{"id":11980,"date":"2019-03-13T08:13:39","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T12:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=11980"},"modified":"2023-01-17T11:22:50","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T15:22:50","slug":"outdoor-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/outdoor-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Outdoor Leadership Conference Provides Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Outdoor
Eighteen Kalamazoo College students traveled to the eighth annual Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where they affirmed K\u2019s standing among its peers as a leader in environmental education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adventures are common for Kalamazoo College student organizations<\/a>, and one February adventure was notable for stirring Outing Club<\/a>\u2019s devotions to pursuing outdoor activities and professions. The student group of 18 traveled to the eighth annual Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where they affirmed K\u2019s standing among its peers as a leader in environmental education and met peers with similar passions from around the region.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0conference, conducted annually at a different higher-education institution each year, provides undergraduates interested in outdoor-recreation careers a chance to learn from each other while networking, developing their leadership skills and building new technical skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo most of the colleges attending this conference, a small college has about 5,000 students,\u201d said Outdoor Programs Director Jory Horner, noting K\u2019s student body of just over 1,400. \u201cAttending this program differentiates us as a liberal arts school because the students are keeping their interest in it alive by dedicating their time. Other colleges are blown away that this is something our staff can handle with just the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our students, who receive no academic credit for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

All attendees are encouraged to serve as presenters during the outdoor leadership conference, including Riley Gabriel \u201921 and Matt Giguere \u201921, who presented on linking the principles of Leave No Trace<\/a>, dedicated to leaving wild places the way others would like to find them, to everyday life. Kit Charlton \u201921 also was among K\u2019s representatives, and all of them noted how K stands out among schools attending the conference as a leader in environmental education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an emphasis on sustainability<\/a>, plus comprehensive composting<\/a> and a hoop house<\/a>,\u201d said Gabriel, an English<\/a> major with a concentration in environmental studies<\/a> from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, mentioning just a few of K\u2019s environmental projects. \u201cA lot of the programs we have undertaken aren\u2019t available at other schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workshops over the conference\u2019s two days included lessons in best practices for hiking, diversity and inclusion in outdoor education, and methods for adaptive recreation activities such as rock climbing. The event fits well with the Outing Club\u2019s mission of providing K students with environmental awareness while teaching how to lead outdoor activities and wilderness trips.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been very fortunate to have a committed group over the years,\u201d said Charlton, an English<\/a> and critical ethnic studies<\/a> major from Berkley, Michigan, referencing K\u2019s participation in seven of the conference\u2019s first eight years.<\/p>\n

The Outing Club allows K students to continue where many leave off with LandSea, the College\u2019s outdoor orientation program offered to incoming students through Outdoor Programs. LandSea, conducted in Adirondack State Park in New York State, helps students meet their peers, gain self-confidence, earn a partial physical education credit and develop classroom skills, even before moving to campus. Outdoor Programs also offers wilderness trips over student breaks, outdoor-themed physical education classes, equipment rental and opportunities to learn wilderness first aid.<\/p>\n

