What is Chiji?

Chiji is a Chinese word meaning “significant moment” or “turning point.” It is an event that changes a person’s life, and whether that change is for the better or for the worse depends on the individual’s readiness and willingness to learn from the experience. Implicit in the word chiji is the belief that each person has the key to open the door to new and valuable opportunities. The Institute for Experiential Education takes chiji to heart to produce the Chiji line of processing tools and books about education. The Institute is a collective of active experiential educators making their best ideas available to fellow teachers, adventure programmers, recreation leaders, and counselors.

Meet the Staff of IEE

Buzz Bocher

Buzz Bocher

President

Buzz Bocher is president of the Institute for Experiential Education.  He is a retired instructor of environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

Buzz is the workhorse of IEE and chief developer of the Chiji line of processing tools. 

He is the former director of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ropes and challenge course.

Dan Miller

Dan Miller

Vice President

Dan is the Vice President of the Institute for Experiential Education, as well as the founder and CEO of Chiji Team Dynamics.

He has served as a senior consultant & instructor for Training Master International Limited in Hong Kong.

He is a former Ropes and Challenge Course builder and Director of Training for ABEE, Inc., a highly respected Challenge Course company in the industry.

Dan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreational Therapy and over twenty years’ experience in the field of experiential education with over 12,000 documented training hours logged, including working at the Mayo Clinic.

Learn more about working with Dan @ www.ChijiTeamDynamics.com

Steven Simpson

Steven Simpson

Steven Simpson is the retired Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He also is the former editor of the Journal of Experiential Education and has written over 80 articles on experiential education, outdoor recreation, and environmental ethics.  

He is the author or co-author of four books, including The Leader Who is Hardly Known and Rediscovering Dewey. He has taught in Asia at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University. 

Visit www.StevenVSimpson.com 

Visit our store to find your Chiji tools!

“It’s rare when a teacher requires you to buy a book for a class and you, number one, read it and, number two, enjoy it.”
Anonymous reviewer on amazon.com,

referring to The Processing Pinnacle

Institute for Experiential Education