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Outdoor Adventures help first-year students transition to college life

While many students may feel anxious as they begin college with classmates they have never met, first-year students enrolled in the Outdoor Adventure Program will begin their semester early – and meet friends along the way – by participating in one of three different outdoor excursions: canoeing, community service or backpacking.

Designed to help first-year students with the transition to college, the optional Outdoor Adventure Program supplements required first-year seminar classes. Students form friendships, learn about college life and develop a deeper understanding of themselves through these learning opportunities – all before classes begin.Canoeing Adventure: Aug. 16-19Participants will camp out in tents on the banks of the Delaware River, enjoying breathtaking views and an abundance of wildlife while learning about the value of teamwork through canoeing.

Building for Tomorrow: Aug. 17-19Students learn civic responsibility and experience the joy they can provide through community service. This summer, students will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will volunteer at the DC Central Kitchen and Thrive DC. DC Central Kitchen is a nationally recognized "community kitchen" that recycles food and uses it as a tool to train unemployed adults while providing thousands of meals for local service agencies. Thrive DC works to prevent and end homelessness by providing a comprehensive range of services.

A Walk in the Woods: Aug. 18-20This hiking and camping adventure will allow students to enjoy the solitude of the woods, cook outdoors, sleep under the stars and learn hiking skills in the beautiful outdoors of the Appalachian Trail in northern New Jersey. The group will solve problems and practice team building as a prelude to the college experience.

These programs are only open to first-year students. Participants earn general education credit upon successful completion of activities related to the respective program. For more information, contact Campus Life at 610-396-6076.

 

Participants earn general education credit upon successful completion of activities. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated July 22, 2015

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