Horner \u201creminds us often of the differences between Outdoor Programs and Outing Club,\u201d said Giguere, a biology major from Portage, Michigan, who attended the conference for the second consecutive year. Outing Club \u201cencourages other students by example to get outdoors, and the support we\u2019ve had from LandSea and Student Development has been exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Outing Club, Outdoor Programs and the Center for Environmental Stewardship<\/a> will work together to extend the College\u2019s reputation for environmental education next February as they host the Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference Feb. 7-9 at K. Although organizers have just started making plans, they say they will incorporate K\u2019s dedication to diversity, inclusion and social justice into their conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited to draw on the resources we have at K to bring social justice ideas into the conference and view it through that lens,\u201d Charlton said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adventures are common for Kalamazoo College student organizations, and one February adventure was notable for stirring Outing Club\u2019s devotions to pursuing outdoor activities and professions. The student group of 18 traveled to the eighth annual Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where they affirmed K\u2019s standing among its peers as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":11983,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[148,103,38],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-11980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","tag-student-development","tag-student-organizations","tag-students"],"yoast_head":"\r\nOutdoor Leadership Conference Provides Adventure - News and Events<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Outing Club traveled to the Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference where they affirmed K\u2019s standing as a leader in environmental education\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/outdoor-leadership\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Outdoor Leadership Conference Provides Adventure - 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aria-label=\"archive of category Students\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/students\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Students<\/a>","tags_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/student-development\/\" rel=\"tag\">student development<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/student-organizations\/\" rel=\"tag\">student organizations<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/students\/\" rel=\"tag\">students<\/a>","social_share_info":"<a data-share=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/outdoor-leadership\/\" class=\"pl-facebook-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/outdoor-leadership\/\" class=\"pl-twiiter-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/outdoor-leadership\/\" class=\"pl-linkedin-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>","wordExcerpt_info":"<figure id=\"attachment_11983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11983\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11983\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2019\/03\/Outdoor-Leadership-600x434.jpg\" alt=\"Outdoor Leadership Conference Attendees Ready for an adventure\" width=\"584\" height=\"422\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eighteen Kalamazoo College students traveled to the eighth annual Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where they affirmed K\u2019s standing among its peers as a leader in environmental education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Adventures are common for Kalamazoo College <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/student-life\/student-organizations\/\">student organizations<\/a>, and one February adventure was notable for stirring <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/outing\/\">Outing Club<\/a>\u2019s devotions to pursuing outdoor activities and professions. The student group of 18 traveled to the eighth annual Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where they affirmed K\u2019s standing among its peers as a leader in environmental education and met peers with similar passions from around the region.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0conference, conducted annually at a different higher-education institution each year, provides undergraduates interested in outdoor-recreation careers a chance to learn from each other while networking, developing their leadership skills and building new technical skills.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo most of the colleges attending this conference, a small college has about 5,000 students,\u201d said Outdoor Programs Director Jory Horner, noting K\u2019s student body of just over 1,400. \u201cAttending this program differentiates us as a liberal arts school because the students are keeping their interest in it alive by dedicating their time. Other colleges are blown away that this is something our staff can handle with just the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our students, who receive no academic credit for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All attendees are encouraged to serve as presenters during the outdoor leadership conference, including Riley Gabriel \u201921 and Matt Giguere \u201921, who presented on linking the principles of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilderness.org\/articles\/article\/leave-no-trace\">Leave No Trace<\/a>, dedicated to leaving wild places the way others would like to find them, to everyday life. Kit Charlton \u201921 also was among K\u2019s representatives, and all of them noted how K stands out among schools attending the conference as a leader in environmental education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have an emphasis on <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/green\/\">sustainability<\/a>, plus comprehensive <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/green\/campusinitiatives\/wastemgmt\/compost\/\">composting<\/a> and a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/hoop-house\/\">hoop house<\/a>,\u201d said Gabriel, an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/english\/\">English<\/a> major with a concentration in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/environmental-studies\/\">environmental studies<\/a> from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, mentioning just a few of K\u2019s environmental projects. \u201cA lot of the programs we have undertaken aren\u2019t available at other schools.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Workshops over the conference\u2019s two days included lessons in best practices for hiking, diversity and inclusion in outdoor education, and methods for adaptive recreation activities such as rock climbing. The event fits well with the Outing Club\u2019s mission of providing K students with environmental awareness while teaching how to lead outdoor activities and wilderness trips.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been very fortunate to have a committed group over the years,\u201d said Charlton, an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/english\/\">English<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/programs\/critical-ethnic-studies\/\">critical ethnic studies<\/a> major from Berkley, Michigan, referencing K\u2019s participation in seven of the conference\u2019s first eight years.<\/p>\n<p>The Outing Club allows K students to continue where many leave off with LandSea, the College\u2019s outdoor orientation program offered to incoming students through Outdoor Programs. LandSea, conducted in Adirondack State Park in New York State, helps students meet their peers, gain self-confidence, earn a partial physical education credit and develop classroom skills, even before moving to campus. Outdoor Programs also offers wilderness trips over student breaks, outdoor-themed physical education classes, equipment rental and opportunities to learn wilderness first aid.<\/p>\n<p>Horner \u201creminds us often of the differences between Outdoor Programs and Outing Club,\u201d said Giguere, a biology major from Portage, Michigan, who attended the conference for the second consecutive year. Outing Club \u201cencourages other students by example to get outdoors, and the support we\u2019ve had from LandSea and Student Development has been exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Outing Club, Outdoor Programs and the <a href=\"https:\/\/envirostewardship.kzoo.edu\/\">Center for Environmental Stewardship<\/a> will work together to extend the College\u2019s reputation for environmental education next February as they host the Midwest Outdoor Leadership Conference Feb. 7-9 at K. Although organizers have just started making plans, they say they will incorporate K\u2019s dedication to diversity, inclusion and social justice into their conversations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re excited to draw on the resources we have at K to bring social justice ideas into the conference and view it through that lens,\u201d Charlton said.<\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11980"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18843,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11980\/revisions\/18843"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11980"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=11980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}