1993 - Dec 1997

  Co-founder

  As one of the founding members of a humanitarian relief organization called Light the Way Children's Fund International, I helped to lead 7 international projects in six years during the war in Bosnia. The projects served refugee children and their communities in the former Yugoslavia. I lived on site in Zagreb, Croatia for one year, providing co-ordination of relief projects for refugee and displaced children. Upon my return to Canada, I was involved in the creation of several inter-continental Friendship Bridge projects, linking Canadian children and students with young people and their communities in the former Yugoslav republics. Show less

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  Crawford Lake Conservation Area

  Jun 1993 - Oct 1995

  Historical Interpretor

  For three summers and two winters, I was employed as an Outdoor Educator for the Crawford Lake Conservation Area. My formal title was Historical Interpretor and my duties included the delivery of programming on: Indigenous Culture; Archaeology; Ecology and Natural History. During the late spring our focus was on programming for school children: guided hikes, wild edibles, animal life etc. During the summer the park served a more tourist based population and in the winter time, programming featured snow-shoe walks and the maple syrup program. Show less

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  Halton Board of Education

  Sept 1994 - Sept 1997

  Arts Consultant

  I am a professional Storyteller and for three years, I acted as a special Arts Consultant for the Halton Board of Education, delivering specialized program on Aboriginal Culture and history for students as a component of their history units. I also was invited on numerous occasions to be a presenter for their Teachers Conferences to provide programming on the traditions of oral storytelling and how to more effectively use stories and storytelling in their classrooms.

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  Project D.A.R.E.

  Nov 1999 - Apr 2003

  Until the spring of 2005, I worked at Project D.A.R.E. as the Rover Program Supervisor. I managed a residential program for yound offender youth and supervised a team of 6 Outdoor professionals who worked directly with the students. My duties included: Staff training; Program development and planning; Expedition route planning; Crisis management; Trip leading and developing plans of care for the students. Project D.A.R.E. is based on a wilderness model of experiential education concepts and was accredited in 2003 by AEE (The Association for Experiential Education). Show less For this period of time, I was employed as an Outdoor Recreation Instructor/ Wilderness Trip Leader for Project D.A.R.E: an outdoor, adventure, leadership training program serving young offender youth. My duties included providing programming in: Team and Trust Building; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication Skills; Rock Climbing; Canoeing; Winter Survival; Wild Edibles; Snow-Shoeing; Orienteering and First Aid. During this time, I was also one of the Instructors assigned to the Special Program Division, which offered Experiential Education and Adventure programs to visiting special interest groups. In the spring of 2002, I was invited to sit on a panel of specialists to re-write D.A.R.E.’s new program curriculum. Show less

  • Program Supervisor

    Apr 2002 - Apr 2003

  • Wilderness Instructor

    Nov 1999 - Apr 2003
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  Latvian Ministry of Justice -Riga City Mission

  Jul 2001 - Aug 2006

  Adventure Therapy Program Consultant

  In the summer of 2002, I was invited to Latvia, by the Minstry of Justice and Riga City Mission to assist in the creation of an outdoor based, adventure therapy program for incarcerated youth. I operated there for two summers and both designed and facilitated the pilot programs serving their youth. I was responsible for creating program curriculum; teaching the students and mentoring some of the volunteer instructors. In addition I had to meet with officials at the Cesis prison and was asked to speak at a public forum in Riga to introduce the philosophy to other professionals working in the field. I was awarded the Second Degree (Silver) Service Medal and the Colours of Latvia by the Latvian Minister in recognition of my contributions to the program. Show less

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  Outward Bound Canada

  Apr 2005 - Nov 2009

  Director of Innovation and Program Development

  For five years I was employed by Outward Bound Canada as their Director of Innovation and Program Development for the Community Programs branch. I supervised three different program streams: the youth at risk programming; partnerships with Indigenous communities across Canada and the Women of Courage program, serving women who have experienced violence or abuse in their lives. I was directly responsible for delivering training to Instructors; developing program curriculum and pioneering new partnerships both with communities and other organizations . Outward Bound is an International Wilderness School that operates 53 separate schools in 42 countries around the world. For more than half a century, Outward Bound has helped young people prepare for the challenges of adulthood. Show less

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  Leaders of the Day

  Nov 2009 - now

  Leaders of the day is a cutting edge, Experiential Training company, with deep expertise in catalysing personal and organizational innovation and change. Our unique approach to training and development invites participants to powerfully disrupt conditioned thinking, to practice new skills, to embrace challenges as opportunities and to boldly explore new possibilities.As CEO and Senior Trainer / Facilitator, I am responsible for designing and developing programs for clients and then facilitating those events in the field. I now have over 25 years experience as a Trainer and Workshop Facilitator.My favourite projects involve my passion for storytelling and working with groups in the context of nature-based Team Building and Personal Development retreats. I work closely with one of Northern Ontario’s premiere Innovation Centres (IION) and 6 years ago, was commissioned to design an experiential training program for Innovators and young entrepreneurs using some of these same experiential techniques and approaches. I continue to facilitate this program twice annually.Over the past 15 years, I have designed and delivered countless workshops and trainings on experiential program facilitation for educators, business leaders, program administrators, human resource specialists and therapists. I have long-standing working partnerships with Nipissing University and the University of Guelph and am a sessional Instructor at Laurentian University where I deliver annual trainings for them and have assisted with curriculum development. Show less

  • CEO, Keynote Speaker and Senior Trainer at Leaders of the Day

    Dec 2009 - now

  • Chief Executive Officer

    Nov 2009 - Apr 2023

  • Executive Director

    Nov 2009 - Nov 2009
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  Canadian Adventure Therapy Advisory Committee

  Feb 2012 - Jan 2023

  Board Chair

  I am the current Board Chair for the Canadian Adventure Therapy Advisory Committee. This body of dedicated volunteers has been helping to gather Professionals in the Canadian field of Adventure Therapy since 2008. The goal is to host symposia where Canadian Practitioners can engage in professional development, share best practices and current research and network with other Canadian specialists and potential employers. The goal is also to reach out to professionals in "peripheral disciplines" and to raise awareness about alternative strategies for helping people engage in the process of their own healing through the medium of adventure in the outdoors. Show less

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  Laurentian University/Université Laurentienne

  Mar 2016 - now

  Professor - Adventure Leadership Program
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  Canadore College

  Feb 2022 - now

  Professor